Outcasts United: Chapter 13 Summary & Analysis

The second tryouts for the Under Fifteens take place on Monday. Kanue, Mandela, and Natnael have rallied many new players, in addition to bringing three players (including Alex) who had been on the Fugees previously. Fornatee had decided not to show up, feeling strongly that he shouldn’t have to try out for the team again, since he already tried out.

Luma divides the boys into two teams and watches them play, offering one boy wearing sandals her own shoes. As she watches the scrimmage, she knows that reforming the team would be like starting over. She worries that she is setting the players up for failure. Meanwhile, the boys are playing as if they are “trying to will their team back into existence.”

Luma does note some good raw talent, and she starts to write down which players might play which positions. At the end of the game, she tells them that if she allows the team to continue, it is likely that they will lose most of their games because they are going to play against very experienced teams. They only have three practices to get their team together; Kanue offers that they could get an extra practice in on Saturday morning. The others agree.

Luma tells them that if they still want to revive the team, they can show up on Thursday at 5:00. She adds that practices are not going to be easy. Kanue is relieved. After all the others leave, he tells Luma that he appreciates her, and that he and the others are going to follow the rules and “give her the respect she deserves.”