by Derek Jeter
Mr. Jeter laughed, shaking his head. “Yup. Can’t argue. Sharlee, you’re quite the philosopher.”
“Huh?” Sharlee said, confused. “What’s a philofficer?”
That made the whole family crack up.
Leave it to Sharlee, thought Derek. She could put anybody in a better mood!
“Oh, and there’s one more surprise,” said Mrs. Jeter. She went to the front door and opened it. “You boys can come in now.”
“SURPRISE!” Vijay and Dave shouted as they burst through the door. “Happy birthday, Derek!”
“I can’t believe this!” Derek said. “It just keeps getting better!”
“I’ll cut you all a slice of cake,” said Aunt Julie. She picked up the cake and took it into the kitchen.
“Don’t you want to know what our present to you is?” Vijay asked.
“Okay, I’m game,” Derek said. “What is it?”
“As soon as we’re done scarfing down your cake, Chase is driving us over to the golf range!” said Dave.
Derek laughed. “You said you were going to be too busy.”
“Well,” Dave said, “it was all part of the surprise, so…”
“You guys are too much,” Derek said, smiling and shaking his head. “Okay, Dave. You asked for it. I’m going to outdrive you by at least ten yards. You wait and see!”
* * *
Standardized test results were handed out on Monday. As he watched Ms. Terrapin go around the class handing out the results, Derek could feel a lump of fear rising in his throat.
This was it. He could already feel the chicken suit weighing heavily on his shoulders as he wrote “Gary Parnell is smarter than me” on every blackboard in the school.
Gary sure seemed pleased with his grades. He looked over at Derek, who still hadn’t gotten his. Gary smiled with evil anticipation.
Ms. Terrapin handed him his results. 695 and 670! Derek was surprised and pleased to see that he was in the 97th percentile in math and 95th in English. He only hoped it was good enough…
Class was dismissed at noon, as it would be the following day, the last day of the school year. Derek cleaned out his desk and headed for his locker, where Gary was waiting for him.
“Well? Let’s see ’em, Jeter!”
“You first.”
Gary shrugged. “Why not? Read ’em and weep, my friend.”
Gary showed Derek his grade sheet.
Derek couldn’t believe his eyes—686 and 665!
“Nice job, Gar,” he said. “Now check these grades out! Buck-buck-b’guck!”
Gary’s eyes grew as wide as saucers as he read the fateful numbers. “WHAT? NO WAY!”
“Amazing, huh?” Derek said, which was exactly how he felt—surprised and exhilarated, but mostly relieved.
“This is baloney!” Gary complained, shoving Derek’s grades back at him.
“What happened to ‘aptitude,’ Gar? I guess we know for sure now which one of us is smarter, huh?”
“Give me a break,” Gary scoffed.
“I don’t think so. I don’t think I’ll do that.”
“Seriously, Jeter? You know standardized tests are totally bogus!”
“You didn’t think so till now. Anyway, we made a bet, and you lost.”
“No way. I’m not doing this!” Gary turned to go.
“Waaaaiit a minute,” Derek interrupted. “What about tomorrow? Writing on the blackboards? The chicken suit?”
“Nah, I don’t think so.”
“Oh, come on, now,” Derek said, getting angry. “If I had lost, you wouldn’t have let me off the hook.”
“Maybe not,” Gary admitted. “But I know for a fact that I’m smarter than you, Jeter. So there’s no way I’m going to write a lie on the blackboards, let alone dress up in a chicken suit!”
“Where’s your sense of honor? We had a deal!”
Gary shrugged and offered Derek a sickly smile. “Honor, shmonor,” he said. “When it comes to chicken suits, I’m camera shy.”
“You know I beat you fair and square!” Derek called after him as Gary sauntered away.
It really burned him that Gary had welched on their bet! He knew he would have honored his word no matter how painful it was. But Gary wasn’t Derek—and thank goodness for that!
He sighed, feeling proud and contented. It didn’t really matter so much in the end what Gary did. The whole school might not get to know who was smarter. But Gary knew. And most important, Derek knew.
From now on Gary would never be able to lord it over him again!
All the sweat and suffering had been worth it, Derek thought. Good old Vijay. If it hadn’t been for his help… and it wasn’t just the test-taking tips. He’d kept Derek sane the whole time they’d been studying.
Sure, Dave was moving away. But Derek still had one best friend. He lived just down the footpath. And he’d still be here.
* * *
Derek was already standing at home plate on the Hill when the black sedan drew up to the curb and Dave hopped out with his mitt and bat.
“What’s up?” he wondered, looking around. “Where is everybody?”
Derek shrugged. “I guess they’ve got other stuff going on.”
They started throwing the ball back and forth, waiting for someone else to show up so they could have more of a real game. But no one came.
After half an hour Dave said, “I guess I should get on home.”
“Oh. Okay. Will I see you again before you go? Maybe go drive some more balls?”
Dave looked down. “I don’t think so,” he said. “My room’s still a disaster area.”
“So… I guess I won’t see you again for a long time,” Derek said. The sudden realization hit him. This was it.
He hugged Dave hard. “I’ll write to you. Next week.”
“Me too,” said Dave, trying not to choke up. “I promise.”
“Me too. Shake?”
“Shake.”
“And you know I’m always here for you,” Derek added as they went through the steps of their handshake.
“Same here,” said Dave.
They hugged again, one last time. “See ya, Dave.”
“See ya.” Derek watched Dave turn and head back to the car. It pulled away and shrank into the distance, leaving him standing there, alone.
But no—not quite alone….
Looking up the Hill, Derek saw a familiar figure, wearing a baseball cap and waving to him.
Avery!
“Hey,” he greeted her. “How are you?”
“Better,” she said. “The doc gave me some medicine, and I’ve been taking it really easy, so…”
“Good. Good…. I was kind of worried there for a while.”
She shrugged off his concerns. “I’m fine now. No big deal.”
“I knew you’d show up for the game. Even when your mom and the doctor said you couldn’t.”
She smiled. “Thanks. I talked them into it.”
Derek smiled too. He could imagine what that conversation must have been like!
“I saw Dave go,” she said suddenly.
“Yeah.” Derek sighed heavily.
“So… that’s it, huh?”
“Guess so.”
“Sorry. It stinks to lose a friend.”
“We’re going to stay in touch.”
“Uh-huh. Great.” She nodded, but not like she believed it. “So, what are you doing this summer?”
“Going to my grandparents’ in New Jersey. We go every year, my sister and I. It’s fun. Lots of cousins our age. The lake… and we’re going to visit the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, too.”
“Cool,” she said, sounding faintly disappointed. “See you in the fall, then, I guess.”
“You going to play next year?” he asked.
“Yeah,” she answered. “Basketball, soccer.”
“Oh.”
“And baseball, too, next spring, of course.”
“Really?” Derek was surprised. “That’s great! I
mean, I’m glad. You going to try again to win it for your brother?”
She shook her head. “Nah. I tried that, and it was too much for me. Next year it’s going to be for me.”
“That’s good. That’s really good. I mean, it’s all about having fun in the end, right?”
“You got that right,” she replied, giving him a broad smile. “So… you got time for a catch?”
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JETER PUBLISHING
Jeter Publishing’s eighth middle-grade book is inspired by the childhood of Derek Jeter, who grew up playing baseball. The middle-grade series is based on the principles of Jeter’s Turn 2 Foundation.
Jeter Publishing encompasses adult nonfiction, children’s picture books, middle-grade fiction, ready-to-read children’s books, and children’s nonfiction.
About the Authors
DEREK JETER played Major League Baseball for the New York Yankees for twenty seasons and is a five-time World Series champion. He is a true legend in professional sports and a role model for young people on and off the field and through his work in the community with his Turn 2 Foundation. For more information, visit Turn2Foundation.org.
Derek was born in New Jersey and moved to Kalamazoo, Michigan, when he was four. There he often attended Detroit Tigers games with his family, but the New York Yankees were always his favorite team, and he never stopped dreaming of playing for them.
PAUL MANTELL is the author of more than one hundred books for young readers.
Visit us at simonandschuster.com/kids
www.SimonandSchuster.com/Authors/Derek-Jeter
www.SimonandSchuster.com/Authors/Paul-Mantell
Jeter Children’s
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Simon & Schuster, New York
ALSO BY DEREK JETER
The Contract
Hit & Miss
Change Up
Fair Ball
Curveball
Fast Break
Strike Zone
Baseball Genius
Double Play
SIMON & SCHUSTER BOOKS FOR YOUNG READERS
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This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Text copyright © 2021 by Jeter Publishing, Inc.
Jacket illustration copyright © 2021 by Tim O’Brien
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Library of Congress Control Number: 2020950000
ISBN 9781534480469 (hardcover)
ISBN 9781534480452 (ebook)
