Lucy’s “Perfect” Summer

by Rue, Nancy

  Lucy had definitely been grateful for that. As it was, she’d felt Rianna shooting bullets into her back with her eyes as Hawke had driven off with Lucy in the seat beside him, before Rianna could even get to them.

  But as Lucy followed Hawke into his private office now, she didn’t know whether to be grateful or not. Hawke was quiet and still, but she was sure there was anger right under his skin. His jaw muscles were twitching, just the way J.J.’s did when he was holding back a big-time mad.

  Hawke motioned her into a canvas chair and sat in another one facing her.

  “Do you know what’s on this?” he said, nodding at Mora’s cell phone on the desk.

  “Not exactly,” Lucy said.

  “It’s Rianna telling J.J. he has to mess up every shot she passes to him in the first play-off game, or she will fake an injury and say he purposely inflicted it on her. She seems to think J.J. would get in more trouble than anyone else who got sent off for dangerous play.”

  “He’d get sent to foster care!”

  Lucy clapped her hand over her mouth, but Coach Hawke was already nodding.

  “I know about J.J.’s situation. Coach Auggy tells me he’s never lost his temper on the field.”

  “He never loses his temper any time. He doesn’t want to be like his father.”

  “And what about this picture?”

  “It’s not what it looks like! She kept pushing at him, and he was just telling her to go away before — ”

  “Before?”

  Lucy couldn’t answer. She’d already said enough to send J.J. straight to Winnie, the State Lady. All this, and she’d only made things worse? Lucy swallowed hard, but the tears gathered anyway.

  Hawke looked at the blue paper again. “You know, it’s ridiculous really. No one is going to hurt another player on purpose and get away with it. We have refs with eyes like hawks.” He pointed to his own.

  “They can spot that stuff from a mile away. Even if Rianna had come to me with this, I wouldn’t have believed her.”

  “Oh,” Lucy said.

  “Part of me wishes you had come to me right away, before this appeared.” He tapped the paper and then put his hands behind his head and leaned back. “But part of me is glad it worked out this way.”

  “Glad?” Lucy said.

  “I think I can teach Rianna a valuable lesson, and not just her, but the whole camp. We’re not just about soccer here. We’re about people learning to live with integrity.” He stood up and motioned for Lucy to do the same. “I’m going to call the Monday awards assembly now. You sit with your team like you always do, and don’t say a word to Rianna. Do you trust me?”

  Lucy looked at her lap.

  “No?” he said.

  “I trust you about soccer.” Lucy swallowed again and prayed so hard she was sure he could hear it in her head. “But about J.J. — he shouldn’t get in trouble for that picture. He was just protecting me — so let me be the one who — ”

  “Lucy.”

  She still couldn’t look at him.

  “I think you’ve learned a lot about soccer here.”

  “I have, but — ”

  “But I think this situation — I think this is the real reason you came.” He nodded toward the door. “I’ll see about J.J. You go back to your team.”

  Lucy met them at the bleachers and sat between Kayla and Sarah. Bella was in front of her. Lucy leaned over and whispered, “Thanks.”

  Bella just nodded.

  “So what’s this about?” Waverly said on the other side of Sarah.

  While the Select Team came up with every explanation from “Coach Neely is announcing her engagement to Seth,” to “Somebody got in trouble for kicking a soccer ball out of a tree,” Lucy looked over at her Los Suenos Dreams. They were looking back at her, faces full of question marks.

  “You tricked me,” said the hot breath that went down Lucy’s neck. “You’ll get yours.”

  The microphone squealed, and people shushed each other. Everyone was obviously dying to know what was going on.

  After his usual call for everyone to yell that soccer was the best — which came out sounding more like “could we get on with it already?” — Hawke held up his hand.

  “I’ve decided to give this week’s VIP award early, since we’re starting the play-off games on Monday,” he said. “Would Rianna Wallace please come up to the platform?”

  Rianna didn’t even gasp, though several other people did — like most of the Select Team. A low murmur growled through the rest of the crowd. More kids must know Rianna than Lucy thought.

  As Rianna inched impatiently down the row to the aisle, Coach Neely turned around and gave her a thumbs-up. Wow. Mr. Auggy was wrong about her. She wasn’t hands-off with Rianna.

  “While Rianna is making her way up here,” Hawke said, “I just want to remind everyone that the VIP award is given not to the best player in camp. You’re all the best, as far as I can see.”

  Lucy could almost hear Carla Rosa saying, “Guess what? Everybody can’t be the best.” Lucy decided she would never be annoyed by Carla’s “guess whats” again.

  “This award,” Hawke went on, “goes to players who show integrity. Who refuse to play dirty and aren’t afraid to point it out when other people do. Who care more about the team than they do about themselves when they get out on the field. Who aren’t as concerned about winning as they are about playing well and fair. And there is one person who fits that description like it was written for her.”

  He held out his arm to Rianna as she took the three steps to the platform in one. She was glowing and smiling, doing everything but raising her fist in triumph. Lucy felt the whole Los Suenos team knotting their faces at her. She was doing a fair amount of knotting herself. What was going on?

  “Rianna,” Hawke said, “I thought you might like to have the honor of giving out this week’s award to the winner.”

  Lucy felt Kayla slap her hand over her mouth. Sarah’s shoulders began to shake as she smothered laughter. Some other people didn’t even try to hide theirs.

  “How does that sound?” Hawke said to Rianna.

  Rianna’s face was still glowing red, but she was no longer smiling. She didn’t even seem to be able to produce the Mr. Potato Head grin. Even from fifty feet away, Lucy could see her eyes flashing. If she hadn’t deserved what Hawke was doing to her, Lucy would have felt sorry for her.

  Hawke handed her a piece of paper and nodded her toward the microphone.

  “Rianna, announce the recipient of this certificate.”

  Rianna stared at it, and for a dead moment, Lucy thought she was going to crumple it up and swallow it. She wouldn’t have been surprised.

  But Rianna stepped up to the microphone, opened her mouth barely enough to let sound out, and said, “The award goes to Lucy Rooney.”

  A squeal erupted from the bleachers. A lot of squeals. A whole chorus of them. And cheers. And whistles. Lucy was halfway down to the platform before she realized most of them were coming from the Select Team.

  The only person who wasn’t at least clapping was Rianna. When Lucy got to the stage, she thrust the certificate into Lucy’s hand — and then she grabbed her around the neck and pulled their heads together.

  “You are so dead,” she whispered into Lucy’s ear.

  Then she let go and the crowd cheered some more, and Lucy knew they all thought Rianna had been giving her a congratulations hug.

  Hawke put a hand on each of their shoulders and pulled them to either side of him. “You two hang out up here for a photo op,” he said.

  He went into an explanation of how the play-off games were going to work, but Lucy didn’t hear much of it. She stood behind Hawke, next to Rianna, certificate clutched in her hand, and tried to think about how proud Mom would be of her, and what Dad was going to say, and Mr. Auggy. But the way it had come about made it hard to smile.

  And had anything really been solved? Did Hawke actually think Rianna was going to get the message fr
om this and change her evil ways? She’d just said Lucy was “so dead.” That didn’t sound like a lesson learned to her.

  “You’ve worked hard this week,” Hawke boomed into the microphone. “And you all deserve a reward. What do you say to snow cones on the field?”

  There was another cheer, and confusion broke loose as everyone charged down the bleachers. Hawke turned to Rianna and Lucy.

  “You two wait for me behind the platform,” he said. “I’m going to get somebody to take a picture.”

  What? Lucy wanted to shout at him. You’re leaving me alone with her? Are you crazy?

  “Sure!” Rianna said, and gave Lucy a not-very-gentle shove toward the back of the platform.

  Lucy jumped off before Rianna could push her and was barely on her feet before Rianna was beside her. She grabbed Lucy’s arm and yanked her against the boards.

  “I don’t know what kind of lies you told him — ”

  “I told him the truth,” Lucy said. “Let go of me.”

  “It’s your word against mine, and I guarantee you he’ll believe mine.”

  “He already does,” Lucy said. Her voice sounded steady and strong, but her insides were in the biggest knot yet. Rianna was pulling her arm behind her back, stretching the muscles so hard Lucy thought they would snap.

  “I said let go.”

  Rianna wrenched harder. “Not until you tell me what you mean by he already believes me.”

  “Let go!”

  “You heard her. Back off.”

  Lucy tried to twist around, but she didn’t have to see to know it was J.J. It was always J.J., coming to the rescue. And getting himself in trouble for her.

  “J.J. — don’t!” she said.

  “No, bring it on.” Rianna tightened her grip on Lucy and maneuvered them both around to face him.

  He stood just a few yards away, fists clenched at his sides, jaw clenching so hard Lucy could almost hear his teeth grinding. He was like a steel pole — and Lucy begged him with her eyes not to move.

  Rianna got her other arm around Lucy’s neck and jerked her back. “Come get your little girlfriend. See what happens.”

  Lucy tugged hard at Rianna’s arm with her free hand, but it didn’t budge. Hard fear clamped down on her. No one had ever touched her in anger her whole life.

  J.J. took a step forward. Rianna was holding her so tightly, Lucy couldn’t move her head enough to shake it at him. You can’t get involved in this, she told him with her eyes. You can’t be like your dad. But he kept moving toward them.

  “I’m telling you one more time to let her go,” he said.

  “And then what? You’re gonna jump me?” Rianna squeezed Lucy again until she couldn’t breathe anymore. “Let’s just see what you do.”

  Panic seized Lucy, harder than the hands that held her. If she could have screamed, she would have — at Rianna to stop before she died right there — at J.J. to stop before he lost everything he’d worked so hard to be —

  But J.J. just kept coming, and Rianna just kept holding on. Lucy flailed her foot, but Rianna avoided her kick and laughed.

  “Go ahead, J.J.,” Rianna said. “Make everybody believe what I said about you on that flyer.”

  J.J. tightened his fists — and his jaw — and his eyes. Lucy closed hers.

  And heard him yell, “Hey! We need help back here!”

  “Oh, so you can’t handle it on your own, wimp?” Rianna said.

  But J.J. kept yelling for help. It was something Lucy had never heard him do before. It sounded almost like music.

  “You got it, J.J.,” someone else yelled.

  Rianna let go enough for Lucy to jerk her head around and see Mr. Auggy half-running toward them, a camera bouncing from a strap against his chest. Rianna slithered to the ground, grabbing her own forearm and moaning.

  “She hurt me! You saw her — she had me by the arm.”

  “Give it up, Rianna.” That came from Hawke, who strode around the platform and reached them in two long strides. He stood over Rianna looking taller than ever. “It might work on Coach Neely, but you won’t get it past me. Get up.”

  “I’m hurt!”

  “I said get up.”

  Rianna straightened and tossed her head, almost slapping herself in the face with her own braid. “You don’t know them,” she said as she pointed at Lucy and J.J.

  “Maybe not, but I know you,” Hawke said. “And I have something for you.”

  Rianna didn’t even look scared. Lucy herself was about to disintegrate into a puddle of Jello. She rubbed at her neck and wished Rianna would just run and get this over with.

  “J.J.,” Hawke said. “Would you do one more thing, son, and reach under the platform and pull out what I left there?”

  J.J. did what he said. Lucy almost did melt when he came out with Rianna’s own giant red card.

  “Read it for us, Rianna,” Hawke said.

  “No.”

  “I said read it.”

  Lucy bit back a whimper. Even Rianna flinched before she tossed her head again and read in a stiff voice: “For anybody who brings soccer down.”

  “Sounds like this belongs to you, Rianna,” Hawke said. “Take it as a going-away present.”

  He took the card from J.J. and held it out to Rianna. She didn’t take it. Instead, she whipped her head around yet again and thrust a shaking finger at Lucy.

  “You didn’t see what she did to me — I had to hold onto her so she wouldn’t attack me.”

  “Uh-huh,” Hawke said. He pointed toward the bleachers. “You wait for me up there.”

  “No way. I’m going home — and you will hear from my dad.” Her voice got thin and cracked. “You can kick one of the Wallace sisters out — but not both. That’s harassment! He’ll sue you — he’ll have you thrown in jail!”

  Hawke didn’t say a word. He just watched her disappear past the bleachers to the gate, snapping her braid from side to side and spitting words into the air. Lucy backed against the platform and shook inside.

  “You okay, Lucy?” Hawke said.

  Lucy could only nod.

  “She didn’t hurt you, did she?”

  “No, I’m fine.”

  “Take a look at her, Coach, would you?” he said to Mr. Auggy.

  “You bet,” Mr. Auggy said.

  Hawke held his arm out to J.J., who handed him the red card.

  “No, son,” Hawke said. “I wanted to shake your hand.”

  Lucy watched J.J.’s Adam’s apple bob up and down. But the hand he reached back to Hawke looked sure — like he was starting to turn into a grown-up at that very minute.

  “You proved yourself,” Hawke said as his big palm engulfed J.J.’s. “I’m sorry this had to happen.” He turned to Lucy. “I apologize to both of you. If there is anything I can do to make up for this, you just tell me.”

  “Okay,” Lucy said — brilliant as always.

  Hawke looked at Mr. Auggy. “I have to deal with something. You’ll — ”

  “I’ll take care of these two.”

  Hawke nodded and strode away. When he got to the end of the platform, he stopped and turned. “They’re everything you said they were, Coach,” he said. “And more.”

  Mr. Auggy gave Lucy’s arm the kind of examination Dad himself would have given it. And then Dad and Inez did it again after Mr. Auggy had driven Lucy home in his Jeep. She would much rather have ridden with the other kids — not only because she wanted to hear every detail of how they had pulled off the Esther Plan, but because she could have lived without the lecture Mr. Auggy gave her all the way from Las Cruces.

  “Things shouldn’t have gotten that far, captain,” he said. “I wish you had talked to me when you first started to suspect Rianna.”

  Lucy opened her mouth and closed it.

  “What?” he said.

  “Um — I tried to talk to you, but you said I needed to go to my own coach.”

  Mr. Auggy tucked his lips together and nodded. “I’m sorry, Lucy, I reall
y am. I should have listened to you. Next time, make me pay attention.”

  “How am I supposed to do that? You’re a grown-up! Besides — ”

  “Besides what?”

  “I didn’t want to bother you when you already have so much on your mind. You know, our soccer field.”

  Mr. Auggy pulled the Jeep up to Lucy’s house and looked at her. The small smile was nowhere in sight. “Let’s make a deal, captain: you are never bothering me when you come to me with a problem. Never. Are we clear?”

  “Okay,” Lucy said.

  “It’s not just my job; it’s my joy. You got that?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “And it isn’t up to you to worry about me having too much on my mind. Like I said, I’m the grown-up.”

  “Then I can ask you a question and you’ll give it to me straight?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “It’s still Rianna’s word against J.J.’s and mine. Could she make somebody believe we were attacking her instead of the other way around?”

  Mr. Auggy smiled his small smile and reached behind the backseat. He pulled up his camera. “Rianna isn’t the only one with friends who take pictures.”

  Mr. Auggy stayed for supper. Inez left with a special nod for Lucy. After Mora inspected her cell phone, she told Lucy she rocked. Inez had a hard time getting her out the door, and she only went after Lucy promised to tell her the entire story on Monday.

  That was, as soon as Lucy knew herself. She still didn’t know exactly how it had all come together, so the version she told Dad and Mr. Auggy at the table was like a puzzle with a bunch of the pieces missing.

  But it seemed to be enough for them. When she was finished, Dad turned his face to Mr. Auggy, and Mr. Auggy looked back at him like Dad could see him, and they had one of those conversations adults had without even saying anything.

  “I’m proud of you, Champ,” Dad said finally. “And I think you’ve shamed us.”

  “I’ve ‘shamed’ you?” Lucy said. “I didn’t mean to — honest!”

  “It’s not a bad thing,” Mr. Auggy said. “It just means you did something brave and hard, and we should have been able to do the same thing in our situation.”