His voice took on a hard edge. “That’s right. The police, Volker. You touch another single dirty dollar bill, and you’ll do time.” He leaned closer. “Bill, you got enough talent to really go places. But if word ever gets out about this, you’ll never play ball again. High school, college, pro – nothin’. And that’d be a shame, because you’ve got something. This team’s got something . . . and startin’ right now, we’re going to put this behind us and get on with our winning streak.”
He looked at all three boys, one after the other. “Anybody got anything to say?” Silence.
“OK, then. That’s it.”
Without a word the three athletes exited. Out in the hallway, Bucky hesitated. “Listen, Volker –” he began.
“Shut up.” Bill whirled around. “Get out of my face, Stone! You can go straight to hell right now.” His eyes glittering with hate, the guard brushed past Bucky and stalked out the front door of the athletic complex, still wearing his sweat - drenched basketball uniform.
Chapter Nine: Heart-to-Heart and Man-to-Man
Later that evening Bucky eased to a stop outside the Litton home. Shivering in the December air, he pulled his jacket tighter as he went up the sidewalk half covered by straggly weeds.
Mr. Litton came to the door. “Oh, it’s you.”
“Is Dan here?”
“Yeh.” The older man swung the heavy door open and gave a quick motion with his head. “In there.”
“Thanks.” Bucky ignored the beer can in Mr. Litton’s hand. Stepping through the living room he went down the hall to Dan’s bedroom. “Dan, you here?”
“Yeah. Come on in.” Cupping his cell phone in his hand, he motioned Bucky to a seat. Then he spoke into the phone again. “Listen, I got some company here. I’ll talk to you later, OK?” A pause. “Yeah, me too. OK.” He hung up and looked at his friend.
“Who was that?” Bucky blurted without thinking.
Dan hesitated. “Oh, just one of the kids at school.” His gaze shifted nervously. “Boy, that was some shoot - out with old Brayshaw, wasn’t it?”
Bucky nodded. “Yeah, really.” He shook his head. “Man, I don’t know how we’re going to be able to play with Volker after this. You know he just plain wants to kill me.”
“Hey, we’re going to have to make it work despite that. Litton an’ Stone to the rescue. Rising above the fray and all that.”
“Yeah.” Bucky took a deep breath. “I guess that’s what I’ve got to talk to you about.”
His friend raised an eyebrow. “OK. What’s up?”
A pause. “You’re going out with Deirdre, aren’t you?” Bucky could feel his face reddening. For a moment he sensed that Dan was considering a denial. Inexplicably, Coach’s words about trust rang in his ears. Somehow he could tell that the other boy was thinking the same thing. “Are you?”
Sighing, Dan nodded. “Yeah.” He grimaced in embarrassment. “I guess I should have told you.”
“Hey.” Bucky raised both hands, palms up. “It’s your business, man. I mean, really.”
“I know. But still, I should have said something.”
The younger boy cleared his throat. “When did this all happen?”
“Oh, just a couple of weeks ago. It’s really no big deal.” Dan hesitated. “How’d you find out anyway?”
“My sister and I saw you at the mall.”
Dan forced a smile. “Well, shoot, I guess maybe we just didn’t want to tell you ‘cause the two of you used to go out.”
“Hey, it’s OK,” Bucky insisted again.
“You’re sure you don’t mind?”
“Yeah.”
Dan seemed relieved. “Stone . . .” He shook his head. “You are something else, man.”
“Well, I guess I could kill you to show how mad I really am,” Bucky retorted, trying to keep his tone light.
“I’d probably deserve it for some of the dumb things I’ve done this year,” Dan laughed awkwardly.
It was the opening Bucky had been waiting for. He took a breath. “Listen, I really . . . have been meaning to talk to you about some stuff.”
The other boy’s face was impassive. “Like what?”
“Well . . .” Bucky tried to organize his thoughts. “Dan, you’re a new Christian. I mean, I kind of am too. But. . . probably the biggest reason I hung around this year was to be with you and Sam. I figured we could help each other be strong.”
“Uh huh.” A nod.
Bucky couldn’t think of an easy way to say what was coming next. “I guess it kind of seems to me that you’re struggling with the whole thing.”
A moment’s hesitation. “Like how?”
“Well . . . like goin’ to church. Seems like about three weeks in a row you’re not there. And, you know, those sex DVDs. Things like that.”
Dan said nothing.
The younger boy reached down and pulled at a loose thread on his sock, thinking hard. “Look, Dan, you and Sam are my best friends. We’ve just got to help each other.”
“I know.”
Bucky looked at him. “How come you weren’t at church this past weekend? You told me you’d be there.” His voice was soft, but the question bore home.
His face reddening slightly, Dan shrugged. “Well, no sense hiding it. Deirdre and I went to a concert.”
“What?”
“Down in Oakland. Some band she really likes.”
“Right during church?”
“Kinda. Had to leave around 10:00 a.m. to make it on time.” The stocky boy was obviously embarrassed. “I know what you’re going to say, man. It was a dumb thing to do.”
Bucky shook his head sympathetically. “Well, yeah, I guess maybe it was. But . . . I mean, I faced the same thing when I was going out with her.”
“Really?”
“Look. You dating Deirdre – that’s fine with me. Really. But I can just tell you that if you’re going to try to be a Christian, you’re going to have problems dating somebody who isn’t one.”
Dan nodded slowly. “Maybe she’ll become one.”
“No way.” Bucky shook his head. “She told me flat out she wasn’t into it. I’ll bet she told you the same thing.”
“To tell you the truth, it’s never really come up.” Dan grimaced. “Me bein’ a Christian or anything like that.”
“You haven’t talked about it with her at all?”
“Huh uh.” He sighed again. “I ain’t like you are, Stone. I can’t just blurt it out the way you do.”
“You did pretty good after those basketball finals a year ago.”
“This is different, man. With a girl?”
Remembering, Bucky nodded. “Believe me, I know.”
Dan climbed off the bed, awkwardly stretching his arms and legs. Sliding down until he was sitting on the floor, he looked up at his friend. “Look, Stone, this whole business is really hard. I mean, stuff like girls and going to concerts and everything.” He took a breath. “It’s pretty hard to chuck all that. And going to church? I’ve got to tell you, it’s just . . . not working for me.”
Out in the kitchen Bucky could hear Mr. Litton opening the refrigerator door. A moment later came the soft pop of a beer can. Dan rolled his eyes.
“Are you taking some time to read the Bible every morning?” The question came abruptly.
Slowly Dan shook his head. “‘Fraid not.” The same gesture of futility. “I’m telling you, I just can’t get into it. That stuff’s just plain boring for me.”
“What part of the Bible did you try?”
A shrug. “At the beginning, I guess. I went through it for a couple weeks, but that was it. It was just too dreary.”
“Do you try to, you know, pray some every day?”
“Little bit. Once in a while.”
Inwardly Bucky scolded himself for not being more supportive sooner. “Look,” he apologized, “I think a lot of this is really my fault.”
Dan looked surprised. “How come?”
“‘Cause I should have help
ed you more.” He sat up straighter. “Look, Litton, spending time with God every day is the whole thing. That’s what you work on – and then stuff like DVDs and dating and living a holy life will take care of themselves.”
“But I really . . . man, I’m really just not into it. I wish I was, but I’m not.”
“Well, like I said, that’s partly my fault. I’ll give you some books I’ve been reading that are really great.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Uh huh.” Bucky nodded vehemently. “I know it’s hard when you’re first starting. But you’ve got to find something that works for you. If reading in Genesis doesn’t grab you, then try Matthew or Luke. If praying in the morning is tough, then you switch and pray at night. Or while you’re jogging. Or driving. Or sometime. But don’t just hang it up!” His voice softened. “You know I’m prayin’ for you, man. You’re my best friend.”
His face suddenly sober, Dan slowly nodded. “I really wanted to talk to you about this. But, you know, with Deirdre and everything, it was kind of hard.”
Even though an image of Deirdre and her sultry voice still tingled his insides, Bucky forced a grin. “Forget about it. We gotta stick together.”
“That concert last weekend . . .”
“What about it?”
Dan sighed. “Pretty bad stuff. Not just ‘cause I had to skip church. There was a lot of drinking and everything.”
Bucky sucked in his breath. “Did you . . .”
“No. But people were passing a lot of pot around, and Deirdre had a little bit of it.”
“She’s a terrific girl,” Bucky said after a pause, “and drop-dead gorgeous. I won’t pretend I’ve stopped peeking at her. But she’s not much help to a Christian. I hate to say that, but it’s true.”
Dan nodded, his face troubled.
• • • • •
The last two Panther games before Christmas vacation were against Division Three rivals, both road games. Bucky and Dan had their usual prayer session before the first contest. “Help us to play well with Bill,” Bucky said. “Please, Lord, help work out this problem!”
Almost surprisingly, both contests were easy wins for the visiting Panther team. Despite his continuing resentment, Bill proved he still had his deadly shooting touch. Bucky whipped pass after pass into the little guard’s hands for long two- and three - point scores.
“Great going!” Coach Brayshaw clapped the team players on the back as they trooped off the court after the second win. “Five and one going into the break is all the Christmas present I need!”
Just as Bucky was exiting the complex the coach called him over. “I’ve been doing a little checking around about that business from before,” he said, his voice low. “As near as I can figure it, the way the point spread operated, both these games were clean wins for us. Nobody tampered with a thing.”
Bucky heaved a big sigh of relief. “That’s great,” he managed, keeping his voice equally low. “So you think maybe it’s over with? Clear sailing from here on in?”
“Boy, I hope so.” Brayshaw put a hand on Bucky’s shoulder. “We got a great team – and I know it’s your leadership that’s making the difference.” He hesitated. “You being a Christian and everything.”
• • • • •
Bucky drove home feeling better than he had in weeks. Twinkling Christmas lights up and down Woodman Avenue seemed to promise that a good second half to his junior year lay ahead.
Mom greeted him with a hug. “Looks like you won again,” she smiled.
“Yeah. Big!”
She handed him a cookie. “Well, have this vitamin pill, and then you need to call Lisa.”
“Oh, really? What’s up?”
“Didn’t say. Just said she needed to talk to you tonight.”
Chapter Ten: Hot Streak
The dial tone buzzed hopefully in his ear as Bucky waited for Lisa to answer. A vision of a week in Seattle with her danced in his mind. Evenings by the fireplace, Christmas concerts, going to church and special programs together.
“Hello.” In the background Bucky could hear an old Elvis Christmas hit.
“It’s me.”
“Oh, hi.” Her voice sounded oddly flat.
“Have you got a Christmas stocking up for me yet?” he teased. “Two more days an’ me and my little Toyota are going to start up there.”
“No, you’re not.”
A sudden pain tugged at his heart. “What, now you hate me again?” A quick prayer. Please, Lord . . .
“We’re leaving tomorrow for two weeks in Florida,” Lisa told him.
“What?”
“Daddy just came home with the tickets. Said it was a surprise. Disney World, stuff like that.”
His heart sank. “Oh, man. Tomorrow?”
“Yeah. 8:15.”
He racked his brain. “I . . .”
“I was really looking forward to seeing you again.”‘
The reality hit him like a ton of bricks. All the happy anticipation of a Christmas with Lisa had evaporated just like that. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Merry Christmas,” she prompted, still sounding forlorn.
“Yeah.” He tried to brighten his tone. “Listen, I promise you we’ll do it later. Maybe spring break?”
But Lisa couldn’t be cheered up. They talked uneasily a few more minutes. Finally, wishing her a safe trip and a good Christmas, he hung up with a sigh.
Moments later he looked up to see Mom standing in the doorway. “Bad news?” she asked softly.
He nodded. Right now the aborted trip to Seattle felt like the ten - ton straw that broke the camel’s back. “What else can go wrong this year?” he groaned, pulled off a shoe, and tossing it at the couch in frustration. His voice shook a little bit. “I shoulda gone to academy like you said,” he muttered as he stared dully into the fireplace.
“Oh, honey, I’m so sorry.” Mom leaned against the door frame. “But at least we’ll all be together for Christmas.” She managed a tiny smile. “Come on, kiddo. I got some pie here in the kitchen. Let’s both sneak a tiny piece and not tell.”
• • • • •
The annual Christmas worship service at church had Pastor Jensen’s usual touch to it. Red poinsettias and crisp green sprigs of holly blended with the soft glow of candlelight as he quietly recounted the story of Jesus’ birth.
“And that birth in a manger means a new kind of life for you and me,” he summed up. “Consider tonight where you would be if you didn’t have the wonderful hope that comes from being a child of God. What would your Christmas hopes be if Jesus hadn’t come to this sin-filled planet . . . the best Christmas gift there ever was?”
Dan and Sam, both seated with the Stones, glanced around at the holiday decorations. Suddenly Dan nudged Bucky. “Take a look.”
Bucky peeked over his shoulder. Three rows back, Miss Cochran was sitting by herself, listening intently to the pastor’s devotional words. She caught his glance and gave him a quiet smile.
The January basketball schedule started off with three tough games. All three of them were played at Hampton Beach, but their opponents were coming in primed to knock off the first - place varsity squad.
“Just give me your best, ladies,” Coach Brayshaw hissed as the nervous players bounced anxiously up and down prior to the first contest. “One hundred percent Panther power!”
It seemed as if the holiday break had given the team a new life. Bill Volker was sizzling, sparking the Panthers to victory after victory. The squad swept all three home games, and then marched on the road to two more straight triumphs. “Seven - game streak!” Dan crowed after yet another victory, shaking his fist at the sullen crowd edging toward the gymnasium exits.
“Good goin’, Volker!” Bucky was determined to keep the team in good spirits despite the guard’s continued surliness.
“Thanks.” Bill hesitated, then added, “You dished out some good assists.”
“Way to play it, men!” Brayshaw gathered the team
members around him. “That ten and one mark is going to be pretty hard to beat.” He praised each of the players individually, then added, “Looks like those Tornadoes are going to be our main rivals. We’ve lost one, and they’ve lost two. Everybody says they’re the best around.”
“After us, that is.” Dan gave Andy Gorton a high five.
The Panthers took two out of the next three to finish their regular season at an incredible 12-2. Bill Volker played hard, even in the one loss, and when Coach Brayshaw announced that the Tornadoes had lost that same evening, it seemed that the gambling scandal was but a distant memory. The Panthers were going into the playoff round with home court advantage the whole way.
“Monday, Tuesday, Thursday! Let’s win three in a row, and take home all the marbles!” Brayshaw exhorted the team. “Win! – Win! – Win!” The varsity players pumped each other up as the postseason games approached.
The night before Round One, Bucky spent a long half hour on the phone talking to Lisa. Despite the disappointment of the missed holiday together, their friendship was slowly repairing itself. “Good luck tomorrow,” she added as they concluded the intimate conversation.
“Thanks. I’ll let you know how we come out.”
Round One was almost a tune - up contest for the well - prepped varsity squad from Hampton High. With the home town crowd packing the gymnasium, the Panthers romped to an easy fifteen-point win. Andy in particular had a super game, dropping twenty-five points and blocking six opponent shots.
“Any more about that betting stuff?” Bucky muttered to Dan in the shower room after the lopsided contest.
Dan peeked a glance at Bill, who was covered from head to toe with a thick lather of soap. “Nope. I think we’re home free.”
Less than twenty-four hours later, the student body and rabid Hampton fans crowded into the gym for another tense playoff contest. Over in the other division, the Tornadoes had advanced to the second round as well, and sportswriters all around the Bay Area were predicting a huge Panther - Tornado shootout in the finals.
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