table.
“I know. I’ll be there,” she said, not looking away from her newspaper propped up in front of her.
“I just want to make sure that you don’t go to Moeller, because that’s where JV is playing.”
“I am well aware of where you are playing today.” I could tell that Cora was still unhappy, but I wasn’t going to worry about her because today was the day that I had been waiting for my whole life; I get to play in a football game just like my dad. He would have been so proud. His son was playing varsity.
“How are you getting to school?” Cora’s voice interrupted my daydream.
“Eric is picking me up,” I told her.
“Isn’t he on the JV squad?”
“Yes, but he has to take the bus to Moeller from the high school.”
“No, I meant is he old enough to have his license?”
“Yes, his birthday was in June.”
Cora went on reading, seeming to be content with Eric taking me to football. “So where are you meeting him?”
Two loud thuds came from the front door. I had told him where we lived. I had forgotten another one of our rules: never tell anyone where we live. I jumped up quickly to get out the door before I was scolded.
“Before you go, finish your juice. It’s hand-squeezed,” Cora said to me, pointing at the cup of juice. I drank it and quickly ran to the door.
“Nicholas, please do not tell anyone else where we live, and no more breaking the rules. Do I make myself clear?”
“I won’t. I’m sorry.”
“You better not or we will move. We can’t take any more risks.”
“Okay. See ya, Cor—Mom!” I shouted as I opened the door.
“Let’s go, Keller. I don’t want to be late.” Eric had on his green JV game jersey. I was wearing the gold game jersey that Coach Miller gave me.
“Nice jersey. I can’t believe you are playing with varsity. Well, I better get the big star to his debut.”
I opened the door to his old black VW Beetle, which was in mint condition. “I don’t think I’m actually going to play. I’m probably a backup just in case someone gets hurt.”
Eric smiled and turned up his car stereo. A new song came on the radio. “Keller is going to be a varsity rock star,” he sang, replacing the words with his own. It would have been annoying, but Eric was funny.
I got dressed in the pitiful JV locker room down the hall from the varsity locker room. It was weird being the only one in a gold jersey in a sea of green. Eric wouldn’t stop talking about me playing varsity.
“Dude, you are so lucky to be playing with varsity, and to think you are only a sophomore. No sophomore or freshman has ever played on varsity, not even Oliver. When Coach Miller started coaching he made the rule that no underclassman would play on varsity no matter what. It is going to piss off Oliver to see you playing varsity, which is awesome. You nailed him during tryouts, and now you are up on varsity. This can’t get any better. The only thing that would be better is if I could see his face when you walk into their locker room.”
I had noticed how much Eric liked to hear himself talk. I don’t think he needed to actually have anyone around him to talk, but unfortunately he had half of the locker room listening to his every word.
“Listen, it’s just a scrimmage,” I said, hoping to shut him up. Was Eric right? Was I really the first underclassman to play varsity? No way! There had to have been someone else.
Coach Hoff walked into the locker room wearing his typical short grey coaching shorts and his green polo shirt with clipboard in hand. “Let’s go, team, out to the bus. We leave in five.”
Everyone stood up and filed out. Eric was the last one through the doors and yelled back to me, “Hit some Moeller varsity chumps for me, Keller! See ya, star!”
I got up and headed toward the varsity locker room down the hallway. Coach Miller was standing outside of the locker room. He looked at me walking slowly.
“Keller, if you don’t hurry up, I am going to send
“I know. I’ll be there,” she said, not looking away from her newspaper propped up in front of her.
“I just want to make sure that you don’t go to Moeller, because that’s where JV is playing.”
“I am well aware of where you are playing today.” I could tell that Cora was still unhappy, but I wasn’t going to worry about her because today was the day that I had been waiting for my whole life; I get to play in a football game just like my dad. He would have been so proud. His son was playing varsity.
“How are you getting to school?” Cora’s voice interrupted my daydream.
“Eric is picking me up,” I told her.
“Isn’t he on the JV squad?”
“Yes, but he has to take the bus to Moeller from the high school.”
“No, I meant is he old enough to have his license?”
“Yes, his birthday was in June.”
Cora went on reading, seeming to be content with Eric taking me to football. “So where are you meeting him?”
Two loud thuds came from the front door. I had told him where we lived. I had forgotten another one of our rules: never tell anyone where we live. I jumped up quickly to get out the door before I was scolded.
“Before you go, finish your juice. It’s hand-squeezed,” Cora said to me, pointing at the cup of juice. I drank it and quickly ran to the door.
“Nicholas, please do not tell anyone else where we live, and no more breaking the rules. Do I make myself clear?”
“I won’t. I’m sorry.”
“You better not or we will move. We can’t take any more risks.”
“Okay. See ya, Cor—Mom!” I shouted as I opened the door.
“Let’s go, Keller. I don’t want to be late.” Eric had on his green JV game jersey. I was wearing the gold game jersey that Coach Miller gave me.
“Nice jersey. I can’t believe you are playing with varsity. Well, I better get the big star to his debut.”
I opened the door to his old black VW Beetle, which was in mint condition. “I don’t think I’m actually going to play. I’m probably a backup just in case someone gets hurt.”
Eric smiled and turned up his car stereo. A new song came on the radio. “Keller is going to be a varsity rock star,” he sang, replacing the words with his own. It would have been annoying, but Eric was funny.
I got dressed in the pitiful JV locker room down the hall from the varsity locker room. It was weird being the only one in a gold jersey in a sea of green. Eric wouldn’t stop talking about me playing varsity.
“Dude, you are so lucky to be playing with varsity, and to think you are only a sophomore. No sophomore or freshman has ever played on varsity, not even Oliver. When Coach Miller started coaching he made the rule that no underclassman would play on varsity no matter what. It is going to piss off Oliver to see you playing varsity, which is awesome. You nailed him during tryouts, and now you are up on varsity. This can’t get any better. The only thing that would be better is if I could see his face when you walk into their locker room.”
I had noticed how much Eric liked to hear himself talk. I don’t think he needed to actually have anyone around him to talk, but unfortunately he had half of the locker room listening to his every word.
“Listen, it’s just a scrimmage,” I said, hoping to shut him up. Was Eric right? Was I really the first underclassman to play varsity? No way! There had to have been someone else.
Coach Hoff walked into the locker room wearing his typical short grey coaching shorts and his green polo shirt with clipboard in hand. “Let’s go, team, out to the bus. We leave in five.”
Everyone stood up and filed out. Eric was the last one through the doors and yelled back to me, “Hit some Moeller varsity chumps for me, Keller! See ya, star!”
I got up and headed toward the varsity locker room down the hallway. Coach Miller was standing outside of the locker room. He looked at me walking slowly.
“Keller, if you don’t hurry up, I am going to send
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