Off the Crossbar by David Skuy

Author:David Skuy [Skuy, David]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781443119801
Publisher: Scholastic Canada
Published: 2009-03-03T16:00:00+00:00

Later that day Charlie sat at the dinner table with his sister and mother. They were eating pasta, a pre-game ritual his father had always insisted on.

His mother had gone to great lengths to make it exactly the way he liked, but Charlie was barely eating, just picking at it with his fork and playing with the sauce.

“You should eat a little something before the game,” his mother said.

Charlie shrugged. “I’m not that hungry, I guess.”

“Are we perhaps a little nervous?”

“Maybe a little,” he admitted. “I just wish that the guys hadn’t made me captain. It’s not that I don’t appreciate it. But I’m new to the team, and it probably would have been better to choose one of the guys who’s been around longer.”

“I’m sure they voted for you because they liked how you play and wanted you as their captain.”

Charlie was not ready to accept that. “I think they were voting against someone, rather than for me. And I think some of them are going to have second thoughts.”

“What do you mean?”

He shrugged and poked at his food with his fork.

“He means they voted against Jake Wilkenson because he’s such a jerk,” Danielle said.

“Danielle!” Charlie hissed.

“Well, it’s the truth,” Danielle huffed, sticking her tongue out at him. “Hannah told me, and her sister goes to your school.”

His mother put her fork down. “So what’s the deal with this Jake Wilkenson?”

Charlie sighed. “I don’t really know. We got off on the wrong foot the first day of school. Actually, we got off on the wrong foot even before that, at that pickup game you dragged me to.”

His mother gave him a stern look.

“Sorry. The pickup game you took me to. Anyway, he’s had it in for me since then. We even had a bit of an … argument … at one of the tryouts.”

“Hannah told me all about it,” Danielle said breathlessly. “Charlie nailed some guy during a drill, and Jake and his buddy charged at Charlie. Then another guy pulled another guy off Charlie, and the coaches had to pull everyone apart.”

“Thank you, Danielle,” their mother said. “It’s amazing how you seem to know everything that’s going on.”

Danielle winked and stuffed a big fork full of pasta into her mouth.

“Now what was this about a fight?” his mom asked.

Just then the doorbell rang.

“I’ll get it,” Charlie said, relieved not to have to answer his mom. He opened the door. It was Pudge. A car idled in the driveway with the lights on.

“Hey, Pudge. What’s up? You off to the game already?”

“My dad wants to see the junior girls play, so we’re going early. You wanna come?”

“That would be cool. But my grandparents are coming over. I should wait for them. We’ll be leaving soon.”

“No problem. I’ll see you there.”

Honk.

“Okay, Dad. One second,” Pudge said between cupped hands. He leaned forward. “I also just heard some news, and I thought you’d be interested.

“You got my attention. What’s the news?” Charlie asked.

“Jake, Thomas and Liam went to Hilton to complain about you being named captain.

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