“You can call me Vince, remember?” he said.
“Okay,” Ginny answered. “Vince, thanks a lot for inviting me but — I can’t believe I’m saying this —but I don’t think I should go.”
Steve’s jaw dropped. “What? But I figured … I was sure that you’d … how come, Gin?”
Ginny got up and hugged her mother. “Because Mom is right. I need to work on my math. Tennis will have to wait.”
“What changed your mind?” Mrs. Greeley asked.
“I guess it was listening to Dierdre Mulloy today. I mean, she’s done everything I wanted to do, and she’s really unhappy. If she can’t make a comeback, she’ll be unhappy for a long time. And I saw that it’s partly because she doesn’t know anything except tennis. Mom tried to explain that to me, but I guess until I met Dierdre, I wasn’t ready to believe her.”
“Dierdre may come back,” Vince pointed out. “She’s still a great athlete.”
“Sure,” Ginny agreed. “Maybe. And maybe not. I’ve been thinking a lot about it ever since this morning, and I decided I’d better take care of my education. If I work hard this school year, maybe I’d be able to come to your camp next summer, Vince — if you’d still let me, that is.”
Vince said, “I don’t see why not, if you want to come. You’re still young and you’re very good. And you also have a good head on your shoulders.”
Mr. Greeley shrugged. “Well, that’s that, then. Ginny will go to summer school, and Steve will go to Vince’s camp.”
“No, Dad.” The words were out of Steve’s mouth before he knew they were coming.
Mr. Greeley stared at his son. “What? Did you say no?”
Steve swallowed hard and nodded. “I feel the same way Gin does, Dad. I’m not … I’m not ready. Not yet, anyway.”
“Sure you are!” his father replied. “You’re as talented as any boy your age I’ve ever seen!”
“But I’m not ready,” Steve insisted, standing up and facing his father. “I know I have talent, and I like playing tennis, but … there are too many other things I want to do. I’m only twelve years old, and I don’t want to spend my whole summer doing nothing but tennis.”
His dad shook his head. “I can’t believe what I’m hearing. Here you’re getting the chance of a lifetime, and you’re going to throw it away? Vince, help me out, here, will you? Tell the boy what he’s ready to pass up!”
But Vince said, “Sorry, Ted, but I can’t do that. This is between the two of you, and also … I don’t think Steve is wrong.”
Mr. Greeley opened his mouth, but no words came out at first. “Vince, what are you saying?” he said finally. “You can’t mean that. You just invited him to your camp, after all!”
“I do mean it,” replied Vince. “Ted, you’re a great judge of tennis ability. But only Steve knows what’s going on inside his head. On that, he’s the authority.”
Mrs. Greeley gently put a hand on her husband’s arm. “Dear, the fact is that Steve has been sending us signals that he wasn’t sure what he wanted to do, but we didn’t pick them up.”
Ted looked bewildered. “I don’t get it. You’d think I was being cruel and forcing Steve to do something awful, instead of setting him up for a great career.”
“Dad, you met Billy Gardiner today,” Steve jumped in. “You talked to him, you heard him. Nothing matters to him but tennis. He’s traveled all over the world but never cared enough to look around. All he’s ever done is tennis, and that’s all he ever wants to do.
“Well, that’s not me. I don’t want to hurt your feelings and I’m sorry if I have, but I don’t want to be another Billy Gardiner. Maybe I’ll decide to get serious about tennis someday, and maybe I won’t. I do love playing, but there are other things that matter to me, too. Please don’t be angry with me.”
“Angry?” Mr. Greeley repeated, sitting down slowly. “Son, I’m not angry with you. I only thought that — I figured that you’d jump at this opportunity, that it would make you happy. I thought —”
He stopped suddenly. “You know what?” he said. “Maybe I didn’t really think at all. I just assumed that you’d want what I always wanted. But, the fact is, I never actually asked you, did I? I guess I owe you an apology, son. I hope you’re not angry at me.”
Steve ran over and hugged his father. “No way, Dad,” he said. “I always knew you wanted what you figured was best for me. There’s nothing to be angry at. But I had to tell you the way I felt.”
Mr. Greeley hugged his son back and then looked at Ginny. “Honey, I owe you an apology. I had no idea tennis meant so much to you.”
“I understand,” Ginny said. “And I appreciate your saying that. And I’d appreciate it more,” she said, grinning, “if you’d give me pointers and work with me just like you do with Steve from now on.”
“That’s a deal,” her father replied. “You could be a star someday — if you want to be, that is.”
Vince slapped him on the back. “I had a hunch you’d react just like this. And I’ll keep an eye on both your kids in the future. If they keep playing and want to work with me somewhere down the line, I think there will still be room for them.”
“We still have something to celebrate,” Mrs. Greeley reminded them. “And we have some delicious cake sitting here, begging to be eaten. Why don’t we sit down and eat the cake as a tribute to our two champions? They’re very special kids.”
“Sounds good to me,” Mr. Greeley said. “And it’s not just their athletic talent that makes them great kids. They have brains, too.”
“With parents like you two,” said Steve, “it figures.”
He took a forkful of cake.
Matt Christopher
Sports Bio Bookshelf
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John Elway Mark McGwire
Julie Foudy Greg Maddux
Wayne Gretzky Hakeem Olajuwon
Ken Griffey Jr. Emmitt Smith
Mia Hamm Sammy Sosa
Grant Hill Mo Vaughn
Randy Johnson Tiger Woods
Michael Jordan Steve Young
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TENNIS ACE
Steve must tell his father the truth… before it’s too late!
Steve wishes he had as much
drive to win at tennis as his older sister, Ginny—he knows nothing would please his father more. But the truth is, Ginny is the real tennis ace in the family. It’s frustrating for both children that their father ignores Ginny’s talents while pushing a reluctant Steve harder and harder. And now there’s a new pressure on Steve: a man who could help him become the pro player his father wants him to be. But is that what Steve really wants? Will brother and sister finally get up the courage to tell their father how they feel?
Matt Christopher is the writer young readers turn to when they‘re looking for fast-paced, action-packed sports stories. For a complete list of all Matt Christopher titles and infromation on joining the Matt Christopher Fan Club, please see the last pages of this book.
Tennis Ace Page 7
