The Perfect Secret

by Rob Buyea

  Thanksgiving was right around the corner, and I still wasn’t back to school yet. My headaches were getting better, but the doctor said if I rushed it, I would only make things worse, and then I might not return to school at all. My brain still needed rest if I wanted to fully recover. Those were the rules. But sometimes there are what my Mom called “extenuating circumstances,” at least that’s what she told Dr. Pirani when she called to tell her I was needed on the sideline at our final football game. Mom explained the situation to her, and Dr. Pirani gave me the green light—but just for the game. That was all I wanted. I was super-happy.

  Finally, during our last game of the season, I got the chance to be Stats Man. Even better, I was Stats Man alongside Coach Woods and his two assistants, Mrs. Woods and Mrs. Magenta. I didn’t know how all that got sorted out, but if you asked me, it couldn’t have been any better. Gavin led the way as our quarterback. Coach was right when he said that things have a way of working themselves out.

  My memory of events before the accident still wasn’t perfect, but I knew the answer when Coach turned to me for advice. “You know these boys better than I do, Junior. What should we call to start the game?”

  “Onside kick,” I said. “Let’s catch them Titans sleeping.”

  And that was exactly what we did. We recovered the opening kickoff and showed the undefeated Titans of North Lake that the Warriors meant business. They hadn’t see the likes of Coach Woods or Gavin all year.

  Late in the fourth quarter we were trailing 32–28. Gavin had already thrown for four touchdowns and more than three hundred yards, breaking a school record. The only thing left for him to do was lead the team on a game-winning drive. Coach Woods had called a time-out and had the offense huddled around him by the sideline.

  “Junior,” he said, “what do you see out there?”

  I swallowed. This wasn’t only Gavin’s moment but mine, too. “We’ve been doing better running to the right all day…so their defensive backs on the left are getting overaggressive. They’re attacking the run and leaving our guys open. I think we should try a toss right, quarterback throw-back on the left,” I said.

  The faces around me lit up. “Yeah! Let’s do it!” the guys cheered.

  Gavin slapped me five. “Great idea, Junior.”

  Coach called the play and sent the offense out to run it, but not before he grabbed Gavin by the pads and held him back for a final word. I didn’t hear what he said, but whatever it was, it jolted Mrs. Woods and Mrs. Magenta. They gasped and looked at each other like I’d never seen them do before. Gavin jogged onto the field and took his spot behind our center. He yelled the cadence, and the ball was snapped.

  I held my breath.

  Gavin turned and tossed the ball to Mark, who ran right. Gavin spun back and took off down the left sideline. The defense swarmed in pursuit of Mark, and when he had them sucked in, he stopped, planted his feet, and threw the ball back across the field to our wide-open quarterback. Gavin caught the pass and scampered down the far side of the field. He scored the winning touchdown as time expired.

  The celebration that followed was better than a birthday party. We ran around the field, yelling and high-fiving. Gavin and I found each other, and he picked me up in a bear hug.

  “Great play call, Stats Man.”

  “Great game, quarterback. You did it.”

  He put me down and looked me in the eye. “We did it.”

  I smiled. “Can coaches get inducted into the Hall of Fame?” I asked him.

  Gavin grinned. “C’mon,” he said, “we’ve got to shake hands.”

  My head was hurting, but I’d rest later. I had to do some more celebrating first.

  Maybe I owed Coach Holmes a big thank-you. If he hadn’t made me do all that running, there’s no way I would’ve outlasted number twenty-five sprinting down the sideline. That kid almost caught me. Almost.

  My teammates swarmed me in the end zone, yelling and cheering, smacking me on the pads and helmet. My nightmare season had a storybook ending like that one in ECHO. Me and Coach Woods got to smile when shaking hands, ’cause we’d won. Our smiles wouldn’t last forever, though, ’cause there was something much bigger than football at stake—I just didn’t know it yet. I would soon, but for the moment everything was perfect.

  When I walked back to our sideline, Kurtsman and Randi were waiting for me. Randi gave me a huge hug.

  “You’re the best, Gav. You were awesome.”

  “Thanks for always passing the ball with me,” I said. “You helped make today happen.”

  She squeezed harder.

  “Nice home run, Davids,” Kurtsman said, winking at me. She’d managed to learn a few things about America’s game—finally. I smiled, but then she quickly moved on to more important stuff. “What did Coach say to you during that last time-out? It seemed important. It seemed to rattle Mrs. Woods and Mrs. Magenta.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes, so what did he say?”

  “Gavvy!” Meggie cried. My little sister came running over. “You did it!” She wrapped her arms around my waist, and I went soft inside.

  Mom and Dad joined us. Dad patted the back of my neck, and Mom kissed me on the cheek. “I’m so proud of you, Niño.”

  “Thanks,” I said. “I’ve got to get to the locker room, so I’ll see you in a few minutes.”

  I took off at a jog toward the school.

  “Gavin,” Kurtsman called.

  “I’ll tell you later,” I yelled over my shoulder. I had to keep going. I was the last one leaving the field. After you score the winning TD, everyone wants to congratulate you.

  I got to the locker room right as Coach was getting ready to give us his postgame speech. Grandpa was nearby, just in case, ’cause Magenta and Woods couldn’t come in. I’d heard many of Coach’s talks at the Senior Center, but here we were, for real. We grew quiet, ready to hang on his every word.

  “Gentlemen, how about a hand for our Stats Man, for calling that last play of the game?”

  “Woot! Woot!” we cheered.

  I’d never seen a bigger smile than the one stretched across Scott’s face. He beamed, but he also covered his ears. Headache. He was a lucky kid and a poor kid at the same time.

  “Gentlemen,” Coach continued, “I want to thank you for giving me the opportunity to lead you today. It’s the best present I’ve received in a long, long time. Go home and celebrate with your families. You’ve got reason to be proud and happy, and you’ve got much to be thankful for.”

  I stood and started clapping, and it only took another second before everyone joined me. I was the last one to leave the locker room that day. I was in no rush. I savored the memory, replaying the highlights of the game in my head. I clung to and remembered every detail about my dream game, but in the end the one thing that wouldn’t leave me alone was the same thing Kurtsman had asked about. The moment when Coach had pulled me aside during our final time-out.

  I thumbed the letters on my quarterback towel.

  With Gav’s incredible football game and Scott’s great work on the sideline, and the moment when Mrs. Woods and Mrs. Magenta stared deep into each other’s souls, and then with Scott leaving with a headache after it was all said and done, I had a lot on my mind. Mental exhaustion can be worse than physical exhaustion, which explains why I felt wiped out, like I’d just completed a gymnastics workout, and why I forgot to grab the mail when we got home.

  I was sitting at the kitchen table with a glass of seltzer water when Mom came walking in, carrying the day’s stack of envelopes. She dropped the pile onto the counter—all except for the one she held up. “Do you know what this is?”

  I almost died. “No,” I croaked.

  “It’s an invite to your first national competition—the Elite Stars Festival!” Mom exclaimed. “I’m going to call Coach Andrea. This is it, R
andi. Your big chance.”

  Mom gave me a quick hug, then took the phone and slipped into the other room. She was excited to the point where I wondered if a little Jane was coming out, but I could deal with that later. I was excited, too. A national competition would be amazing. But first things first. I had to check the rest of the mail.

  I rose from my chair and snuck over to the counter. I sifted through the envelopes and found one from Kyle sitting on the bottom. What were the chances? That had been a close call. Way too close.

  I snuck the letter under my shirt and scurried up to my room. I closed my door and sat down. Then I tore open the envelope. I found this, Kyle wrote. Also, we’ll be at the Elite Stars Festival. If you go, it could be your big chance.

  This was a photo of toddler Kyle and his dad. There was no doubt about it anymore. Kyle was my half brother.

  “Randi,” Mom called up from downstairs. “I talked to Coach Andrea. We’re going!”

  My big chance. Destiny, I hope you know what you’re doing.

  NATALIE KURTSMAN

  ASPIRING LAWYER

  Kurtsman Law Offices

  BRIEF #13

  December: Accident

  My meetings with Mrs. Davids had been going extremely well. I’m confident in saying that was partly because I was a good teacher but mostly because Mrs. Davids was a quick learner. She was a smart lady. I found myself wondering more and more why she hadn’t already learned how to read English. But as much as I wanted to ask, I knew it wasn’t my place. I kept my questions to myself and focused my attention on the work before us. If I pushed for too many answers, I feared our lessons would end.

  As stated, we were making great progress. During one of our lessons in November, Mrs. Davids had been able to take a picture book and read it to Meggie for the first time. Watching them cuddled together was one of the best feelings I’ve ever experienced. Especially because Mrs. Davids and Meggie were hatching their own secret plan. It was going to come to fruition on Christmas Eve. I wished I could be there to see it unfold, but I relied on Meggie to tell me all about it afterward; she was a good storyteller.

  At the conclusion of another successful session, I checked out the books Meggie had selected, which had become part of our normal routine. Why Mrs. Davids still hadn’t obtained a library card of her own was beyond me, but that was another one of those questions I kept to myself. It was no problem for me to check the books out using my card, so that’s what I did.

  Mrs. Woods didn’t force the issue when she was around, either. She never said a word on the matter. I was quite certain my old teacher was fully aware of my extracurricular activities and what Mrs. Davids and I were doing, but she chose to stay quiet about that, too. I also had the inkling Mrs. Woods knew I was aware of her situation with Mrs. Magenta, and that I was keeping that information to myself. We seemed to have ourselves a silent agreement: I won’t say anything if you don’t say anything.

  When we finished checking the books out, I grabbed my things and walked with Mrs. Davids and Meggie to the exit. Mother was waiting for me in our car at the end of the street. It was cold and spitting snow, but I stood on the sidewalk and watched little Meggie and Mrs. Davids climb into their car. Mrs. Davids pulled away from the curb, and I turned and hurried along toward Mother.

  I’m not a scout, nor will I ever be, but I pride myself on being prepared. This is precisely why I work hard. But the fact remains, there are some things you simply can’t prepare for—what happened next is a case in point.

  First I saw the look of horror that spread over Mother’s face. Then came the terrible sound of metal smashing into metal. I stopped dead in my tracks, fearing the worst, and slowly turned around.

  I had to stick around after school to turn in my equipment and clean out my locker. Since we were without coaches, Mr. Allen was there to give us a hand. The season was over. It hadn’t come close to what I’d dreamed about all my life, but it couldn’t have ended any better.

  “Next year, Gavin,” Mr. Allen said. “Next year will be your time to shine from start to finish. Don’t lose faith.” He patted me on the shoulder.

  How much did Mr. Allen know about the way Holmes had been treating me? I didn’t know, but something told me I could count on him looking out for me.

  “Thanks,” I said.

  “You bet.”

  I left the locker room more determined than ever. I was going to make my mark next year. I was done with Holmes. Things were going to improve from here on. Turns out, I was dead wrong—about both of those things.

  I walked out and hopped in the truck with Dad.

  “Everything go all right?” he asked.

  “Yup,” I said, and I wasn’t lying this time.

  “Good.” He put the truck in gear and drove out of the parking lot—and all was good, for a little while.

  When we made it home, Dad pulled into the driveway and parked.

  “Where are Mom and Meggie?” I asked.

  “I don’t know. Musta stepped out for somethin’. I’m sure they’ll be back soon. I hope so. I’m starvin’.”

  “Maybe we should make dinner?”

  “Eat your cookin’? You tryin’ to kill me?”

  I laughed and punched him in the arm. We went inside, and I got started on my homework while Dad got busy cleaning the house. I guess he figured if he couldn’t cook, he could at least clean. When Mom and Megs still hadn’t shown up after a couple of hours, I began worrying. So did Dad. He called Mom’s cell but only got her voice mail. We tried to stay calm by making up excuses for them. Too bad we weren’t even close.

  The second we heard tires crunching stones in our driveway, me and Dad rushed to the door. It was Mom and Meggie all right, but not in Mom’s car. Mrs. Kurtsman got out of the driver’s seat, and Natalie climbed out of the back with Megs. She held Meggie’s hand. Megs had been crying. I could see her red eyes all the way from the porch.

  “Carla, what happened? Are you okay?” Dad asked, jumping off the porch and hurrying out to her. I was right behind him.

  Mom didn’t say anything.

  “Gloria?” Dad said, turning to Mrs. Kurtsman for an explanation.

  “Let’s go inside,” she said. “There was an accident. Everyone is fine, but there is much to explain.”

  I sat down at the kitchen table with Mom and Dad and Mrs. Kurtsman, and the first thing Mrs. Kurtsman said was, “Gavin, I need a few minutes to talk to your father alone. We’ll fill you in afterward.”

  “I…I…”

  “Go check on your sister,” Dad said. “Read her some books.”

  What was going on? I’d never seen Mom like this. She hadn’t said a word. She wouldn’t even look at me!

  “Just a few minutes, Gavin,” Mrs. Kurtsman said. “Thank you.”

  I got up and left the kitchen. I felt like a zombie. My brain and body were numb. I shuffled my feet along the floor and into Meggie’s bedroom. My frightened little sister came over and hugged me as soon as I walked in. “Megs, what happened?”

  She shook her head hard and buried her face in my shirt.

  “Don’t make her talk about it,” Kurtsman whispered. She motioned for me to sit next to her on Meggie’s bed. “There was an accident,” she explained. “A driver ran a stop sign and crashed into your mother and Meggie.”

  “Where? And how do you know this?” I asked, my voice rising.

  Meggie covered her ears.

  “Shhh,” Kurtsman said, reaching out and rubbing Meggie’s back.

  “Sorry,” I mouthed.

  “It was outside the public library,” Kurtsman whispered. “I was there. I saw it.”

  “Did anyone get hurt?”

  “No. Like my mother said, everyone is okay.”

  “I don’t get it. Why are you all acting so funny, then? Was our car totaled or something
?”

  Kurtsman nodded. “But that’s not all.”

  I was confused. “What, then?”

  “Gavin, your mother was arrested….She doesn’t have a driver’s license.”

  NATALIE KURTSMAN

  ASPIRING LAWYER

  Kurtsman Law Offices

  BRIEF #14

  December: Too Many Secrets

  Naturally, by the end of the next school day, the entire student body and faculty knew about Gavin’s mother being arrested. At this point the arrest was nothing more than a quick local news story, but word traveled fast. It was only a matter of time before the rest of the story came out, and when that happened, well…

  I was in the know on all of this because Mother was the legal counsel representing Carla Davids—that was a no-brainer—and Mother had decided to share all the details with me when we got home from Gavin’s. Yes, one could argue that was a breach of the lawyer-client confidentiality contract, but Mother knew that everything she was telling me was going to become public knowledge, and when it did, things were going to get messy, so she wanted me informed. Prepared. Of course I was sworn to secrecy, but I was getting good at keeping secrets. Besides, I didn’t need to stay mute for long. As expected, the rest of the story blew up three days later.

  Coincidentally, three days later also happened to be Gavin’s first trip back to school. There were silent stares and whispers—among students and teachers—all day long. Wait until they get the full story, I thought. It was weird; even we, his friends, didn’t know what to say or how to act around him—me especially, since I was holding my breath, waiting for all the news to break. We needed Scott to kill the tension like only he could do.

  I didn’t know whether to expect Gavin at our newspaper meeting that afternoon or not; I was surprised he had even come to school to begin with, so I’d understand if he didn’t show, but he was already waiting in the classroom when I arrived. Soon after me, Mrs. Woods entered, then Trevor and Mark followed by Randi, and last but not least, Mrs. Magenta. With our team assembled, I decided that carrying on in a normal way would be best—but I was wrong, which doesn’t happen very often. In my defense, I’m not certain there was anything I could’ve done to prevent Gavin’s outburst.