A High Five for Glenn Burke

The next day, Silas calls Coach Webb again and tells him he cannot come to the game tomorrow. Webb tells Silas that this leaves them with only nine players on their team and that he hopes there is enough time to call up a replacement. He asks if Silas is okay. Silas does not reply.

The next day, Silas’s dad asks Silas why he is not ready for his baseball game. Silas has not told his parents that he is not going to baseball today. Gil is upset with Silas for not telling him sooner because he “would have scheduled [his] day differently” if he had known (169). Silas apologizes and Gil tells him that he is worried about him. He tells Silas that he should talk to his mother about whatever is wrong.

The morning after Silas misses his baseball game, Haley wakes him up and tells him that his coach is here. Silas meets Webb in the kitchen, and Webb tells him and his parents about the games Silas missed. Webb asks Silas’s parents if he can talk to Silas outside.

Outside, Silas asks Webb if he told his parents about him being gay, and Webb replies that he could never do that to Silas. Webb admits that he did tell Silas’s parents that Silas “told an untruth about [his] friend Zoey” and that the rest of the team is giving him a hard time about it (173). They discuss Glenn Burke again, and Webb tells Silas that while “baseball wasn’t ready for an openly gay baseball player back then” (174), things have changed a lot since the 70s. Webb opens a bag of sunflower seeds and they take turns spitting the seeds at a coffee mug. As they do this, Webb keeps talking.

Webb reassures Silas that what happened to Burke is not going to happen to him. He tells Silas to always be himself, no matter what, and that Silas’s coming out will be a process that happens over the course of his entire life. Silas asks Webb if he knows why Malik left the team. Webb tells him that leaving the team was not Malik’s choice; his parents are friends with Noles. He goes on to tell Silas that he “can’t fix broken people” (177), and that Silas deserves to be accepted and loved for who he is.

Silas realizes that he has to face his team and own up to the lie he told about Zoey. He is worried that the team will not forgive him, but Webb tells him not to underestimate people. He reminds Silas that his parents are good people and he is lucky to have them.

Silas is in ELA, waiting for class to start. Zoey walks in, and for a moment, it looks like she is starting to wave at Silas. At the last second, she lowers her arm and goes to sit with some other girls. Silas wonders if he just imagined Zoey’s half wave, but Ms. Washington gives Silas a look that makes him think she saw it, too.

Silas’s dad drops Silas off at baseball practice. Silas is nervous to face his team, but when he walks onto the pitch, Ben-Ben comes up to him and tells him that they are stretch partners for the day. Silas apologizes to Ben-Ben for lying about Zoey. He then apologizes to each of his teammates individually for lying. His teammates accept his apologies and tell him that it is good to have him back.

Silas is at Jump & Grind waiting for his mom and Kaila to finish work. When they finish, Erica sits down across from Silas for a talk. She apologizes to Silas for being so busy with work and not being present. She tells Silas that she was proud of him for telling her that he needed to miss practice and have a self-care day, because taking care of himself should always be a priority. Nevertheless, she is also glad that he decided not to quit baseball altogether because he plays with so much passion and energy. She tells him that he should be authentic, even though he might not always fit in, because the people in his life who really get to know him will be better off because of it. Silas thinks that his mom might know about him being gay without him having to tell her. She asks him if everything is okay and makes him promise to tell her if he needs help.

When Silas arrives at baseball practice, he is surprised to see all of his teammates dressed up and posed like the characters in The Sandlot. Ben-Ben explains that Zoey, Grace, and Malik came up with the idea and put it all together. Silas is surprised but happy to be connecting with his teammates again. Silas decides that they need a team handshake and proposes a double high five, in honor of Glenn Burke. He explains to the team that Burke invented the high five but leaves out the part about Burke being gay. Silas choreographs their high five line up, saying that it is “a high five for the Renegades and a high five for Glenn Burke” (193).

Grace picks Silas up after school and drives him to her house so that he and Zoey can talk. Silas apologizes to Zoey for what he said about her. Zoey also apologizes, saying that she has been a bad friend. She tells Silas that when he told her that he is gay, it changed things for her, despite the fact that “it shouldn’t, and [she knows] it shouldn’t” (196). She also tells Silas that Grace has guessed that he is gay.

Zoey talks about setting up the Sandlot costumes with Ben-Ben and Malik. She says that Malik is cute. Silas tells Zoey that he is overwhelmed by how fast his life is changing. He also tells her that he is planning to tell his mom that he is gay. He does not know yet when he will do it, but he feels confident in his decision. Zoey thinks that this is a good idea and assures him that Erica will be supportive.

Silas and the rest of the Renegades get ready for a game. Everyone important to Silas is there to watch: his parents and sisters, Zoey, Grace, Ms. Washington, and Kaila. The team does their high five handshake. When Silas high fives Webb, Webb reminds Silas to be himself. When Silas gets to the home plate, he thinks about Glenn Burke and the opportunities that he will get to have that Burke did not get. He reflects that he would not be where he is without Burke.