Read Online Center Court Sting by Matt Christopher - Free Book Online
Authors: Matt Christopher
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disappear, Daren called, “Hey, Andy! Come over here a second, okay?”
Andy slowly walked toward them. He looked nervous and unhappy.
“How are you doing?” asked Daren when the manager finally reached them.
“All right,” mumbled Andy, looking at the floor, the ceiling, the lockers — anywhere but at Daren and Lou.
“Hey, listen,” Daren said. “I know you do a lot of stuff for the team, and most of it is stuff we would hate to have to do
ourselves, like picking up towels. And almost nobody ever says thank you. Well,
I
sure don’t. So I figure this is a good time to say thanks.”
Lou nodded. “Yeah, that goes for me, too.”
Andy’s mouth dropped open. “You want to — to
thank me?”
“Right,” Daren replied.
“That’s about it,” agreed Lou.
“It’s okay,” said Andy, who still looked very confused. “Urn… I have something to say to you guys, too. I was feeling sort
of, well, angry about how nobody ever appreciates the things I do around here and how some of you were always picking on me…”
“It wasn’t right,” Lou said. “We shouldn’t have done that.”
“I guess I was the worst one of all,” added Daren. “I won’t do it again.”
“The thing is,” Andy went on, “about those drawings and the towel and Lou’s shoes being painted. I was feeling angry, I guess,
and
I
was the one who —”
“Forget it,” Daren interrupted.
“No big deal,” said Lou.
“You mean that?” Andy asked. “Really?”
“Definitely,” Lou replied. Daren nodded.
“I’ll buy you new shoes,” Andy offered.
“You don’t have to,” said Lou. “They were pretty old. I can wear them the way they are. Actually, they look cool painted red.”
“Yeah, they do.” Daren grinned at Lou and turned to Andy. “Where’s that paint? I may paint my shoes red, too.”
Lou started to laugh, and Daren and Andy joined him. Lynn and Shawn came over.
“What’s up?” Lynn asked.
Lou stopped laughing and said, “We were just talking about how the Rebels are going to get totally stomped tomorrow.”
“Completely,” said Daren.
Shawn and Lynn exchanged puzzled looks.
“You know these guys?” Lynn asked.
“They sort of look familiar,” Shawn answered. “But they sure sound different.”
14
O n the day of the game between the Rangers and the Rebels, the crowd was the biggest that Daren could remember. As he came
out of the locker room into the gym, he was startled by the level of the noise. Although the game wasn’t due to start for
a while, almost every seat was full. He saw lots of signs scattered through the stands that said go , rangers! and rebels rule! and similar messages. As he looked around, he happened to spot Judy Parnell, sitting with Gary. Judy noticed him and waved,
and then poked Gary in the arm andpointed. Daren smiled and waved back. Gary stood up and yelled something to him, but it was too noisy for Daren to hear.
He nodded to Gary anyway.
The Rangers began their warm-up drills, shooting layups. At the other end of the floor, the Rebels were doing the same thing.
Daren looked them over after his first layup. Their uniforms were gray and red, and he watched their big center, Drew Capp,
go up and lay the ball in. Capp was a big, strong player. It looked like he’d be able to dunk the ball someday soon. Lou Bettman
was definitely going to have his work cut out for him, trying to stop this guy. Of course, the other Rangers would be there
to help out.
Daren would, for sure. This was the
new
Daren. He hadn’t said a nasty word to anyone and was going out of his way to be friendly. Some of the Rangers had responded
immediately and been friendly, too. A few,like Shawn, were still holding back, as if they were waiting for the old Daren to put in an appearance. But so far, it hadn’t
happened.
Over and over during the Rangers’ last practice before this game, Coach Michaels had repeated the same things: “Help each
other, especially
Andy slowly walked toward them. He looked nervous and unhappy.
“How are you doing?” asked Daren when the manager finally reached them.
“All right,” mumbled Andy, looking at the floor, the ceiling, the lockers — anywhere but at Daren and Lou.
“Hey, listen,” Daren said. “I know you do a lot of stuff for the team, and most of it is stuff we would hate to have to do
ourselves, like picking up towels. And almost nobody ever says thank you. Well,
I
sure don’t. So I figure this is a good time to say thanks.”
Lou nodded. “Yeah, that goes for me, too.”
Andy’s mouth dropped open. “You want to — to
thank me?”
“Right,” Daren replied.
“That’s about it,” agreed Lou.
“It’s okay,” said Andy, who still looked very confused. “Urn… I have something to say to you guys, too. I was feeling sort
of, well, angry about how nobody ever appreciates the things I do around here and how some of you were always picking on me…”
“It wasn’t right,” Lou said. “We shouldn’t have done that.”
“I guess I was the worst one of all,” added Daren. “I won’t do it again.”
“The thing is,” Andy went on, “about those drawings and the towel and Lou’s shoes being painted. I was feeling angry, I guess,
and
I
was the one who —”
“Forget it,” Daren interrupted.
“No big deal,” said Lou.
“You mean that?” Andy asked. “Really?”
“Definitely,” Lou replied. Daren nodded.
“I’ll buy you new shoes,” Andy offered.
“You don’t have to,” said Lou. “They were pretty old. I can wear them the way they are. Actually, they look cool painted red.”
“Yeah, they do.” Daren grinned at Lou and turned to Andy. “Where’s that paint? I may paint my shoes red, too.”
Lou started to laugh, and Daren and Andy joined him. Lynn and Shawn came over.
“What’s up?” Lynn asked.
Lou stopped laughing and said, “We were just talking about how the Rebels are going to get totally stomped tomorrow.”
“Completely,” said Daren.
Shawn and Lynn exchanged puzzled looks.
“You know these guys?” Lynn asked.
“They sort of look familiar,” Shawn answered. “But they sure sound different.”
14
O n the day of the game between the Rangers and the Rebels, the crowd was the biggest that Daren could remember. As he came
out of the locker room into the gym, he was startled by the level of the noise. Although the game wasn’t due to start for
a while, almost every seat was full. He saw lots of signs scattered through the stands that said go , rangers! and rebels rule! and similar messages. As he looked around, he happened to spot Judy Parnell, sitting with Gary. Judy noticed him and waved,
and then poked Gary in the arm andpointed. Daren smiled and waved back. Gary stood up and yelled something to him, but it was too noisy for Daren to hear.
He nodded to Gary anyway.
The Rangers began their warm-up drills, shooting layups. At the other end of the floor, the Rebels were doing the same thing.
Daren looked them over after his first layup. Their uniforms were gray and red, and he watched their big center, Drew Capp,
go up and lay the ball in. Capp was a big, strong player. It looked like he’d be able to dunk the ball someday soon. Lou Bettman
was definitely going to have his work cut out for him, trying to stop this guy. Of course, the other Rangers would be there
to help out.
Daren would, for sure. This was the
new
Daren. He hadn’t said a nasty word to anyone and was going out of his way to be friendly. Some of the Rangers had responded
immediately and been friendly, too. A few,like Shawn, were still holding back, as if they were waiting for the old Daren to put in an appearance. But so far, it hadn’t
happened.
Over and over during the Rangers’ last practice before this game, Coach Michaels had repeated the same things: “Help each
other, especially
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