A Different Game by Sylvia Olsen

Author:Sylvia Olsen
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: JUV000000
Publisher: Orca Book Publishers
Published: 2010-04-01T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

When Mom gets home, she opens the door and says, “Okay, son, tell me how you did. Was Murphy James’s name on the list?”

“Sure was,” Murphy says. “MT,” he says to his cat when it walks in behind Mom, “you’re looking at the starting keeper for the Riverside Strikers. Yes, that’s right, my little puddy cat, you are looking at the grade-seven player who beat out two grade-eight players in the lineup. Big Bingo is playing fill-in for Murphy James. He’s pretty mad.”

Mousetrap curls his body around Murphy’s legs and lies down on his feet.

“Congratulations, son,” Mom says. “I knew you’d do it.”

She gives Murphy a big hug and then flops on the sofa. “Now tell me more. What about the other guys? How did they do?”

“Danny and Jeff made the team,” Murphy says. Then, and he’s not sure why, he has trouble telling Mom about Albert. He stops talking. He doesn’t want to say the words.

“And…,” she says, obviously expecting him to continue, “what about Albert?”

“He didn’t make the team, Mom,” Murphy says. His eyes start to burn. He turns away from her and picks up Mousetrap. “Albert didn’t get on the starting lineup, MT. Can you believe it?”

“Well, that’s ridiculous,” Mom says, throwing her hands up in the air. “Who were the people choosing the team? What do they have against Albert?”

“It’s not like that, Mom,” Murphy says. “Remember what I said about the way he was playing? I’ve been worried all week. Well…I’ve been worried for longer than that. He just hasn’t been playing like Albert.”

Mom calms down a little. “But Albert is better than most boys, even when he’s playing at half speed,” she says. “Heck, he’s better with one hand tied behind his back. He’s the best player since Uncle Rudy.”

“That’s kind of how he was playing—with one hand tied behind his back and at half speed,” Murphy says. He decides not to tell Mom about the fight Albert almost got into or the swearing or the bad attitude he’s been tossing around the field.

Murphy tries hard to hold back his tears.

“I don’t understand,” Mom says. “But I remember now. I didn’t like the way it sounded when you said his shots were weak and he wasn’t running as fast as he used to.”

She gets up to start cooking supper.

“What did he say when he didn’t make the team?” she asks.

“He wasn’t at school today,” Murphy says.

“Well, that doesn’t make sense either,” she says. “He was looking forward to this as much as the rest of you boys.”

“We were going to be the Formidable Four. The first time ever that four players from the tribal school had a chance at making the starting lineup for the Riverside Strikers.”

“There’s something wrong,” Mom says.

“Danny says Albert hates middle school and wishes he was still in the tribal school.”

“Do you think that’s it?”

“I don’t know. I guess. He sure sounds like he hates the school.”

“But everyone is worried about moving to a bigger school where there are older kids.

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