I have this very vivid memory... a really good one, for once... of being 13.
It was a warm, July night... a Hometown night.
It had become a tradition to play a game, "El Bote" aka "The Can."
See, we "country" Mexicans are "ghetto," as in, we're resourceful and make do with what we've got. We may not have much, but we'll find a way to make things work.
El Bote is a mixture of "hide and go seek" and tag... sort of.
First, you get an empty plastic bottle, add pebbles, and cap the lid... so you basically make a rattle.
One kid is "it" and has to chase after the bottle that someone else is going to throw in the opposite direction of where everyone else is going to run and hide.
The "it" kid runs after the can, retrieves it, and proceeds to search for the hidden kids. When the "it" person spots someone, he has to call him out: "One, two, three for *kid* who is hiding *place where he is hiding.*"
If the "it" kid gets it right, the kid in hiding has to come out and sit by the can.
Point of the game is for the "it" kid to find every person who is hiding.
Game ends once the "it" kid finds everyone, OR if he incorrectly calls someone out, OR if one of the kids in hiding beats him to the can and calls everyone out: "One, two, three for all my friends! Come out!"
If the "it" kid finds everyone, first kid he found is it. If the "it" kid loses, he has to do it all over again.
WELL!
This game is awesome to play at night... especially because in hometown, there are very few streetlights-- it's dark as fuck... so it makes it that much more interesting.
It's also an awesome time to go off and hide with your crush.
I took full advantage of this... and it was obvious... because I fucking HATE running... but if it means I get to chill with a guy I like, I'm more than game for the stupid activity.
Anyway, back as a 13 year old, I harbored a crush for this guy, six years my senior. I very clearly remember liking him the moment I made eye-contact with him as an eight year old-- yeah, EIGHT.
Anyway, considering he was so much older than me, it wasn't like he'd be all cool with dating me or whatever the fuck... he wasn't THAT much of a pedophile.
Anyway, it was obvious he thought I was alright, because he'd chat me up... and hang out with me until two in the morning.
Those were seriously some of the best nights of my life... just sitting there, under one of the only streetlights in town, under that alamo... giggling over mundane shit.
While we could chat for hours, there WAS the part where we'd be surrounded by my two siblings, Alo, Jaz, and three other little kids... so there never really was ALONE time.
That's where El Bote came in.
After maybe three games, FINALLY the guy followed me behind this tiny house. He tried chatting me up once there, because it was SO far away from everyone else... but I, being idiotic, shy, annoyingly-competitive AnoMALIE, focused on the goddamn game.
As I was squatting to look over at the "it" kid, to see if I could make a safe run for the can, I wound up falling on my ass.
Me: Oh shit! I just... I bet I just dirtied the hell out of my shorts!
I was wearing khaki short-shorts.
Him: Let me look...
This totally went over my head... because I'm naive and stupid.
Him: No, you're fine. Your ass looks great from here...
I got nervous... and like the fucking retarded, panicking quail on Bambi, I darted out of safety and into plain view of the "it" kid. I was caught.
I had not worn shorts in public since then...
Well, I HAVE worn shorts when I've gone to the beach... and when I was in Costa Rica, but not in Hometown or Vegas.
I decided today would be the day I broke that 14 year streak.
It was glorious.
No crush (OF MINE! I feel I must stress this, given my sudden fucking stupid popularity. I seriously just want to be that wallflower I've always been, invisible to everyone, well, almost everyone. Obviously there's that one guy I wish I'd be ever-present to...) to tell me I had a great ass, however... but that's cool, I understand shit in my life can never be perfect.
Now excuse me, I have to sleep. Yes, this was a hardcore cheat-update.
It was a warm, July night... a Hometown night.
It had become a tradition to play a game, "El Bote" aka "The Can."
See, we "country" Mexicans are "ghetto," as in, we're resourceful and make do with what we've got. We may not have much, but we'll find a way to make things work.
El Bote is a mixture of "hide and go seek" and tag... sort of.
First, you get an empty plastic bottle, add pebbles, and cap the lid... so you basically make a rattle.
One kid is "it" and has to chase after the bottle that someone else is going to throw in the opposite direction of where everyone else is going to run and hide.
The "it" kid runs after the can, retrieves it, and proceeds to search for the hidden kids. When the "it" person spots someone, he has to call him out: "One, two, three for *kid* who is hiding *place where he is hiding.*"
If the "it" kid gets it right, the kid in hiding has to come out and sit by the can.
Point of the game is for the "it" kid to find every person who is hiding.
Game ends once the "it" kid finds everyone, OR if he incorrectly calls someone out, OR if one of the kids in hiding beats him to the can and calls everyone out: "One, two, three for all my friends! Come out!"
If the "it" kid finds everyone, first kid he found is it. If the "it" kid loses, he has to do it all over again.
WELL!
This game is awesome to play at night... especially because in hometown, there are very few streetlights-- it's dark as fuck... so it makes it that much more interesting.
It's also an awesome time to go off and hide with your crush.
I took full advantage of this... and it was obvious... because I fucking HATE running... but if it means I get to chill with a guy I like, I'm more than game for the stupid activity.
Anyway, back as a 13 year old, I harbored a crush for this guy, six years my senior. I very clearly remember liking him the moment I made eye-contact with him as an eight year old-- yeah, EIGHT.
Anyway, considering he was so much older than me, it wasn't like he'd be all cool with dating me or whatever the fuck... he wasn't THAT much of a pedophile.
Anyway, it was obvious he thought I was alright, because he'd chat me up... and hang out with me until two in the morning.
Those were seriously some of the best nights of my life... just sitting there, under one of the only streetlights in town, under that alamo... giggling over mundane shit.
While we could chat for hours, there WAS the part where we'd be surrounded by my two siblings, Alo, Jaz, and three other little kids... so there never really was ALONE time.
That's where El Bote came in.
After maybe three games, FINALLY the guy followed me behind this tiny house. He tried chatting me up once there, because it was SO far away from everyone else... but I, being idiotic, shy, annoyingly-competitive AnoMALIE, focused on the goddamn game.
As I was squatting to look over at the "it" kid, to see if I could make a safe run for the can, I wound up falling on my ass.
Me: Oh shit! I just... I bet I just dirtied the hell out of my shorts!
I was wearing khaki short-shorts.
Him: Let me look...
This totally went over my head... because I'm naive and stupid.
Him: No, you're fine. Your ass looks great from here...
I got nervous... and like the fucking retarded, panicking quail on Bambi, I darted out of safety and into plain view of the "it" kid. I was caught.
I had not worn shorts in public since then...
Well, I HAVE worn shorts when I've gone to the beach... and when I was in Costa Rica, but not in Hometown or Vegas.
I decided today would be the day I broke that 14 year streak.
It was glorious.
No crush (OF MINE! I feel I must stress this, given my sudden fucking stupid popularity. I seriously just want to be that wallflower I've always been, invisible to everyone, well, almost everyone. Obviously there's that one guy I wish I'd be ever-present to...) to tell me I had a great ass, however... but that's cool, I understand shit in my life can never be perfect.
Now excuse me, I have to sleep. Yes, this was a hardcore cheat-update.
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