The Extra Yard by Mike Lupica

it to Cassie, but he was actually looking forward to getting quality time alone with her. It was something he hardly ever got to do.
    When he met back up with her in front of school, he noticed she had put on her FC Barcelona cap. She was the best girl soccer player her age in town, the way she was the best softball pitcher. And Lionel Messi was her favorite player. Cassie talked about Messi the way Teddy talked about Odell Beckham Jr.
    â€œI’ve been thinking about something,” Teddy said to her now. “Do you think you might already be taller than Messi?”
    â€œMaking fun of my guy,” she said, “is not the way to go.”
    â€œAm I allowed to ask where we’re going?”
    â€œI thought we’d go sit up above the water at Small Falls,” she said.
    â€œAnd do what?”
    â€œTalk about how you have to stop acting like an idiot about your father,” she said.
    â€œAnd what if I don’t want to talk about my dad?” he said.
    It made Cassie laugh. “Oh,” she said, “you were being serious.”
    He shook his head. One of the great things about Cassie Bennett, one of the many great things, was that she could somehow be funny and cool and obnoxious all at the same time. And it was your job to keep up with her.
    â€œCan’t we just start talking about him now and get it out of the way?” Teddy said.
    â€œNo,” she said.
    They spent the rest of the walk talking about her soccer team and his football team and about the first week of school, and talking again about how they had to find a way to save Mrs. Brandon’s job and the music department. The thought of the town closing down the department had upset Cassie the way it had Teddy’s mom. Cassie didn’t love music as much as she loved sports. But not only had she become a terrific piano player, despite all the complaining she did about having to go to piano lessons, she loved Mrs. Brandon.
    â€œIf they close the department, this will be her last year with us.”
    â€œAnd you’re not going to let that happen,” Teddy said.
    â€œNot if I can help it.”
    â€œYou know my mom feels the same way,” Teddy said. “She’s been trying to come up with a plan.”
    â€œMaybe we can all come up with a plan together,” Cassie said. “We’ve got to find a way to raise enough money to save the department and save her job.”
    â€œSaving Mrs. B!” Teddy said.
    â€œYou better not think this is funny.”
    â€œI think it’s great,” Teddy said. “And whenever you do come up with something, I’m in.”
    â€œLet’s be honest,” Cassie said, grinning. “It’s not like you really had a choice.”
    They finally got to Journey’s End Road and made their way toward the water. When they got close, Cassie took off ahead of him, yelling, “Catch me if you can!”
    Teddy ran hard after her, knowing there was no chance of ever really catching this girl, now or ever.
    â€¢Â Â â€¢Â Â â€¢
    They sat halfway up the hill on this side of the water. The only noise up here, Teddy thought, was the water. It was like they had found their own private corner of the world.
    â€œYou have to stop acting like this,” Cassie said. “Jack and Gus won’t tell you that. Not saying stuff out loud is part of the boy code. But I will.”
    â€œStop acting like what?” Teddy said. “Like I haven’t figured out something I haven’t figured out?”
    â€œNo, it’s not that,” she said. “You have to stop acting like your dad coming back is some kind of great tragedy. It’s not. Jack’s brother dying the way he did, that’s a tragedy. Not this.”
    â€œYou think I don’t know the difference?” Teddy said.
    â€œIf you do, you’re not acting like it,” she said. “You haven’t been acting anything like yourself