Rivals by Tommy Greenwald (the speed reading book txt) 📗

It’s respect.

As I’m packing up my stuff after practice, I’m trying to figure out what I’m going to say to my dad, when Carter comes up to me. “That was cool, what you did,” he says. “I know the guys appreciated it.”

“Should have done it a long time ago,” I tell him.

He shakes his head. “Well yeah, maybe, but it’s never easy standing up to the man in charge. Takes guts. Even if he is your personal coach.”

We laugh, and then a crazy idea hits me. Or maybe, not so crazy. “Hey you want to come over to my house tomorrow? I got a great full court.”

Carter looks at me like I have two heads. “Full court? You mean, like, two hoops? Are you serious?”

My ears get red with embarrassment as I suddenly realize that was a stupid thing to say. “Uh, well, you know my dad . . . he played college ball and is pretty wound up about basketball.”

“You want me to come over tomorrow? Like, three days before we full-on try to whup each other?”

“Yeah,” I tell him. “It’s, like, I’m sick of taking all this so seriously.”

Carter thinks for a second. “Jeez . . . yeah, I guess sure, that’d be cool.”

I see my dad walk in to pick me up. He and Coach Cash have a conversation, with Coach doing most of the talking. Then my dad starts heading my way.

“I’ll text you the address,” I tell Carter. “Gotta go deal with my dad.”

“Yeah, I get that. See you tomorrow.”

I go up to my dad before he comes over, because I don’t really want Carter or anyone else to hear what he’s about to say.

“Hey, Dad. You talk to Coach Cash?”

“I did.” But he doesn’t look mad. “He said you stood up for a teammate. Good for you.” I reach down for my gym bag, but my dad picks it up for me. “Let’s go home,” he says. “We’re having salmon.”

I glance over at Coach Cash. He doesn’t smile, but he nods. I nod back.

I guess respect is contagious.

ALFIE

I’m sitting in my usual spot at lunch—last table on the right, by myself—when I feel a shadow standing over me.

I look up and see Janeece Renfro.

“You never came and sat with us the other day,” she says.

“I didn’t think you meant it.”

“Callie might not have meant it, but I did.”

I take a bite of my sandwich. “Okay. Tomorrow, maybe.”

But she doesn’t walk away. Instead, she says, “Can I sit here?”

Before I can answer, she sits.

We eat in silence for a few minutes, then she says, “Are you mad at me?”

“I’m not mad at anyone,” I tell her.

“Oh.”

“I’m mad at everyone.”

She stops chewing. “I . . . well, I . . .”

I wait, and when it becomes clear she’s stuck, I say, “Are you trying to say that you’re sorry, and that you believe me, and that you wish this whole thing never happened?”

Janeece smiles in relief. “Yes.”

We keep eating, and after another minute, Carter Haswell walks up.

“Hey,” he says.

I give him an extremely fake smile. “Wow, this is seriously my lucky day! The two basketball superstars. To what do I owe the honor?”

He laughs awkwardly. “Can I join you guys?”

I shrug. “If you promise to buy me an ice cream sandwich.”

He laughs and sits. “I’ll see what I can do.”

“Hey I heard you’re back on the team,” Janeece says to Carter, with a smile that’s not at all fake. “Congratulations.”

He blushes. “Yeah, thanks.”

I look at them looking at each other, and it occurs to me that these two might actually really like each other. And then, for some reason, I realize that if the two of them ever got married, their kids would be seriously incredible basketball players.

But Carter didn’t sit with us to flirt with Janeece. He’s here to talk to me.

“You know, that day . . . in Ms. V’s class . . .”

“You don’t have to say anything.”

“No, I want to.” He swallows, and it occurs to me he might be nervous. Carter Haswell, basketball legend, is nervous talking to me! I make a mental note to remember this moment forever. “When I cheated, I messed up,” he says. “I messed up bad. And I felt so guilty, so mad at myself, that when I came back into the room and saw you there—I guess, like, it was easier to pretend all my horrible feelings about myself were just horrible feelings about you. And then today, Ms. V told me that you didn’t say anything, and you weren’t going to say anything, that actually you were about to leave when I came in to talk to her. And as soon as she said it, I realized, I kind of knew that all along, but I just didn’t want to admit it to myself, because if I couldn’t stay mad at you, then I would have to be mad at myself. It was really lame, and I’m sorry.”

“You know, Carter,” I say, “everyone in this school thinks I told on you and got you kicked off the team. I’ve had to eat lunch by myself for a long time because of you. Did you ever think about that?”

Carter doesn’t answer. He just hangs his head.

I watch him, and I realize this could go one of two ways. I could be as immature and unforgiving to him as he had been to me.

Or I could be better than that.

“I’ll make you a deal,” I tell him. “I’ll forgive you if you come on my radio show today.”

He lifts his head. “Are you serious?”

“Totally.”

He grins. “You got it.”

I turn to Janeece. “You have to come on the show, too.”

Her eyes twinkle. “With Carter?” she says.

“Yup.”

“Let me think about it,” she says, even though we all know she doesn’t have to think about it one bit.

WWMS

WALTHORNE SOUTH RADIO

ALFIE:

Hey everyone, this is Alfie Jenks and welcome to Talking Sports. Joining me today are basketball superstars Janeece Renfro and Carter Haswell. It’s the last week of the regular season, and both the girls and