Max felt like scoring points was his job. He was quarterback. Like his dad said, he had to figure out how to do what was best for the team.
It didn’t take long for the Bulldogs to score in the second half. Of course Jason threw their one touchdown pass. Max wasn’t sure his team would ever make it to the end zone.
Somehow the Walruses kept the Bulldogs from making any more big plays, but time was running out. Max was exhausted. He had been running all over the field but had not completed a pass. Every time he got the ball and saw the other team rushing toward him, he froze.
He was trying to figure out a new plan as he ran back on the field. He could hear his mom cheering. Max searched for the blanket where his family was sitting. First he saw his mom. Then he saw his dad. His dad was putting a treat on Bear’s nose.
Almost immediately, things became blurry. The air shimmered, and Max saw blue and gold sparkles. “What?” Max mumbled. “No, not now!” He had to call a play. That’s when he heard the voice.
“We don’t have much time to win this thing. If I were Max, I’d tell everyone to run deep. Then I would throw the ball as far as I could. It’s our best chance to win.”
POP!
“Come on, Max,” Lara said. The whole team was staring at him. They were all in the huddle, waiting. “We need you to call a play.”
Max thought about what the voice in his head had said. He knew he had to do what was best for the team. He made a decision.
“No,” Max said, “I’m not calling a play. You are.” He handed the ball to Lara. The voice he had heard was clearly Lara’s. She knew what play she would call if she were quarterback. Max wanted to give her the chance.
“But I’ve never played quarterback before,” Lara insisted.
“Yes, you have. In the park,” Max replied. “And if you think about it, I bet you know exactly what play you would call to win the game.”
“Hurry up!” a player from the Bulldogs called.
“What’s taking so long, Walruses?” Jason yelled.
Lara took a deep breath and looked at her teammates each in turn. “Okay, I need all the receivers to go long. I’ll throw it as far as I can.”
“Sounds like a good plan,” Miles said, clapping his sister on the shoulder.
“And Max,” Lara said. “You should go long, too.”
Max nodded, and the team got in position for the play.
When Max lined up, he was right across from Jason. He avoided the other boy’s eyes. He tried to think about running toward the end zone.
The whistle blew. Max needed to get downfield. He might not be quarterback, but his team still needed him. He dodged one player and then another. He ran toward the other end of the field. He turned just in time to see the football hurtling at him. He reached up and grabbed it with both hands and ran.
The next thing Max knew, the Walruses were all in the end zone, jumping up and down. They had scored a touchdown, their first of the season.
The game ended in a tie. In his post-game speech, Coach congratulated Lara on her amazing throw. “You have an arm like a cannon,” he exclaimed. “I don’t know how you ended up throwing the ball, but I hope you do it again next week.”
Lara grinned.
“And Max made a fantastic catch,” Coach added. “You all did your part, and you played like a real team. I’m really proud.”
* * *
When Max got to the picnic blanket, Kazu gave him a high five. His mom gave him a hug. “Way to go, champ,” his dad said.
Mr. Harding gave Bear’s leash to Max and started to fold the picnic blanket.
Bear yipped a greeting. Then he yipped again and again.
“What is it, boy?” Max asked. He knew Bear was trying to tell him something. Max looked around. He saw Mr. Power sitting on a park bench, petting Chance. The old man looked up and tipped his cap to Max. Max waved.
“Is that what you wanted me to see?” he asked Bear. But when Max turned back, his puppy was looking at something else: Jason. Bear was watching the other boy as he walked past.
Max decided this was his chance. If Bear’s magic had helped him figure out that Jason was afraid of dogs, then Max wanted to try to do something about it.
“Hey, Jason,” Max called out. “Good game.”
Jason hesitated, looking first at Max, then at Bear. Bear was tugging at his leash, wagging his tail, and pulling toward the other boy.
“I think Bear wants to say hi,” Max said.
Jason looked at him, eyes wide. “No way, dude,” he said.
“Maybe just let him smell your hand?” Max suggested.
Jason looked around the park.
Max bent down and stroked Bear’s back. “It’s okay, Bear. This is Jason.” Bear looked up at the other boy and whined hopefully.
“Okay,” the older boy said, almost swallowing the word. Jason knelt down and held out his hand. Bear stepped forward and gave it a sniff. He looked back at Max.
“That’s a good boy, Bear,” Max said.
After another sniff, Bear licked Jason’s hand. At first his tongue barely touched the boy’s fingertips, but then Bear wiped his wet tongue between Jason’s fingers and on both sides of his hand.
“It tickles,” Jason said, making a face.
“I know,” Max agreed. “You get used to it.”
“Yeah, I guess so,” Jason said, standing up and wiping his hand on his pants. “Your dog’s pretty nice — and you played a good game today, too.”
Somehow, Max knew he meant it. “Thanks,” he said. “I think we kind of surprised ourselves. I’ll bet Lara is our quarterback from now on.”
“Sure. She was good.” Jason put his hands in his pockets and gazed around the park again.
“Hey, Max!” Kazu called. “We’re leaving.” Kazu motioned for his brother to follow.
“Well, I gotta go,” Max said.
“Me too. See you at school,” Jason said, heading off. He turned back around when he was a few steps away. “I guess Walruses can catch after all.”
Max couldn’t think of anything clever to say. He just laughed. Then he ran to catch up with his family. Bear loped along beside him.
Max fell in stride next to his dad. “That was a real showdown out there,” Mr. Harding said. “The Walruses looked good.”
“Yeah, we didn’t wallop anyone,” Max said, “but we did have fun.”
“And that’s what it’s all about,” Kazu and Max’s dad said at the same time.
Max laughed. If this was what it felt like to tie a game, he couldn’t imagine what it felt like to win.
As if reading Max’s mind, Bear gave a loud, happy bark. Max smiled at his puppy, and his puppy smiled right back.
Text copyright © 2014 by Kristin Earhart
Cover and interior art copyright © 2014 by Scholastic Inc.
All rights reserved. Published by Scholastic Inc., 557 Broadway, New York, NY 10012. SCHOLASTIC, PUPPY POWERS, and associated logos are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Scholastic Inc.
First printing, June 2014
Cover art by Vivienne To
Cover design by Jeannine Riske
e-ISBN 978-0-545-62071-0
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of the publisher. For information regarding permission, write to Scholastic Inc., Attention: Permissions Department, 557 Broadway, New York, NY 10012.
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