Center Court Sting by Matt Christopher

Author:Matt Christopher [CHRISTOPHER, MATTHEW F]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780316095150
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Published: 2009-12-19T05:00:00+00:00

10

Daren slammed the door behind him. His dad called from the basement, where he was in his workshop, but Daren didn’t feel like talking. Taking the stairs two at a time, he ducked into his room and flopped onto his bed.

He stared at the ceiling. Maybe he could just lie there for a month or two. He didn’t know what to do now. Lynn never got angry with him. Judy and he had always been friendly. Now even they didn’t want to be friends.

Was what they were saying true? He knew his temper got out of control sometimes, but did what he say make such a huge impact?

Daren didn’t know.

He lay there for a while. The ceiling didn’t have answers, but at least it didn’t blame him for anything. That was an improvement.

A little later, Daren heard a knock on his door. It opened slowly, and his father peered in.

“Hey, champ, how you doing?”

Daren didn’t look over. “Okay, I guess.” He hoped his dad would leave him alone.

“Okay?” Mr. McCall pulled over Daren’s desk chair and sat facing the bed. “I have to admit, you don’t look too okay to me. You look kind of down. If you’re really okay, fine. But if something’s bothering you, I wish you’d tell me. It might make you feel better to talk about it.”

Daren rolled on his side and propped his head on his hand, facing his father.

“I don’t know,” he said, after thinking for a moment. “I don’t know what’s going on. The other guys on the Rangers don’t like me. Even Lynn is mad at me. Coach Michaels told me he may kick me off the team —”

Daren’s dad frowned. “The coach said that? That’s surprising.”

Daren nodded. “Now even Judy doesn’t want to talk to me. It isn’t fair! What’d I do?”

Daren collapsed onto his back again.

“Yes,” said Mr. McCall. “I heard about a problem with Judy — and her little brother.”

“I was explaining how to dribble!” said Daren. “He wanted help, so I was helping him, but he ran away and Judy won’t talk to me.”

Mr. McCall looked serious. “So I heard. You’ve been friends since you could walk.”

He was quiet for a long moment, then suddenly chuckled.

“What’s so funny?” Daren asked.

“I’m not laughing at what happened between you and Judy. I was thinking of when I started teaching you basketball. Remember?”

“Yeah,” said Daren. “I was pretty little.”

“You were seven,” said Mr. McCall. “A year younger than Gary is. And, as I remember, you weren’t very good at it.”

“I was only seven!”

“Right,” agreed his father. “You weren’t strong enough to reach the basket. You’d throw the ball hard as you could, and it would be four feet short of the rim! I wish I’d had a video camera. It was pretty funny.”

“Uh-huh.” Daren wondered if his dad was making fun of him.

Mr. McCall leaned forward. “But you were doing the best you could. So I’d just say, ‘Way to go!’ I knew you’d get better when you got older. And that’s what happened.

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