Kickoff! (6 page)

“Don't worry, little dude,” Bryce told him. “You probably haven't hit your growth spurt yet.”

It was the same kind of comment he'd made yesterday—but today, it sounded totally different. They were
teammates
now. Tiki felt a warm glow all over just thinking about it. They were
all
teammates!

Assistant coaches came around, giving out uniforms and helmets. Tiki was handed jersey number one. Ronde got number five.

When he was all dressed, Tiki trotted outside. Most of the others were already there, surrounding Head Coach Spangler.

“All right, welcome to the Eagles, all you new guys,” he said. “And welcome back, you upperclassmen. As most of you know, this is a team with a long and glorious
history—including two championships in the past ten years. And I'm confident that this will be the year we make new history, and repeat as conference champs!”

A huge cheer went up from all the Eagles. When it died down, Coach Spangler continued.

“Now, the next two practices, today's and tomorrow's, are designed to help me and the other coaches figure out who plays where, and to firm up the starting lineups. So you new kids, this is your chance to show us everything you've got. On Monday, we'll post the list of who's starting, who's second-string and third-string. Our season opener's next week, so let's not waste any more time, shall we?”

Once practice got started, Tiki found himself feeling tense. Normally, he was free and easy on the football field, sure of his talent and having fun playing the game. But today, he could feel his heart pounding, and hear it pounding in his ears.

He dropped easy passes he normally caught. He tried to make cuts that were too tight, and wound up slipping and falling on his face. On defense, he let a touchdown be completed right over his outstretched fingertips.

When practice was over, he found Ronde. “How'd you do?” he asked his twin.

“Not too good. You?”

“About the same.”

“I don't know what happened to me,” Ronde said. “I stunk.”

“Me too. You think Coach might change his mind and kick us off the team?”

“No way!” Ronde said quickly. “I mean . . . I don't think so. Do you?”

“Nah,” said Tiki. But he had to wonder.

As the two boys passed the sidelines, Matt Clayton called them over.

“Hey, you two,” he said. “Don't get down. There's still tomorrow.”

“But we skunked it up,” Ronde said.

“We stunk,” Tiki agreed.

“Listen,” Matt said, “quit trying so hard to impress the coaches. Just do your thing, and trust them to notice. You guys are talented enough, okay? Don't get down—just learn from your mistakes.”

“I don't know,” Ronde said, shaking his head.

Matt gave them both a pat on the shoulder. “Just remember, you guys—it's all about the
team.
Success starts with the right attitude.”

“What do you mean?” Tiki asked.

“Quit trying to be solo superstars, okay? Think about the team, and it will happen.”

The words stung, but deep down, Tiki knew Matt was right. The thing was, could he and Ronde go out on the field tomorrow and really
do
it?

“YES, YOU DO HAVE TO COME!” MRS. BARBER SAID.
She stood in the open doorway, one hand on the doorknob, the other holding her purse—the fancy one she took with her when it was a special occasion.

“Aw, Ma!” Ronde stomped the carpet with his foot, but it didn't impress her. Tantrums never did.

Ronde pulled at the starched collar that was itching his neck. It was hot to be wearing long-sleeved white shirts and ties, but their mom had insisted. They were coming with her to this stupid district council meeting whether they liked it or not, because she said it was important.

“If you don't understand why,” she told them, “you will afterward.” That was all she would say about it.

Mrs. Pendergast was waiting for them, outside, in her rusty, crusty old car. “Hi!” she greeted them. “Hop in!'

Mrs. Pendergast sure seemed cheerful.
Sure,
thought Ronde.
Why shouldn't she be happy? She's got my mom on her side.

Ronde and Tiki were not cheerful—not at all. Paco and Jason were sitting on the curb and saw them go. It
was embarrassing to be seen by all the guys going out all dressed up with your mom and Mrs. Pendergast—the weirdest lady in town! Why couldn't Mom have driven?

They pulled into the parking lot at the local library and went inside. Tiki and Ronde tried to stay a few feet in back of their mother and Mrs. Pendergast.

There were nine people sitting behind a big long desk. They had microphones and their names on plaques in front of them. Ronde knew that these were the men and women of the council—the ones his mom wanted to talk to.

There weren't very many other people in the room when a man their mom said was the clerk banged his gavel down and started the meeting. A few more came in while the council dealt with other things. Then it was time to discuss the planned new factory.

“We will now have our public comment period. Would anyone like to speak?”

Mrs. Pendergast went first. Ronde didn't listen too closely to what she said, but he could see she was very angry about the factory. She was almost yelling at the council, and Ronde could tell they didn't like that. They were all frowning at her.

Two other people also spoke—more softly, thank goodness. Then Mrs. Barber stood up, and went to the public microphone in the center of the room.

“My name is Geraldine Barber,” she said. “I live on Mews Hill Drive, only six blocks away from the site. And
I think it is a shame that there aren't more people here—more people who are worried about this factory, and afraid of what will happen if it's built. I have two boys myself,” she said, and put her hand out toward Tiki and Ronde.

Everyone in the room looked at them. A few people in the audience even applauded. Ronde looked down at the floor, and out of the corner of his eye, he could see Tiki doing the same thing.

“I want to hear more about this factory before you go and let them build it,” she said. “I think it's a shame more people didn't know about this meeting—but you didn't let them know ahead of time!”

All at once, everyone in the audience got up and applauded. Ronde couldn't believe it! The clerk banged his gavel, but nobody stopped clapping.

The clerk finally hammered the room into silence. Then the council president spoke. “Very well,” she said. “I move that we allow another public comment session before deciding on the application to build the factory. All in favor, say ‘aye.'”

Five council members said ‘aye.' Four said ‘nay.' The people in the audience stood up and cheered again, applauding Mrs. Barber.

On the way out, Tiki and Ronde each held one of her hands. Everyone congratulated them—the boys, too, as if they'd done something. But Ronde was so proud of his mother right then, he could have burst.

“You boys understand now?” she asked them.

“Uh-huh,” they both said.

She wasn't smiling, though, and Ronde thought she looked worried. “What's wrong, Ma?” he asked. “Didn't everything go good?”

“Go
well,”
she corrected him. “No, it didn't go well, Ronde.”

“But—”

“They gave us one more chance, is all—one chance to show them that people are against this factory being built. And it's up to us to show them.”

“Us?”

“Me and Mrs. Pendergast, and the other people who showed up tonight. Believe me, the council isn't going to put up billboards advertising the next meeting. It's going to be up to us.”

“What are you going to do, Ma?” Tiki asked.

“I may not be a big muckety-muck,” she said, “but I've got friends—lots of friends, people I know—and they all know people too. I'm going to see to it that we have a hundred folks at that next meeting, and a thousand more names on a petition to stop that factory!”

Now Ronde wasn't so happy. Sure, he was proud of his mom, but he was also worried. Mrs. Pendergast would be coming over to their house all the time now—and all the kids would know it.

•   •   •

As he suited up for practice the next afternoon, Ronde remembered what Matt Clayton had said to him and Tiki. “It's all about the
team
 . . .”

Today, he would try to follow that advice. He'd gotten nowhere the day before, trying to impress the coaches with great plays. He'd fumbled trying to gain an extra yard, and he'd blown coverages twice on defense when he'd tried for spectacular interceptions.

“You thinking what I'm thinking?” Tiki asked him.

“Uh-huh,” said Ronde. “It's all about the team.”

“That's right. Okay, let's go get 'em!”

They ran out onto the field together, and lined up for drills. Ronde somehow felt more focused than the day before. Was it because of what Matt had said? Or was it the way his mom had stood tall the night before?

Whatever it was, today Ronde kept things simple. He didn't make any mistakes, and he took advantage of every chance he got to make a play.

In that day's scrimmage, he and Tiki were on the same side, with Tiki running the ball on offense, and Ronde playing linebacker on defense. Tiki scored a sixty-yard touchdown, breaking three tackles on the way to the end zone. And Ronde had a sack, a forced fumble, and an interception.

“Man, that was like our dream game!” Tiki said as they trotted off the field at the end of practice. “You know, like
the ones we play on the street, except we didn't have Chris to do the sportscast!”

“Yeah,” Ronde said with a nervous laugh. “Too bad it wasn't a real game.”

Still, he felt good about their chances. If those coaches had been watching, and he was sure they had, he and Tiki were definitely going to be starters.

Unless, of course, Coach Spangler had meant what he said the other day—that most of the new kids would be second- and third-stringers this season.

“You guys rocked!” Jason said, clapping them both on the back in the locker room.

“You too, man,” Tiki told him.

It was true, Ronde thought as he high-fived his friend. Jason had quarterbacked their scrimmage team, throwing two awesome bombs and scrambling for a big first down.

On the way home, when their teammates were out of earshot, Jason said, “I figure you guys'll be at least second-string. But I'll bet I get to start at quarterback, at least until Matt Clayton's leg heals up.”

“What? You don't think
we'll
get to start?” Tiki asked.

“I don't think so,” Jason said. “Coach Spangler said—”

“I know what he said,” Tiki said, “but did you
see
us today?”

“Sure I did. You guys were awesome.”

“Yeah,” said Tiki, still annoyed. “You got that right.”

“Well, never mind,” said Ronde. “Monday morning, we'll all know for sure.”

•   •   •

When Ronde and Tiki got home, no one was there. Mrs. Barber had left them a note on the kitchen table:
Mrs. P. and I are out knocking on doors. Dinner is in the fridge. Love, Mom.

The boys ate their dinner—warmed-over chicken with rice and beans—and did their homework. Ronde and Tiki closed their last book at exactly the same time.

“What time is it?” Ronde asked.

“Eight thirty.”

“Is that all? Hey, Tiki, what do you say we go visit our fort?”

“You serious?” Tiki said. “We haven't been there since we were little kids.”

“You mean like last year?”

“What are you talking about, man? It was at least two years ago.”

“So all I'm saying is, how about we go there right now?”

“Aw, man, it's dark out. How are we even going to find it?”

“Ever hear of a flashlight?”

Their old fort was really just a bunch of broken brick walls from a building that had burned down a long time ago. It sat in an empty lot, where tall grass hid the fort from the street.

It was a secret place—
their
secret place. Paco had been there a few times, of course, and Adam, too, once or twice—but mostly, it was Fort Barber.

The stars were out tonight in full force. And from the fort, you could even see the big neon star on top of Mill Mountain, overlooking the whole city and shining in red, white, and blue. Crickets chirped loudly, covering the muffled sound of their voices.

“Tiki?”

“Yeah?”

“How do you think it's going?”

“What?”

“You know—everything. School, like that.”

“Well, we didn't get beat up. That was good.”

“True.”

“On the other hand, I wish we had our classes together, like before.”

“Me too,” said Ronde. “I used to raise my hand more then.”

“Me too.”

“You think Mom was right, separating us like that?”

Tiki shrugged. “I don't know. I guess we do have to get used to it sooner or later anyway.”

“It didn't have to be
now,”
Ronde said. “I mean, don't you sometimes wish she didn't get all those ideas in her head?”

“What, you mean like about that factory?”

“Well, yeah. What if she gets up at the next meeting and everybody boos her?”

“Or yells at her.”

“Yeah. Or even throws stuff at her!”

“If Mrs. Pendergast starts yelling again, they might!”

The boys had scared themselves into silence. Finally, Tiki broke it. “So what about you?”

“Huh?”

“You never said whether you like the school.”

“I don't know. There's not a lot of kids I know, and that's hard. I mean, I used to know everybody.”