Read Online The Basket Counts by Matt Christopher - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Matt Christopher
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it?”
A burst of laughter broke from the class. “No, it isn’t, Melvin.” Ms. Agard glanced over his head. “Can you answer the question,
Caskie?”
“It’s a tree from which the people get tannin, stuff used … I mean a product used in tanning hides,” answered Caskie.
“That’s right,” said Ms. Agard. “Do you remember that now, Melvin?”
Mel avoided her eyes. “Yes,” he said, embarrassed.
It seemed hours before class was over. And all that time Ms. Agard didn’t ask him another question. “What’s the trouble, Melvin?”
she asked quietly after the others had left the room. “You’ve always been prepared before. Why weren’t you today?”
He shrugged again. “Just couldn’t remember,” he said.
“But you did study the chapter on Argentina?”
“Uh-huh. Yes.”
Ms. Agard was quiet a moment. “You’re on the basketball team, aren’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Has that got anything to do with it? Or anyone on the team?”
He looked at his fingernails. Somehow he felt she suspected. “Maybe.” Then he looked at her. “Please give me another chance,
Ms. Agard. I’ll remember next time.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yes.”
“Okay, Melvin. You may go.”
“Thanks, Ms. Agard.”
Of all his teachers he liked her the best. She seemed to understand him more than the others did. He was sorry he hadn’t remembered
the answer to her question, and somehow felt that he had let her down.
After school the Titans played their first league game. The Quincy Quints were their opponents. Caskie and Stoney started
off in the forward positions, Mel and Rick Longfoot in the guard positions, and Skeet Robinson at center against Dutch Fullmer.
Caskie scored the first basket from the corner, then Skeet laid one up and drew a foul at the same time.
The ball went in, so Skeet was allowed only one shot. He took his time at the foul line, shot the ball from his chest, and
made it.
“Yea, Robinson!” shouted the Titan cheerleaders.
The Quints took out the ball, moved it cautiously downcourt. Across the center line they passed it quickly and carefully among
themselves, the sound of the ball a whispering thump as it moved from one pair of hands to another.
Mel waited for a pass to be thrown to his man and saw it coming. He leaped in front of his opponent, grabbed the ball, and
dribbled it hard upcourt. From the corner of his eye he saw a player, a player in a green uniform, running several feet to
his left. Close behind him thundered another pair of running feet. But he was close to the basket now. He leaped and shot.
The ball brushed against the backboard, rolled around the rim, and dropped off!
“Yayeeeee!” screamed the Quints’ fans.
“You … you … !” the boy in the green uniform glared at him. “Why didn’t you pass it to me?” It was Caskie Bennett.
Mel said nothing. A Quint caught the rebound, dribbled it away from the basket, and passed to another Quint. Seconds later
they scored.
At the end of the first quarter it was a 13–13 tie. Pedro Dorigez and Kim took Mel’s and Skeet’s places in the second period.
By the end of the half there was still little change. It was 21–20 in favor of the Hillcrest Titans.
Darryl, in Stoney’s place when the second half started, sank a corner shot. A minute later he scored three more points on
a layup that drew a foul.
“Yea, Brady!” screamed the cheerleaders.
The Quints came back within a point of tying the score again. Titans’ ball. Pedro Dorigez arced a pass to Mel. A Quint burst
in, grabbed the pass, and dribbled downcourt for another two points that put them in the lead.
“Pedro!” snarled Caskie. But Pedro paid no attention to him.
The Titans caught up and by the fourth quarter they were leading 35-34. Mel caught a rebound, dribbled to the corner, and
looked for someone to pass to. Stoney, back in the game, came running from the middle of the court, guarded closely by aQuint. The Quints were
A burst of laughter broke from the class. “No, it isn’t, Melvin.” Ms. Agard glanced over his head. “Can you answer the question,
Caskie?”
“It’s a tree from which the people get tannin, stuff used … I mean a product used in tanning hides,” answered Caskie.
“That’s right,” said Ms. Agard. “Do you remember that now, Melvin?”
Mel avoided her eyes. “Yes,” he said, embarrassed.
It seemed hours before class was over. And all that time Ms. Agard didn’t ask him another question. “What’s the trouble, Melvin?”
she asked quietly after the others had left the room. “You’ve always been prepared before. Why weren’t you today?”
He shrugged again. “Just couldn’t remember,” he said.
“But you did study the chapter on Argentina?”
“Uh-huh. Yes.”
Ms. Agard was quiet a moment. “You’re on the basketball team, aren’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Has that got anything to do with it? Or anyone on the team?”
He looked at his fingernails. Somehow he felt she suspected. “Maybe.” Then he looked at her. “Please give me another chance,
Ms. Agard. I’ll remember next time.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yes.”
“Okay, Melvin. You may go.”
“Thanks, Ms. Agard.”
Of all his teachers he liked her the best. She seemed to understand him more than the others did. He was sorry he hadn’t remembered
the answer to her question, and somehow felt that he had let her down.
After school the Titans played their first league game. The Quincy Quints were their opponents. Caskie and Stoney started
off in the forward positions, Mel and Rick Longfoot in the guard positions, and Skeet Robinson at center against Dutch Fullmer.
Caskie scored the first basket from the corner, then Skeet laid one up and drew a foul at the same time.
The ball went in, so Skeet was allowed only one shot. He took his time at the foul line, shot the ball from his chest, and
made it.
“Yea, Robinson!” shouted the Titan cheerleaders.
The Quints took out the ball, moved it cautiously downcourt. Across the center line they passed it quickly and carefully among
themselves, the sound of the ball a whispering thump as it moved from one pair of hands to another.
Mel waited for a pass to be thrown to his man and saw it coming. He leaped in front of his opponent, grabbed the ball, and
dribbled it hard upcourt. From the corner of his eye he saw a player, a player in a green uniform, running several feet to
his left. Close behind him thundered another pair of running feet. But he was close to the basket now. He leaped and shot.
The ball brushed against the backboard, rolled around the rim, and dropped off!
“Yayeeeee!” screamed the Quints’ fans.
“You … you … !” the boy in the green uniform glared at him. “Why didn’t you pass it to me?” It was Caskie Bennett.
Mel said nothing. A Quint caught the rebound, dribbled it away from the basket, and passed to another Quint. Seconds later
they scored.
At the end of the first quarter it was a 13–13 tie. Pedro Dorigez and Kim took Mel’s and Skeet’s places in the second period.
By the end of the half there was still little change. It was 21–20 in favor of the Hillcrest Titans.
Darryl, in Stoney’s place when the second half started, sank a corner shot. A minute later he scored three more points on
a layup that drew a foul.
“Yea, Brady!” screamed the cheerleaders.
The Quints came back within a point of tying the score again. Titans’ ball. Pedro Dorigez arced a pass to Mel. A Quint burst
in, grabbed the pass, and dribbled downcourt for another two points that put them in the lead.
“Pedro!” snarled Caskie. But Pedro paid no attention to him.
The Titans caught up and by the fourth quarter they were leading 35-34. Mel caught a rebound, dribbled to the corner, and
looked for someone to pass to. Stoney, back in the game, came running from the middle of the court, guarded closely by aQuint. The Quints were
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