Whippersnapper

by Felice Arena

  Yep. She made herself very clear, so clear that I haven’t been able to fall asleep. It’s three in the morning and I’m lying here in bed beside Doris. Yes, bed. I couldn’t sleep on the couch again – Doris threatened to stay with me all night unless I jumped under the covers first. I had no choice. But to avoid any repeat of last night’s wrinkly kiss, I pretended to fall asleep while she was in the bathroom brushing her teeth.

  So now I’m here: head on pillow, staring at the moonlight through the crack in the bedroom curtains. Doris is snoring her head off and I’ve never felt more alone or frightened. I try to listen to my heart, wondering if the next beat could be my last. I’m forcing myself not to cry.

  I feel Doris stirring. She rolls and flops her arm over me.

  Strangely, I don’t want to pull away. I let my eyelids drop and finally I fall asleep.

  ‘I can’t wait to see his expression when he sees you, George!’ Henry smiles, as we pull up outside Bernie’s house.

  The way everyone has been talking up Bernie makes me feel a little pressured about meeting him. He and George were tight – best buds forever – but all I know about him is that he’s Principal Franklin’s dad and that he lives with him. That’s all I’ve got on the dude. But if we’re such great mates, then why hasn’t Bernie come to see me yet?

  I tag along after Henry. I’m back in my old-man clothes. Doris wouldn’t let me out of the house in my new gear.

  ‘Hey, guys! Come in,’ says Principal Franklin from the door. ‘Dad’s in the dining room. Poker table is already set up.’

  When we enter the dining room I’m surprised to see that Bernie is in a wheelchair. The left side of his face and mouth is droopy looking. When he sees me, he smiles with half his mouth and mumbles something that I can’t quite understand. Henry nudges me forward. I lean in and give Bernie a hug. But when I step back, I realise that Bernie isn’t smiling anymore – his expression has drastically changed.

  ‘You’re not, George,’ he says. His voice is a slow robotic stutter. ‘Henry, that’s not George!’

  ‘Dad, what are you saying? Of course, it’s George,’ says Principal Franklin.

  Bernie looks frustrated. He’s finding it hard to get the words out. But it’s pretty clear what he’s trying to say: I am not George. Woah. Can this guy actually see me? Are he and George so tight that he can actually sense that I’m not his friend?

  Bernie is now kind of hysterical. He’s freakin’ everyone out. Principal Franklin is trying his best to calm him down. ‘Dad, Dad, it’s okay. George, say something …’

  But I can’t because he’s right. I don’t know what to do – should I tell Bernie? Should I risk everything and explain?

  ‘Dad, do you want to go to bed, lie down a little? Maybe it’s all too emotional for you. Excuse me, guys.’ Principal Franklin hurriedly wheels Bernie out of the room.

  ‘I don’t know what’s got into him,’ Henry mumbles, stunned. ‘The stroke makes it hard for him to speak and move, but he’s still as sharp as he ever was. Are you all right, George? This must be upsetting for you.’

  I nod because I guess that’s what Henry wants to see, but I’m dying to know how Bernie could have seen past my wrinkly exterior.

  I’m stuck in my own thoughts for most of the drive home, but it’s clear that Henry wants to ask me something. Finally he clears his throat and says he wants to ask me a favour.

  ‘Tony and I were going to talk to you at poker,’ he says, ‘but obviously that isn’t going to happen today.’

  ‘Talk to me about what?’ I ask.

  ‘Well, actually it was Caroline’s idea – she called me last night – but it’s a really good one. Since your advice clearly helped our Pennsbury High boys win the other night, Tony was wondering if you would consider taking on the role of Coach. You know, just until they fill the sports-teacher role …’

  ‘Really?’ I say excitedly. ‘But the Coach needs to be an employee of the school.’

  ‘Yes, well, I think we’ve worked out how to get around that, but you’re not going to like it. There’s currently a vacancy at the school for a janitor. So – no pressure – but if you can bear to clean a few toilets and sweep a few floors, you could be the Coach of the Pennsbury High Under 15s Basketball Team.’

  I knew there had to be a catch.

  ‘What do you say?’ asks Henry.

  It only takes me a second to decide. I grin from ear to ear. Oh yeah. Bring it on!

  CHAPTER

  22

  Principal Franklin asks me to get to basketball practice five minutes late on Monday after school so he can talk to my teammates first. I’ve been emptying bins all day and I’ve just cleaned the boys’ toilets. It freakin’ amazes me how so many dudes can miss the bowl and even the troughs. Seriously, it’s like a sprinkler convention in there. Puddles all over the place! Gross. This had better be worth it.

  ‘And here he is – perfect timing,’ announces Principal Franklin, as the large gym doors slam shut behind me. ‘Say hello to your new coach, boys.’

  Ice. Cold as the North Pole. I didn’t expect a standing ovation, but I didn’t expect this either. Bobby is giving me daggers. And Charlie, well, he just looks sorry for me. It’s obvious that my two best friends have told the rest of the team that I’m completely nuts.

  ‘What’s this?’ says Principal Franklin, clapping his hands together. ‘Mr Cavendish deserves more of a welcome than that.’

  Talk about forced. Half-hearted claps are the worst. I think I preferred the silence.

  ‘I’m not sure if you know it, but this man here is a legend,’ says Principal Franklin ‘Over thirty years ago, he took our basketball team all the way to the finals. We all miss Scott Anderson and we all wish he were here, but if anyone can come close to replacing him, it’s Mr Cavendish. So, George over to you!’

  Wow, kind words from Franklin. I feel kind of proud of me, I mean, of George.

  ‘Um, we know the story,’ says Bobby, speaking up. ‘But Pennsbury didn’t win that championship. You lost by one point, right? If you’re such a great coach, why did you lose?’ Bobby smirks at me.

  ‘Bobby, that’s not called for! And you can wipe that smirk off your face,’ snaps Principal Franklin. ‘A great coach is not solely defined by his wins. It was heartbreaking for us all, but it was a day in Pennsbury’s history that we still take pride in. Isn’t that right, Mr Cavendish?’

  Great. Thanks, Franklin … put me on the spot here.

  ‘Yes, um, yes, huge pride,’ I stammer, but I know I need to sound more confident than that. I take a deep breath. ‘Look, you boys have been through a lot in the last week – unbelievably emotional stuff,’ I say. ‘We all have. But we can either let it break us or make us stronger. You need to ask yourselves – do you see this team winning the championship? If the answer is yes, then let’s get a move on. Do it for Coach Anderson. Do it for each other. Do it for Gus.’

  Some of the team claps. Bobby just glares at me, but I have everyone’s attention now. Principal Franklin is excited by my enthusiasm and says he’ll leave them with me.

  The team needs to trust me before I can coach them. It’s now or never, but my mother’s warning echoes loudly in my mind. How can I convince them that I’m okay?

  ‘I might be a crazy old guy,’ I say, looking Charlie in the eye, ‘and I know I’ve said some things to make you think that. But you’ve got to believe one thing – I care about this team and I care about this game more than anything else in the world. I can help you win.’

  They’re all listening now, but I need to win their total trust and respect if I want them to play their absolute best for me. And there’s only one way to do that.

  ‘Heads up!’ I call, tossing the ball directly at Bobby.

  His reflexes are sharp and he catches it before it hits him in the face.

  ‘Ooooooo!’ echo Charlie and the others.

  ‘You and me, Bobby. One on one,’ I say. ‘We play for two minutes only. Charlie, you time us. If
I score one basket against you, I win.’

  ‘What?’ scoffs Bobby.

  ‘You heard me,’ I say. ‘I play offence. You defend. If you let an old dude like me score just one basket off you, then I’m the winner. Got it? Or are you too chicken?’

  That last comment always works. Bobby’s all fired up. He’s already on his feet.

  The others are egging him on. ‘Come on, Bobby! Do it, Bobby! Do it!’

  ‘Yeah, Bobby!’ revs Charlie.

  Bobby forcefully tosses the ball back at me. He hits me hard in the chest. I let out a groan. The others laugh.

  I begin to dribble on the spot. Good. I still have my skills, but they’re slow as all get out. Yep, a whole lot slower. My heart isn’t, though, it’s starting to speed up and I can feel that I’m short of breath already – c’mon, heart, you can do it!

  Bobby sets up. I try to fake, but he quickly swipes at the ball, knocking it easily out of my hands. The team laughs as I instruct Dwayne to collect the ball for me. Charlie starts the clock again. I dribble and jab step. Bobby muscles into me again, swiping with both arms. I drive towards the basket, pump fake and shoot. There’s no strength in my wrinkly skinny arms, and the ball drops short. Bobby rebounds and thumps the ball into my chest.

  ‘Time, Charlie?’ I call out, dribbling on the spot.

  ‘One minute and sixteen seconds to go!’

  Right. I try another tactic. I bounce the ball in between my legs. Once again I drive into the basket. I dip my shoulder and go hard. Bobby stands his ground. He’s solid. He’s strong. He’s hard to get around. I pivot, pull up, and shoot.

  SLAAAAPP!

  Bobby blocks my shot. He whacks the ball to the other end of the court.

  Charlie winces.

  ‘Yeah, Bobby!’ the others cheer.

  Dwayne returns the ball to me. I drive for the basket and WHACK! Again, Bobby deflects my shot. He’s grinning and looks as if he’s enjoying putting me in my place.

  ‘Forty-seven seconds to go,’ Charlie calls out.

  Can I even make it to two minutes? This body sucks. Now there’s only one thing left for me to try. Yep, my signature move – the Gus-aroony.

  I take in a deep breath. I dribble and edge backwards, butt first towards Bobby. He swipes. Left. Right. I keep the ball close to me. I shift and widen my stance, forcing Bobby to do the same. He swipes again. Phew. That was close, but I still have possession. Okay. This is it. Bobby has shadowed me exactly. Our legs are apart. I take in another breath – my lungs feel as if they’ve been shoved in a wood-fire oven.

  ‘Twelve seconds to go,’ Charlie shouts.

  Here goes. I tunnel the ball through our legs, fake to the left and pivot to my right. I’m slow, but I’ve got surprise on my side – Bobby thinks it’s all over. I run around him, scoop up the ball, lay-up and … make the basket!

  Yes! Yes! I did it! I did it!

  Shocked and impressed at the same time, Charlie and the others cheer wildly. I collapse to the floor, gasping, my heart pounding ferociously against my chest. That move is perfect when you’re fourteen and super fit, but it’s almost killed me. For a moment there I think I am actually dying, but Charlie and Dwayne help me back to my feet and I start to feel a bit better.

  Now the whole team is congratulating me and patting me on the back.

  As for Bobby, he hates me even more. He storms off to the change rooms, totally embarrassed. I assign the team to do some lay-up drills, and go after him.

  ‘Hey, what are you doing?’ I ask. ‘You’re our star player. We need you out there.’

  Bobby ignores me. He shoves his gear into his bag.

  ‘Don’t leave!’ I say. ‘You can’t leave.’

  Bobby shrugs and brushes past me. ‘Try and stop me!’

  ‘I can’t believe you’re doing this,’ I call out. ‘I can’t believe you’re going to sulk I thought you were tougher than this.’

  ‘You don’t even know me!’ Bobby turns and snaps back angrily. ‘That’s Gus’s move – what the hell are you up to?’

  I’ve never seen Bobby this upset before. I tell him I’m sorry. I tell him that without him, our chances of winning the championships are slim. I’m almost begging him to play.

  ‘Yeah, whatever.’ He shrugs, flinging his bag over his shoulder, and leaves the rooms.

  Oh, great. I sigh. That’s just great.

  CHAPTER

  23

  By the time Saturday comes around, I’ve almost forgotten about Doris and George’s anniversary party. I should be dreading it, especially since I haven’t seen Corey or Kevin since they stormed out of the house, but I’m still on a high because last night Pennsbury won their semi-final.

  It was awesome. Charlie and the others had convinced Bobby to play, but it was really Charlie, Ryan, Dwayne, Will and Elliot who starred – the whole team was on fire. Every shot was sweet and every strategy was played out to perfection. The timing of our substitutions was amazing. We blew our opposition out of the water. The Pennsbury crowd went crazy after the final buzzer. After thirty-five years, my school finally has a basketball team in the championship final again – and, if Caroline is right, I’m a step closer to getting back into my own body.

  The only problem is that now Pennsbury High has to play Corey’s team in the grand final.

  ‘There they are!’ Some of the guests cheer as Doris and I walk into the function room of a fancy restaurant.

  Wow. This is some event. Waiters are snaking around with trays of champagne and fancy do-da food thingies. A band is playing old-fashioned music. Floating shiny balloons cover the ceiling. Candles. Flowers. The lot. And everyone is all dressed up. Even I’m in a suit – Doris made me wear it. I’ve never worn one before. The bow tie is choking me.

  So many random people are flocking to us – kissing, shaking hands. There’s a constant stream of grey-haired fogies passing on their best wishes to Doris and me. I smile and nod in all the right places.

  ‘Champagne, sir?’ says a waiter.

  ‘Um, no, thanks. You got any Coke?’ I ask.

  ‘Coke?’ snorts one of Doris’s friends. ‘Oh, George, it’s your wedding anniversary. Let loose.’

  Doris giggles as I reluctantly take a flute of champagne. I take a sip. Hmm – I was expecting worse.

  ‘Dad, don’t you and Mum look great,’ says Gayle, appearing from behind. She kisses me.

  ‘Oh, darling, what you and Kevin have done here is beautiful,’ says Doris.

  While Gayle and Doris are talking, Kevin steps up and shakes my hand. He says congratulations, but his face is hard. We stare each other down for a second or two. I’m trying my best not to be smug. I think of my teammates and the awesome week we’ve had.

  ‘So, I’m curious, George,’ says Kevin gruffly. ‘Will you be barracking for your grandson when he plays against your team next Tuesday night?’

  I want to say, ‘Yeah, right, no way!’ But I’ve been given clear instructions by Doris not to make any trouble. ‘May the better team win,’ I say instead.

  ‘That’s very diplomatic of you,’ Kevin says. ‘I wish you’d shown that sort of diplomacy the other night. You crushed CJ’s feelings. You know that?’

  My stomach is in knots. I know Kevin is trying to bait me, but I refuse to rise to it. Thankfully, Gayle turns back to talk to me.

  ‘You’ll never guess who’s here tonight,’ she says. ‘CJ has a new girlfriend and he’s asked her along.’

  Really? I’m pretty surprised. What girl in her right mind would go out with a jerk like Corey Barnes?

  ‘Dad, she’s adorable,’ continues Gayle. ‘Actually, you talked to her at Scott Anderson’s funeral. Her name is Lilly.’

  What?! This can’t be happening!

  ‘Where? Where are they?’ I ask, my eyes darting all over, trying to find them in the crowd. ‘I can’t see them.’

  ‘You know teenagers, Dad, they’re probably in some corner, hiding away from all us oldies. I wouldn’t worry about…’

&n
bsp; I down the rest of my champagne and shove the glass back at Gayle, saying I need to find the toilets.

  Maybe I can talk some sense into Lilly before it’s too late. But where are they? I’m never going to find them at this rate, with everyone stopping me every couple of steps.

  ‘George! Looking good, old man!’ It’s Henry. ‘I still can’t believe it – our boys in the grand final. I know Scott is smiling down on us. You were magnificent, George. Let’s raise a glass to the Pennsbury High Panthers!’

  As he gets me another drink, I spot Corey and Lilly. They’re sitting in the corner of the room, laughing and obviously having fun. I clench my teeth. This is the second-worst thing that has ever happened to me.

  ‘Hey, where are you going?’ says Henry, calling me back. ‘You’re not going anywhere until we have a toast. To my son, to Pennsbury High, to friends – then, now, forever.’

  We clink our glasses. I don’t know what the drink is, but it’s clear and it smells awful. I feel pressured to take a sip. So I do.

  Woah! Talk about burning rocket fuel! I splutter and cough. How do adults drink this stuff?

  Henry chuckles. I hand him back my glass and insist that I really have to go to the loo. This is it. I must save the girl of my dreams.

  ‘George!’

  Again, I’m stopped before reaching Corey and Lilly.

  I turn to see Principal Franklin and his dad, Bernie.

  ‘George, congratulations to you and Doris.’ Principal Franklin grins. ‘What a game last night, huh? Can’t wait for next Tuesday. Can you imagine if we win? Dad’s going to come, isn’t that right, Dad?’

  Bernie is scowling up at me from his wheelchair.

  ‘Dad?’

  ‘Yes! I’m coming!’ Bernie snaps.

  ‘Well, that’s great,’ I say. ‘Have a good night tonight. I’m just on my way to the bathroom so …’