Specky Magee and the Season of Champions
Page 8
‘I don’t care. Either place will be unreal. I can’t wait to find –’
Specky winced suddenly, grabbing his knee.
‘You injured, Specky, man?’ Johnny asked.
‘Yeah, sort of,’ said Specky, and he told Johnny about how he had been ordered to take time off from footy.
‘Well, it doesn’t look like the rest is helping ya,’ Johnny replied.
‘Yeah,’ said Specky guiltily, realising he had no one to blame but himself. For a moment, he wondered if it had been worth playing, even to be seen by the talent scout.
Specky was about to fill Johnny in on the game against Gosmore, when he was distracted by Christina walking into the room. Specky thought his heart had stopped. Johnny followed Specky’s eyes.
‘Isn’t that your friend?’ he asked.
Specky hadn’t heard Johnny’s question, his stare still firmly fixed on Christina. She was accompanied by her father and Mr Johnson, and, of course, Screamer – who was already glaring back at Specky.
‘So, you both excited?’
It was Specky’s dad and Cedric returning to the table.
‘Yeah,’ the boys answered in unison.
Specky continued to watch as Christina and Screamer were escorted to their seats on the other side of the room.
It wasn’t long before the celebration was underway. Specky and Johnny were joined by two contest winners from Perth and got talking with them over dinner. Right after the sticky-date pudding came the official announcements and speeches from the head table at the front of the room.
‘Welcome to all of you.’ The voice of football legend Ron Barassi boomed through a microphone. ‘I hope you’re all having a terrific evening,’ he said warmly. ‘It’s great to see that in between the courses you’ve had a chance to meet your fellow contest winners and your chaperones for what is going to be the trip of a lifetime.’
Specky and the rest of the room cheered and clapped in response.
‘Without further ado, I’ll now read which country you and your contest partner will be visiting as young ambassadors of Australian Rules Football.’
Again, the hall echoed with applause.
Specky nudged Johnny, who couldn’t stop wriggling about in his seat. He then glanced over toward Christina’s table and caught her looking directly at him. They acknowledged each other with a friendly wave – but only for a moment, as Screamer grabbed her attention. They talked for a few seconds, and she laughed as if she had just been told a good joke. Specky looked on, feeling extremely jealous.
Ron Barassi called out the twenty lucky winners and their assigned countries.
‘David Sankey and Andre Chang from South Australia. Congratulations! You’re off to Dublin, Ireland. Antonio Soverato and Corey Milligan from New South Wales, it’s Dublin, Ireland, for you, as well, lads …’
Eventually, toward the end of the list, Specky and Johnny’s names were announced.
‘Simon Magee and Johnny Cockatoo from Victoria and the Northern Territory respectively, well done, boys! You’re off to New York, USA.’
Specky punched his fist in the air. Johnny slapped his dad in the shoulder. The boys were beside themselves.
‘New York City – whoa!’ they repeated to each other, totally overwhelmed by the moment.
‘And, finally,’ Ron Barrassi continued. ‘The last pair, Christina Perry and Derek Johnson from Victoria.’
Specky shot another glance at Christina, but this time she wasn’t even looking at him. She and Screamer were grinning at each other, bursting to find out where they would be going.
‘Congratulations! It’s New York for you two, as well!’
After the announcements were made, all the contest winners were encouraged, once again, to meet one another – especially those who would be travelling to the same country.
‘This is it. I’m gonna talk to her,’ Specky said to himself, snaking his way through the crowd, heading directly toward Christina. He had left Johnny and Cedric talking to some guys from Canberra, and his father was deep in conversation with Ron Barassi.
‘I’m just gonna say G’day,’ thought Specky, egging himself on, ready to reconcile with his friend.
‘So, we’re both gonna be in New York!’
Someone grabbed hold of Specky’s arm from behind. It was Screamer.
‘Yeah, we are,’ said Specky suspiciously.
‘Yeah, Chrissie was saying she can’t wait to see Central Park. She wants to go roller-blading through it.’
‘Yeah, well, that’s great. I’ll have to ask her about it,’ said Specky, as he tried to step past Screamer.
‘I don’t think so,’ Screamer hissed, pushing him back.
‘What? Rack off, will ya?’ snapped Specky, determined not to be intimidated by Screamer’s bullying.
‘If ya reckon you’re gonna get close to Chrissie, you better think again. I want you to stay away from her, and not talk to her ever again … or else.’
Screamer clenched his fist.
‘Or else what?’ asked Specky.
‘Or else I’m gonna walk up to your old man and tell him you played footy today.’
Specky’s face froze, while Screamer looked as if he had just won first prize in the lottery.
‘You can thank your big-mouth mates, Danny and Robbo, gossiping like a couple of grandmothers. I overheard them today.’
Specky bit his bottom lip, feeling almost paralysed – Screamer had gotten him a good one. Already having regrets about playing against Gosmore, Specky felt trapped – and sick at the thought of his parents finding out. There was no other choice but to turn around and walk back to join Johnny and his dad.
For the rest of the evening, as difficult as it was for him, Specky did everything he could to avoid Christina. If she looked at him from across the room, he’d look the other way. If she walked toward him, he’d wander off in the opposite direction. ‘Specky! Hi! How are you? Specky?’ she yelled after him, at one stage. This only sent Specky rushing off to hide in the toilets, where he stayed until he thought it was safe to come out. Eventually, Christina took the hint, and, by the end of the night, she gave up trying to talk to him. Specky could tell that she was confused and hurt by his behaviour.
He cursed under his breath. He hated Screamer.
‘So, have you made some new friends tonight? Have you met a few guys heading to the same country as you?’
Specky swung about to see that it was one of the organisers of the contest.
‘Yes, I have. Um, and I already knew two other winners: Derek Johnson and Christina Perry,’ Specky answered.
‘Oh, that’s lucky,’ added the organiser. ‘How do you know them?’
Specky explained how Screamer went to his school and that he had met Christina on-line a year ago. He also mentioned that it was Christina who had first told him about the contest – thanks to her father, a director on the TV football show, ‘Sensational Stuff!’.
‘Sorry?’ The man seemed worried. ‘Did you say that her father is employed by the TV network that announced the contest?’
Judging from the frown on the organiser’s face, Specky realised he might have said something he shouldn’t have, though he didn’t know what exactly.
‘Um, yeah, she is,’ Specky stuttered. ‘But her dad’s a director on other shows, on other networks, too.’
The organiser didn’t respond to Specky. He had already darted across the hall to whisper into the ear of another contest official.
14. the big picture
For the next few days at school, Specky couldn’t stop thinking about the Great Footy Contest dinner. He wondered about Christina and what she thought of him now, about Screamer and his threat, about what New York was going to be like. He completely forgot about the contest organiser and how concerned he had seemed about Christina’s dad. And by the time Saturday rolled around, thoughts of that extraordinary evening had started to fade. It was the first day of school holidays, and Specky was looking forward to a couple of w
eeks of fun.
‘Speck, are you home?’
Danny and Robbo were frantically ringing the doorbell at Specky’s house.
Specky swung open the front door to see that his mates were in a state of excitement.
‘What’s up?’ he asked.
‘You tell him!’
‘No, you tell him!’
‘Tell me what?’ asked Specky, now desperate to find out what his friends were talking about.
‘We’re going to New York with you and Johnny!’ they shouted together, at the top of their lungs.
Specky was stunned.
‘Wha … what? How?’
Danny and Robbo explained how they had both received a call from the Great Footy Contest organisers earlier that morning. They said that an unnamed pair of winners had been disqualified because they had breached the rules, so the contestants next in line, the ones with the eleventh highest score in the country, were to replace them. That pair was Danny and Robbo.
It’s Christina! thought Specky, looking horrified. Suddenly, he remembered – vividly – the look on the official’s face as he had hurried away.
‘Well, don’t get too excited for us,’ Robbo remarked sarcastically, catching Specky’s grim expression.
‘Yeah, that’s unreal news! America here we come!’ Specky said with a forced smile.
He was torn. He was genuinely happy for his friends, but felt terrible for Christina, especially if it was his blabbering that had gotten her disqualified. He decided not to tell his mates that he suspected it was Christina who had been disqualified. Part of him couldn’t believe it. He needed to find out for certain if it was her.
‘You know, Speck, your seven weeks will be up soon and you’ll be able to play full time again,’ commented Danny. ‘You’ll be able to play the last two games of the season, and then the finals!’
‘Yeah, that’s if we make it to the finals,’ said Specky hopefully.
And that’s if my knees are better, he added to himself.
‘Of course we will! Look at where we’re placed on the ladder!’
Danny reached into his back pocket and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper. It was a page torn out of the school’s quarterly newspaper, the Booyong High Bugle.
‘Check this out,’ he said, pointing to where the Lions were currently positioned in their league. Specky and Robbo read the ladder over Danny’s shoulder.
EAST RIVER BANK SCHOOLS LEAGUE: U14’S LADDER
TEAM
W
L
D
FOR
AG
%
PTS
Latona Ave Sharks
10
1
-
1364
1065
128.1
40
Ridley College Razorbacks
8
3
-
1390
1092
127.3
32
Booyong High Lions
7
3
1
1315
1438
106.5
30
Beacon Hill Falcons
7
4
-
1283
1291
91.6
28
Redleaf College Rovers
5
6
-
1170
2231
82.7
20
Tremont High Tigers
4
6
1
1232
1399
111.1
18
Yardley College Magpies
4
7
-
1213
1765
81.9
16
Endlich Road Hornets
4
7
-
1423
1543
80.9
16
‘See! Whatever happens from now on, we’ll still be in the top four. Actually, going by this, the current top four teams are gonna be in the finals,’ said Danny, proud of his quick calculation.
‘Yeah, but we can’t afford to lose those last two games. We still need to make sure we end up in the top two for the double chance,’ explained Robbo.
Since there were no football games scheduled during the school holidays, Specky, Robbo and Danny decided to take advantage of their free Saturday and celebrate by going to the movies – even though it was still only ten o’clock in the morning.
The boys discussed the possible game scenarios and their predictions for the upcoming weeks as they walked to their local cinema.
‘So, what film are we gonna see?’ asked Specky, entering the large foyer of the complex.
‘What about The American Road Trip I Did Last Summer? Or I’ve heard Ninja Freaks from Mars is pretty cool,’ suggested Danny, looking up at the movie timetable.
‘Ninja Freaks from Mars sounds good to me,’ said Robbo.
‘Me too,’ added Specky. ‘Here’s my money. Can you get my ticket and a medium popcorn, I gotta go to the loo – I’m busting.’
On his way back from the cinema rest rooms he was suddenly struck from behind. Someone pushed him roughly to the ground.
Stunned, Specky looked up to see the silhouette of Screamer standing over him.
‘You’re gonna pay, Magee,’ he growled, about to pounce again.
Specky sprung back to his feet, feeling a little shaken.
‘What are you talking about?’ he asked.
‘Don’t act as if you don’t know. Me and Christina are disqualified. And I bet you had something to do with it!’
Feeling extremely guilty, Specky said nothing. Screamer might be right, he thought. Even though he didn’t mean for any of this to happen, he knew that it would be impossible to convince Screamer of that. And even if it was his fault, he certainly hadn’t done it on purpose.
‘Look,’ said Specky, trying to calm the situation. He was worried that Screamer might do something irrational – like rush off and tell his dad that he had played footy when he shouldn’t have. ‘Would I seriously want to upset Christina? Huh? I reckon it sucks that you guys have been dropped from the trip. I really do. And I’m sorry. Is Christina here with you? Maybe I can talk to her?’
‘Yeah, right. Like that’s gonna happen!’ scoffed Screamer, taking a step closer to Specky. ‘I don’t believe you. This was your way of getting back at me for teaming up with Chrissie. Dirty play, Magee, dirty. Well, just remember, you better keep away from her, or else.’
Specky gritted his teeth. He was fuming, struggling to contain an anger he had never felt before. Fortunately, Danny and Robbo came bouncing over with popcorn and drinks in hand.
‘Hey, what’s going on?’ they asked.
Screamer ignored Danny and Robbo. His stare didn’t moving an inch from Specky’s eyes.
‘You’re gonna pay for this Magee,’ he said.
15. danny and robbo
Specky watched Screamer snake his way back toward the lolly counter.
‘What was all that about?’ Robbo asked. ‘Was it about Christina? ’Cause we saw her getting popcorn. She’s going to see the same movie as us. She asked if you were here.’
‘Um, look. I’m gonna skip the film. I’ve just remembered that I told my dad I would help him with something. I’ll catch you later,’ said Specky, abruptly turning and hurrying out of the cinema complex.
‘What? We already got your ticket!’ cried Danny.
‘And what about your popcorn?’ shouted a totally confused Robbo.
Once outside, Specky boarded the first tram that rattled by.
I’ll go and see Tiger Girl instead, he thought.
But hot on his tail, hopping on the next tram, were Danny and Robbo.
Specky weaved his way through the busy first floor of the Royal Children’s Hospital, glancing over
his shoulder to see if Danny and Robbo were still following him. He had noticed that his mates were trailing him when he changed trams in the city. He had caught sight of them clumsily ducking behind a bus shelter.
‘Hey! How’d you play against Gosmore?’ asked Tiger Girl, propping herself upright in bed, thrilled to see Specky again.
While Specky was filling Tiger Girl in on his week, he kept glancing toward the doorway.
‘Who are you expecting?’ she asked.
‘My mates, Danny and Robbo,’ Specky replied. ‘They followed me. I didn’t mean them to. Sorry.’
‘No, that’s cool, I don’t mind. You wanna go find them?’ suggested Tiger Girl, already hopping out of bed and putting on her dressing gown.
‘Sure,’ he said.
Danny and Robbo wandered aimlessly through a labyrinth of corridors in the orthopaedic ward, lost in the giant hospital.
‘I told you not to lose sight of him,’ huffed Danny.
‘Me? How was I to know what floor number to press in the lift?’ Robbo rebutted. ‘Why is he here in the first place? Do you think this is where he’s been coming while we’ve been playing footy on Saturdays? Danny?’
Robbo looked over and realised that his short sidekick was distracted by a cluster of nurses, patients and photographers surrounding what looked like a couple of celebrities heading their way.
‘I don’t believe it! Look who it is,’ he gasped. ‘It’s Nathan Buckley and Barry Hall!’
‘They must be here visiting sick kids,’ added Robbo.
‘Yeah, how lucky are we!’ remarked Danny, his heart pounding at the sight of the Collingwood and Sydney stars drawing nearer. ‘Quick, grab some of this stuff. I’ve got an idea!’
Danny rummaged through an unsupervised trolley stocked with medical supplies – scooping up bandages and clips and pins.
‘What d’ya think yer doing?’ panicked Robbo. ‘We’re gonna get into huge trouble.’
‘Look, do I have to remind you that we may never get a chance like this ever again?’ said Danny firmly. ‘Come on! Don’t be a chicken.’