Bad Shot

by Sylvia Taekema

  That sounded like his brother. Maybe he did

  remember that. “Well,” grumbled Cody, “I’m not in kindergarten anymore. Could I please have my basketball back now?”

  “No.”

  “But, Mom —”

  “No way. I took one look at that ball and decided it was done for. It was so worn out, I threw it away.”

  Cody felt like he’d taken a hard pass to the chest and had the wind knocked out of him. “What —”

  His mom held up one hand. She tried to look stern but her face split suddenly into a wide smile as she reached under the table. “So I got you this one instead.” She handed Cody a box. Inside was a brand new basketball. “I was going to wrap it up and put it under the tree. But it would look lonely under there by itself. You might as well have it now. Merry Christmas.”

  Cody ran his hand over the pebbly surface of the ball that showed through the box. He didn’t know what to say.

  “Well, are you going to get out there? Or do you need to weigh the pros and cons?”

  Cody broke open the box, scooped out the ball and ran for the door. “Thanks, Mom!”

  14

  Home Game

  The next morning, Cody called Charlie to come over for a game of Twenty-one. It was still cloudy, but the rain had stopped and it was colder. Cody felt good, relaxed. He realized it had been good to have some time off. But now he was glad to have a basketball back in his hands.

  Cody was lining up a shot when Charlie jerked his head in the direction of the road. Two guys on bikes were coming down the lane. It was Nick and Darnell.

  Cody felt his muscles tense and a dull headache begin. He held the ball. “Hey.”

  “Morning, Wally.” Nick smiled.

  Darnell just sat on his bike with his arms folded across his chest. He seemed to be everywhere Nick was these days. He reminded Cody of a bodyguard.

  “Nice bike,” said Cody. Now and then, when he went with Charlie and Talal to check out the second-hand rack at Smith Cycle, Cody would scope out the new arrivals too. He’d never seen a bike like the one Nick was riding.

  “Thanks,” said Nick. “I just got it.” He looked around. “So, this is where you live.”

  “Yeah. You guys need something?”

  “Nope.”

  “Want to play some ball?” asked Charlie.

  “Uh-unh.”

  Cody looked at Charlie and shrugged. Then he turned back to Nick and Darnell. “What are you doing here then?”

  “Research,” said Nick. “You haven’t been to my place. So I thought I’d come to yours. It’s good to know where the other guys on your team are coming from, don’t you think?”

  Cody thought. He didn’t know where all of the other guys on the team lived. He didn’t think it

  mattered. Why would it? Though his breath came out in little clouds, Cody felt hot. He followed Nick’s gaze. His house suddenly looked shabby to him and in need of paint. Some of the shingles were curling.

  The concrete pad was cracked. The pole for the

  basketball net was rusty. Cody shook his head. Stop it, he thought. He reminded himself that nothing looked good in this drab weather.

  Cody took his shot and missed. Charlie ran to grab the ball and passed it back. Cody’s heart felt like a hard lump in his chest and his insides were in knots.

  “New basketball?” asked Nick.

  “Yeah.”

  “You know, we have tickets to all the Raptors’ home games. If you let me know which player you want to autograph your ball, I’ll bring it with me to a game. Or maybe you can come along.”

  Cody didn’t answer. He would have loved to see an NBA game live, but he didn’t want to go with Nick. He looked back down the gravel drive. He noticed several potholes that needed filling.

  “It’s the holidays,” said Charlie. “Why don’t you guys take a break from your research?”

  Nick smiled. “Right. Keep on practicing. You know we’ve got that game our first week back.” He turned his bike and left. Darnell followed. He hadn’t said a word.

  Cody looked up at the net, but he didn’t feel like playing anymore. His arms felt heavy. He put the ball in the garage.

  “What’s up?” asked Charlie.

  “Nothing.”

  “You okay?”

  “Sure. Just tired, I guess.” Cody sat on the picnic table.

  “C’mon. We haven’t played for a week!”

  “I just don’t feel like playing, okay? No big deal.” His voice was sharper than he meant it to be and Charlie flinched.

  “Sorry, Charlie. It’s just, it’s not a big deal.”

  Charlie came and sat beside him. “You, the king of the court, don’t feel like playing basketball? And that’s not a big deal?”

  Cody shrugged.

  “Cody . . . if something’s bugging you or bringing you down . . . well, you know you can talk to your friends about it, right?”

  “Nothing’s bringing me down.”

  “No? Nothing? No one?”

  Cody shook his head.

  “My dad, he talks to someone. A counsellor.

  I think it’s helping.”

  “That’s good.”

  “Yeah.” Charlie took a deep breath. “I’ve been learning a lot about stress and depression. Anger,

  fatigue, withdrawal, loss of appetite — they’re all signs. I’m worried you —”

  “You worry too much.”

  “That’s true. I do. But some things are worth worrying about.” Charlie looked at Cody. Then he looked back down the driveway. His eyes narrowed. “And some things aren’t.” He swallowed. “I just want you to know I’m here for you.”

  The words jolted Cody like the buzzer at the end of a quarter. That was what Nick always said. But the phrase sounded entirely different coming from Charlie. From Charlie, it was a promise, not a threat. Cody’s throat felt tight. He didn’t know what to say. There was an awkward silence. Both boys took a sudden interest in the clouds.

  Cody felt something land on his face. “Hey, it’s snowing.”

  Charlie cleared his throat. “At least it’s not more rain.”

  “Nick’s new bike is going to get all messy.”

  “Who cares about that bike? Do you still have a sled somewhere in that garage?”

  Cody smiled. “Wonder how the dinghy would do on a snow hill.”

  * * *

  It was still snowing the next morning. Cody came in from delivering the Daily News looking like he’d been to the North Pole. He handed his mother her copy of the paper. She shook the snow out of it and spread it on the kitchen table. “Cody,” she said, “Yeo-Jin called. She said you hadn’t replied to her messages, but you would know what she was calling to remind you of.”

  “She called? Man, she’s always on our case about something. She’s such a bully.”

  “She’s not a bully. She just expects people to step up. I think she’s just making sure you do your part. That you do it well and on time.”

  Cody raised his eyebrows in question.

  “A bully is someone who tries to hurt you. Yeo-Jin is trying to help.”

  Cody thought about Nick. He knew Charlie thought Nick was a bully, but that didn’t make sense. Nick didn’t hurt people. He didn’t scare people. If he was guilty of anything, it was that he smiled too much. Especially at Cody. As far as basketball went, Cody knew Nick had high standards. Like Yeo-Jin, he must be trying to fix things by trying to make Cody better. That had to be it. A sense of relief washed over Cody, and he felt the muscles in his shoulders relax. Nick knew a lot about basketball. Cody could learn things from him. He could stop being uptight and let Nick help him grow his game.

  “Breakfast?” asked Cody’s mom.

  “No thanks. I’m saving room. I got some Burger Barn gift certificates as a Christmas bonus
from two customers on my paper route. I’m going to meet Talal and Charlie there for lunch.”

  When Cody got to the Barn, he found Charlie and Talal sitting in the corner booth as usual. But they weren’t the only ones there. Sitting across from them were Nick, Jamie and Darnell.

  “Wally,” called Nick when he spotted Cody. “Come on over. My treat!”

  He’s sitting in my spot, thought Cody. He squeezed in beside Charlie and looked across at Nick. Nick smiled at him. What was it about that smile? Cody pushed the gift certificates deeper into his pocket.

  He wasn’t hungry anymore. His stomach hurt. He no longer believed Nick was trying to help him.

  15

  Chargers versus Grizzlies

  When they were back at school, Mr. Mendoza announced he would tell the class by the end of the week who was going to the county speech competition. Everyone

  figured Yeo-Jin had been practicing all through the break, even in Florida, and was ready to go.

  All Cody could think about was the basketball game. But he was having trouble getting excited about it. His stomach hurt all the time now.

  “Maybe something’s wrong with me,” he told Talal. “Maybe I shouldn’t play.”

  “You ate too much turkey at your Grandma’s. That’s my guess.”

  “I’m not joking, Talal. I really don’t feel good.

  I don’t think I can do it.”

  Talal gave him a long look. “Listen, at least come to the game. See how you feel after the first half. Then decide. Okay?”

  Cody sighed. “Okay.”

  * * *

  It was game one on the regular schedule, the Chatham Chargers versus the Glencoe Grizzlies. A good crowd had come to watch. Cody saw Charlie giving him a thumbs-up from the bleachers. Yeo-Jin and Allison were sitting to Charlie’s right, heads bent over Yeo-Jin’s phone. Cody wondered if they actually liked basketball or if they’d been sent to the game to do an article for the school newspaper. He knew the Chatham Daily News would carry the game summary and thought it would be cool to read his name in the paper. That meant he would have to do something special, though. He didn’t know if he was up to it.

  In his heart Cody hoped there was going to be something special about this game. He’d had a dream the night before. In it he’d made an awesome shot, an unbelievable shot. He wished that his stomach would stop hurting and his head would stop aching long enough for him to sink that shot for real.

  Cody sat on the bench, head down, elbows on his knees. He tried to get his knotted-up insides to settle

  down. A shoe appeared on the bench beside him,

  a Jordan Super.Fly. Cody tensed.

  “Hey, Wally,” Nick said. Cody could practically hear the too-wide, cold smile. Nick leaned in on one knee. “Why are you sitting? Going to shine the pine for us today? This is going to be a tougher game than the last one, I think. So you might have it right. Maybe not everyone will get to play.”

  Cody didn’t answer or even look up.

  “Let’s keep the bench nice and smooth, Wally. That way, whoever does need to sit on it won’t get splinters. Shine that pine,” Nick chanted. Several of the other players who were nearby laughed and joined in. “Shine it real fine. Shine it all the time. Shine, shine, shine.”

  A whistle blew. “Chargers, it’s time to start,” Coach Evans called. He walked toward them. “Ready?”

  “Ready.” Nick tousled Cody’s hair and ran out onto the court.

  Cody would have felt better just to go back home. But, he had promised Talal the first half of the game.

  He owed his friend that much. He was just so tired of feeling

  like he had to play defence against Nick all the time.

  Cody tensed again when a hand touched his shoulder. But it was Coach Evans this time. Cody was afraid Coach was going to send him out into the game, but instead he said, “Nothing can bother you without your permission, Cowboy.”

  “Right, Coach,” Cody mumbled. He took a deep breath. It was going to be a long first half.

  At the jump, Darnell caught the tip and fired it over to Nick. Game on. Nick sent the ball up the court, over to Jamie. Jamie got a quick shot off, but it hit the rim. Rebound to Nick, who passed to Darnell. Back to Nick. The ball went up, up. Swish.

  The Chargers were on the board thanks to Nick Spinelli and Darnell Davies.

  A quick pass from Jamie, and Dan downed a basket. Then Raj. Then Nick again. But points were adding up on the other end too. The Grizzlies were making it tough. They were a good team, strong and fast.

  The Grizzlies looked solid all the way through,

  except for one guy, number 24. He was a great shooter,

  but he was all elbows. “Watch out for that dude,” said Talal on the bench beside Cody. “He’ll poke your eye out.”

  Edging up to the end of the first quarter, it was

  already 18–16, with the Chargers up by two. The

  excitement of the game was helping Cody forget how crummy he felt. But he was still okay with not being on the court. He felt safe where he was. His mom had handed Coach a slip of paper outlining substitutions, but the coach forgot he was still holding onto it. Swish and double swish, two foul shots by Jamie, compliments of Elbow-man. That bumped the score to 20–16. If only the Chargers could keep the lead.

  The Grizzlies inbounded the ball and wheeled a pass up past centre. Dan tried to snag it, but the ball flew from his hands and bounced out of bounds.

  At the whistle, Coach Evans finally hollered for a switch. Cody tensed. “Talal,” Coach called down the bench, “we’ve got to give Jamie a breather. He’s turning

  as purple as an eggplant.”

  Cody sighed with relief. Then he felt Coach’s hand on his shoulder. “Cowboy, you’re in for Raj. Show us what you’ve got, partner.”

  Cody felt a wave of heat roll over him as he stood beside the scorers’ table. “You okay?” asked Talal.

  Cody nodded. Stay cool, he told himself as he walked onto the court. Stay cool. You only have to make it to half-time.

  “Wally!” Nick grinned. “I was starting to think we’d never play on the same line. I’ve been waiting for you.”

  Sure you have, Cody thought, trying to ignore his churning stomach.

  Glencoe put the ball in, and a Grizzlies player launched a long pass up court. Cody jumped to intercept, but the ball was too high. He felt the breeze on his shaky fingers as it flew by. Elbow-man caught it and took a shot, but he threw too hard and the ball slammed off the backboard. Darnell scooped up the ball and whizzed it over to Dan just past centre. Dan fired it down to Cody at the net.

  “Shoot!” hollered Talal. “Shoot!”

  But Cody froze.

  Glencoe’s tall power forward, the one Talal had called Goliath, moved in, blocking Cody’s path. Talal slipped in on the other side of Goliath and Cody snuck him a bounce pass. Talal put the ball up, but it caught the rim and jumped out again. A Glencoe player knocked it past the end line.

  “Nice idea, fellas!” shouted Coach Evans.

  “Maybe next time,” said Nick as he ran by. Smiling widely, of course.

  “This time,” said Talal, nodding at Cody. “Ready?” He held his gaze until Cody nodded back.

  Dan put the ball in to Talal in the corner. Talal winged it out to Darnell near centre. Ready, thought Cody. He stopped just outside the key, caught Darnell’s eye and waited for the pass. A jolt of energy ran through him. This was setting up to be his dream shot. This was it, he knew it. He readied himself for the sting of the ball, but it didn’t come.

  “D!” yelled Nick, and Darnell turned at the last second and looked to the right. He sent the pass to Nick. Elbow-man reached out and tipped the ball out of bounds.

  Cody subbed off. Jamie high-fived him at the switch.

  “We got this,” said Eric, beside him on the bench.

  16
>
  Spin-Man

  They shifted into the second quarter. It was still back and forth, back and forth — passes, shots, rebounds, out of bounds. Lucas subbed in for Dan. Raj went in for Talal. Nick and Darnell stayed on the floor. Cody stayed on the bench.

  Glencoe’s tall forward took off on a fast break before he got whistled down for travelling. Raj popped a high pass across to Lucas, but a Grizzlies player stole it and went up for a shot. Everyone on the Chargers bench held their breath until they saw the ball fall just short of the basket.

  “Careful,” called Coach Evans as Raj got ready to put the ball in once more.

  Raj sent it low to Darnell. Darnell passed it up along the sideline. Lucas snuck it over to Nick, but there was nowhere to go. The ball went back to Lucas, back down to Darnell, then over to Jamie. Jamie shot. No good, the ball was knocked out of bounds. Jamie passed the ball in, but Goliath snagged it and tossed it up to Elbow-man just past centre. Elbows moved in, but found his way blocked by a wall of Chatham players. He looked left, then right, then took the shot himself. It was a crazy shot to take. Crazier still, he drained it. It was good for three points, and the score suddenly jumped to 20–19.

  From the end line, Raj put the ball in to Darnell, who sent a scorcher up to Jamie. But the pass was too hard and went out of bounds.

  “Let’s put that pumpkin in the pot!” shouted Coach.

  Dan went back in for Lucas. Stephan subbed in for Raj. The Grizzlies put the ball in at the sideline. Three quick passes and they were deep in Chargers territory. But Dan intercepted the fourth pass and fired it over to Darnell. Darnell found Nick. Nick put up the shot, but it was blocked. There was a scramble under the net, with Elbow-man there, along with Stephan and Jamie and the tall Grizzlies forward.

  The whistle blew shrilly and the ref signalled to Coach Evans that he needed to sub again. Stephan had caught an elbow to the face and his nose was bleeding. The ref directed Jamie to the sideline as well.

  “What?” Jamie touched his face and then looked down at his jersey. “It’s not me. It’s just his blood on my shirt.”

  “Make sure,” shouted the ref.