that.”
He turned toward the basket and started up his drill again. “Forget it.”
I let him shoot for another minute. There was no letup, no slowing down.
“What’s wrong?” I asked him.
Brandon dribbled outside and took a shot. The ball swished through the basket and started to roll away. Neither one of us went for it.
“It’s all falling apart,” Brandon said.
“What is?”
“All these years, all the different teams we played on together, all leading up to this season and now . . .” Brandon shrugged. “It’s all gone.”
I said nothing. I figured that this had something to do with what I had witnessed with Troy in the locker room, but I didn’t want to let on that I’d seen.
“Everything was going so well,” Brandon said. “We had all worked so hard and prepared and then, today, your very first day on the team and . . .”
He didn’t finish the thought. He didn’t have to. His glare said it all.
“Wait, are you blaming me?”
Brandon turned back toward the basket and started shooting again.
“So what happened?” I asked him.
“Troy and Buck,” he said.
My two sworn enemies.
“What about them?”
“They’re both off the team.”
“What?”
Brandon nodded. “That’s right. Troy was our leading scorer. Buck was our best defender. Both gone.”
“Why?” I asked.
“What do you care?” He took another hook shot. “Heck, you’re probably happy. It clears two spots for you.”
I moved toward the basket. I grabbed the ball and held on to it. “I wanted to earn a spot,” I said. “I don’t want to get it because other guys drop out.”
Brandon looked off for a second. He let loose a deep breath and wiped his face with his forearm. “I’m sorry,” he said, his voice softening. “I’m snapping at you, but I know this isn’t your fault.”
“So what happened?”
“Buck moved.”
“What? Now?”
Brandon nodded. “See, his parents got divorced when we were all in eighth grade. He’s lived with his father and brother, but now his parents decided he should be with his mom.”
“Just like that?” I asked. “During his senior year of high school?”
“I guess. I don’t know. I never heard a hint of it until today.”
Part of me was pleased, of course. I hated Buck, and Buck hated me. But this somehow didn’t feel right. “So that’s why Buck wasn’t at practice,” I said.
“Yeah.”
“And Troy?”
Brandon put up his right hand, inviting me to throw him the pass. I did. He grabbed the ball in his outstretched hand, took one dribble, and dunked it hard through the hoop.
“He’s been suspended for the season,” Brandon said.
“For what?”
“Steroids.”
My mouth dropped open in surprise. “He failed a drug test?”
“Yes.”
“Wow,” I said, but now I understood what I had witnessed in the locker room. Coach Grady must have just given him the news.
“Troy swears he’s never taken anything like that,” Brandon said. “He says he’s being set up.”
I remembered hearing him claim that in the locker room. “How could that be?”
“I don’t know.”
“And who would do that?” I asked. “I mean, the testing all seems pretty much on the up-and-up.”
“I know,” Brandon said.
Brandon threw me the ball. I took a shot. “Do you believe Troy?” I asked him.
Brandon grabbed the rebound, threw me the ball. I took another shot, waiting for his answer. He seemed to be chewing over the question.
“Troy is a lot of things,” he said. “I know he can be, well, rough around the edges. I even know that he can be a bully. But a liar? A drug cheat?”
We both stopped and looked at each other.
“Yeah,” Brandon said, “I know it’s crazy, but I believe Troy.”
CHAPTER 10
I wanted to go back to the Bat Lady’s house that night, but here was the problem: I had too much homework. I’d been blowing it off for days now, and if I didn’t start working on the essay for history and study for the math quiz, I’d be in
He turned toward the basket and started up his drill again. “Forget it.”
I let him shoot for another minute. There was no letup, no slowing down.
“What’s wrong?” I asked him.
Brandon dribbled outside and took a shot. The ball swished through the basket and started to roll away. Neither one of us went for it.
“It’s all falling apart,” Brandon said.
“What is?”
“All these years, all the different teams we played on together, all leading up to this season and now . . .” Brandon shrugged. “It’s all gone.”
I said nothing. I figured that this had something to do with what I had witnessed with Troy in the locker room, but I didn’t want to let on that I’d seen.
“Everything was going so well,” Brandon said. “We had all worked so hard and prepared and then, today, your very first day on the team and . . .”
He didn’t finish the thought. He didn’t have to. His glare said it all.
“Wait, are you blaming me?”
Brandon turned back toward the basket and started shooting again.
“So what happened?” I asked him.
“Troy and Buck,” he said.
My two sworn enemies.
“What about them?”
“They’re both off the team.”
“What?”
Brandon nodded. “That’s right. Troy was our leading scorer. Buck was our best defender. Both gone.”
“Why?” I asked.
“What do you care?” He took another hook shot. “Heck, you’re probably happy. It clears two spots for you.”
I moved toward the basket. I grabbed the ball and held on to it. “I wanted to earn a spot,” I said. “I don’t want to get it because other guys drop out.”
Brandon looked off for a second. He let loose a deep breath and wiped his face with his forearm. “I’m sorry,” he said, his voice softening. “I’m snapping at you, but I know this isn’t your fault.”
“So what happened?”
“Buck moved.”
“What? Now?”
Brandon nodded. “See, his parents got divorced when we were all in eighth grade. He’s lived with his father and brother, but now his parents decided he should be with his mom.”
“Just like that?” I asked. “During his senior year of high school?”
“I guess. I don’t know. I never heard a hint of it until today.”
Part of me was pleased, of course. I hated Buck, and Buck hated me. But this somehow didn’t feel right. “So that’s why Buck wasn’t at practice,” I said.
“Yeah.”
“And Troy?”
Brandon put up his right hand, inviting me to throw him the pass. I did. He grabbed the ball in his outstretched hand, took one dribble, and dunked it hard through the hoop.
“He’s been suspended for the season,” Brandon said.
“For what?”
“Steroids.”
My mouth dropped open in surprise. “He failed a drug test?”
“Yes.”
“Wow,” I said, but now I understood what I had witnessed in the locker room. Coach Grady must have just given him the news.
“Troy swears he’s never taken anything like that,” Brandon said. “He says he’s being set up.”
I remembered hearing him claim that in the locker room. “How could that be?”
“I don’t know.”
“And who would do that?” I asked. “I mean, the testing all seems pretty much on the up-and-up.”
“I know,” Brandon said.
Brandon threw me the ball. I took a shot. “Do you believe Troy?” I asked him.
Brandon grabbed the rebound, threw me the ball. I took another shot, waiting for his answer. He seemed to be chewing over the question.
“Troy is a lot of things,” he said. “I know he can be, well, rough around the edges. I even know that he can be a bully. But a liar? A drug cheat?”
We both stopped and looked at each other.
“Yeah,” Brandon said, “I know it’s crazy, but I believe Troy.”
CHAPTER 10
I wanted to go back to the Bat Lady’s house that night, but here was the problem: I had too much homework. I’d been blowing it off for days now, and if I didn’t start working on the essay for history and study for the math quiz, I’d be in
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