Home Run

by Tim Green

  Looking at his eyes, Josh felt desperate. “Coach, I don’t know if I can get her. I can’t make her do anything. I have to get that homer, Coach. I have to.”

  “Well, that’ll be your problem then, LeBlanc. She’s your friend, and you’re the only one who can stop her. Now get out of here before I do something both of us would regret.” Coach Swanson pointed toward the door.

  Josh stood up and took a tentative step.

  “And LeBlanc,” Coach Swanson said, “in case you haven’t figured it out, we’ll be watching you, so don’t even try to get cute.”

  Josh looked back at Martin, still hunched over his computer, typing away.

  Forcing himself not to run, Josh escaped.

  CHAPTER SIXTY-FOUR

  JOSH COULDN’T ACT; HE couldn’t even think. He staggered back down the hall and knocked softly on the door.

  Benji opened it. Without a word, Josh entered, shut off the light, and lay down in the dark. Benji’s bed creaked as he lay down too. The wind rattling their window filled the silence. Josh’s mind was in high gear.

  Finally, Benji whispered. “Dude, what the heck? What happened?”

  Benji’s voice jolted Josh back to reality, and he choked back a sob.

  “You okay?” Benji asked.

  Josh sniffed, fumbled for a Kleenex in the dark, and blew his nose. “I’m okay. I gotta call Jaden. Benji, you gotta keep quiet about all this. It’s serious.”

  Josh turned on the light, grabbed his phone, and began to dial.

  “I don’t even know what ‘this’ is,” Benji complained.

  “Just . . .” Josh tried to keep from getting angry with his friend, but that’s how he felt. “Just stop asking. I can’t . . .”

  Jaden answered on the third ring in a sleepy voice. “Josh? What’s up?”

  Josh took a deep breath and told her everything. Benji’s face lengthened in horror as the story went on until he put his face into one hand and rested his elbow on a knee. Josh heard him mumbling, “Dude, this is so not good.”

  When Josh finished, he repeated Coach’s ultimatum. He wanted to see Jaden in person, and he wanted the phone.

  “My proof.”

  “Yeah,” Josh said. “That.”

  “Can’t I send it?” Jaden sounded scared and nervous.

  “You can’t like, FedEx it,” Josh said. “It’s too late.”

  They sat there breathing on each end of the line.

  CHAPTER SIXTY-FIVE

  “WAIT,” JADEN SAID. “THEY want my phone? How do they even know about all this?”

  “He said they were watching me.” Josh hadn’t stopped to think about this, but now that he did it terrified him.

  “Your phone.” Jaden sounded grim. “You know how Martin collects them before practice?”

  “It’s like the Gestapo.” Benji’s voice was low and filled with horror. “The Nazi’s secret police.”

  “Martin was in Coach’s room on a computer.” Josh said, remembering the blue glow on Martin’s face. “His mom told him about your interview. That’s how they know. Coach said it was private, that it was none of anyone’s business what happened in the war. He won’t let me play until he gets that phone.”

  Silence settled over the three of them.

  Jaden finally spoke, her voice heavy and sad. “So I’ll come down there. I just don’t know how.”

  “Jaden,” Josh said, “I don’t know, now that I think about it. I can’t really ask you to do this. We’re talking about the chance of me winning a house. You’ll lock that scholarship up for sure with your story. I haven’t seen you this excited ever.”

  “No, I can’t do it! I feel terrible. I was kidding myself into believing that Coach would be happy with the story—and worse, I told myself that I wasn’t betraying Martin because I’d be getting the story from his mother,” Jaden said.

  “But what about the scholarship you wanted so much? If anyone deserves that award it’s you,” Josh said.

  “I’ll think of something,” Jaden said, her voice trying to be strong. “I just don’t know how I can get there. I know you’re going to win that house. You just need one more homer. I can feel it. It’s your destiny, Josh.”

  “What about your destiny?” Josh felt horrible.

  “I need to apologize to Martin,” Jaden said, “and to Coach too. I should have known better. I feel so twisted.”

  “Hey, come on,” Josh said with feeling. “I know I like to kid you, but that’s one thing you’re not.”

  “My dad’s got rounds this weekend,” Jaden said. “I guess I could take a bus, but I don’t think he’ll let me. Staying home alone is one thing, but a bus to Pittsburgh by myself . . .”

  “Benji,” Josh said.

  “What’s up?” Benji lifted his head at the sound of his name.

  “Your dad.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Did he leave tonight, or is he coming in the morning?” Josh asked.

  “Well, you know he had a football game against the Plattsburgh Pirates. I got a text from him. They stomped on their guts, won 70–0.” Benji beamed with pride. “My dad had seven pancake blocks.”

  “That’s great, but did he leave already?” Josh tried not to be too impatient.

  Benji shrugged. “I think he was gonna celebrate a little at the Retreat and come in the morning.”

  “Can you call him?”

  “Now?” Benji looked at the clock. “He’s probably wearing a pair of underwear on his head at this point, but I guess I could.”

  “And ask him if he’ll bring Jaden with him?” Into the phone Josh said, “Will your dad let you?”

  “If I’m riding with Benji’s dad he will. Sure,” she said.

  “Benji, please. Call him.” Josh put Jaden on speaker phone so she could hear.

  Benji made a doubtful face, but dialed his dad and put his phone on speaker as well. When his father answered, the background was filled with noise that sounded like an ocean storm.

  “Benji boy!”

  “Pops, can you hear me?” Benji asked.

  “Benji! Get my text? We pounded ’em! We’re callin’ ’em the Plattsburgh Platypuses cuz they laid an egg!”

  Laughter roared all around Benji’s dad.

  “Seven pancakes, Benji boy! Seven! They’re callin’ me IHOP. Get it? The pancake place? Ha ha ha ha!” Benji’s dad erupted with a belch. “S’cuse me, Benji boy!”

  Benji leaned into the phone. “Pops, can you bring Jaden with you tomorrow?”

  “Tomorrow? What’s tomorrow?”

  “You’re coming to Pittsburgh!” Benji shouted clearly into the phone.

  “Plattsburgh? I ain’t goin’ to Plattsburgh, Benji boy. They’ll run me out on a rail after what I did to their defensive line. Ha ha ha ha ha!” More laughter exploded in the background.

  “Dad, you’re coming to Pittsburgh.” Benji raised his voice to its limits without it being a full shout. “You are watching me play baseball, then we are going to a Steelers game. A Steelers game, Dad. Remember?”

  “Steelers! Big Ben, takin’ on the dirty Ravens, our archrivals. Yes. We are gonna do that, Benji boy, together!”

  “Dad, you gotta bring Jaden with you. Jaden. She needs a ride. You have to pick her up.”

  “Whatever you need, Benji boy, but ya better text your old pa. The concussions are piling up, boy! Text me and don’t celebrate too late. You gotta game tomorrow, an’ I want you to do me proud. Now, I gotta go cuz it’s my turn.” The phone went immediately dead, and Josh couldn’t help wondering what Mr. Lido had to take a turn at.

  “Will he do it?” Josh asked.

  Benji shrugged, texting as he spoke. “Got a fifty-fifty chance.”

  “Fifty-fifty?” Josh tried not to sound outraged. Benji was doing more than Josh could do himself. His dad was a million miles away, and he knew his mom wouldn’t dare to try and drive her piece of junk car all the way to Pittsburgh.

  “Sorry he was so giddy.” Benji plugged his phone into its c
harger and set it down on the night table. “He gets pretty happy when they win like that, a shutout and all.”

  “I don’t blame him.” Josh tried to sound like he meant it. “Maybe you can call him in the morning?”

  Jaden’s voice squawked from Josh’s phone. “Or I can call him? Should I, Benji?”

  “Yeah,” Benji said. “Sure. Try around seven or eight.”

  “Seven or eight?” Josh’s stomach sank. “Our first game is at nine thirty. He’ll have to leave before seven or eight to make it.”

  “Well, he wasn’t gonna make the first game unless they lost and he didn’t have to celebrate with his team,” Benji said. “He’s a professional athlete, dude. You get that, right?”

  Josh wanted to explode, but he took deep breaths in through his nose and tried to let them out slow.

  “You okay?” Benji asked.

  “Josh?” Jaden said from the speaker phone.

  Josh was determined not to say anything. It had to be obvious to his friends that if Jaden didn’t get there until after noon, he’d miss the first game for sure, maybe even the second. That would cut his chances to hit the home run he needed by a quarter, or in half.

  “Yeah,” Josh said. “I’m fine.”

  It was a lie. Josh was nowhere close to fine.

  CHAPTER SIXTY-SIX

  IT TOOK JOSH A long time to get to sleep.

  He woke to the clock radio blaring Metallica, and he immediately called Jaden.

  “He didn’t answer.” Jaden sounded worried. “I don’t know; did Benji speak to him? Did he get a text or anything?”

  Josh had Jaden on speaker phone. Benji looked a little upset, but also a little angry as he shook his head no. “The guy played a professional game last night. Jaden, just keep trying. It’s not his responsibility to remember; it’s ours to remind him.”

  They agreed that Jaden would just keep trying, and Josh tried to keep his mouth shut even though Benji and his father were driving him absolutely crazy.

  They got into their uniforms and headed downstairs to the hotel dining room for the pregame breakfast buffet.

  Coach Swanson acted like nothing had happened. When he saw Josh and Benji, he nodded and said, “Morning, boys.”

  Benji downed two orders of pancakes with heaps of butter and syrup, and munched on a doughnut while Josh ate a cheese omelet so he’d be ready to play. He was beginning to wonder if he’d dreamed the whole thing until Jack gave him a nasty look from across the dining room. When they got on board the bus, Martin glared at him, as if daring Josh not to give up his cell phone.

  When they got to the field, Coach Swanson read off the lineup, putting Noah Canby in for Josh on second. There was a murmur from the team.

  Coach looked up from his clipboard and addressed the Titans. “LeBlanc has had a bit of a disciplinary issue. It’s between him and me. I don’t want anyone discussing it. Hopefully we can get it worked out and get him back in the starting lineup today.”

  Josh sat on the end of the bench and tried not to look at anyone. It was torture, just sitting there like a lump: no phone, no book, just a prisoner in his own mind. He didn’t care about the game, didn’t care that they won 7–1 with Esch on the mound. All he could think about was how easily he could have hit a homer off the opposing team’s pitcher. He threw nothing but straight, fast pitches without any action on the ball of any kind. When the game ended and they shook hands, Josh realized his jaw hurt from clenching his teeth so hard for so long.

  They got back onto the bus, everyone grabbing their phones from Martin’s bag. Josh snatched his and returned Martin’s dirty look with one of his own. He felt like Martin should feel as bad as anyone and wondered if he could get Coach and the two brothers into any trouble for messing with everyone’s phone. Josh sat in the back, and Benji joined him.

  “Another big win.” Benji had hit a home run of his own during the game, and he happily drummed his fingers on his legs. “Glad I could carry the flag for the heavy hitters.”

  Josh gave him a blank look, wondering how on earth Benji could think he cared about that game and his home run in the least.

  “What?” Benji stared at him. “You disagree?”

  “Benji, you were great, but please, call your dad, would you?”

  “Well, yeah. Of course I will. I’m sure he’s on his way, you know.” Benji dialed his phone.

  Josh squirmed in his seat, listening to the sound of ringing as it drifted out of Benji’s phone. When he heard Benji’s father’s voice asking people to leave a message, Josh pounded a fist against the bus window.

  “Easy, dude,” Benji said. “He could be driving. It’s illegal to drive and talk on the phone.”

  “Your dad doesn’t talk when he drives?” Josh spoke through his teeth.

  “Sometimes. He could be going past a cop.”

  Josh shook his head and dialed Jaden. She didn’t answer, either. He wanted to smash his phone against the window. He wanted to jump out of the bus. He wanted to melt.

  When they got back to the hotel, the team piled into the dining room for lunch. Josh skipped it and headed for his room, leaving Benji with Esch, Lockhart, and Preston.

  “Dude,” Benji said, “relax. It’ll all work out. My dad will be here.”

  “With Jaden? You said fifty-fifty, Benji.” Josh fought to keep his voice down.

  “I said fifty-fifty if he’d remember. Jaden will get a hold of him, and he’ll bring her. They could walk through that door any minute now. Chill,” Benji said.

  “I can’t ‘chill,’ Benji. I can’t.”

  Benji shrugged. “Okay, I’m gonna go stoke the furnace. I heard they’re serving cheeseburgers. See you in the room.”

  Josh took the stairs to the second floor and went straight to his room. He threw himself down on the bed and took out his phone. As he did, it rang. He looked at the screen.

  It was Jaden.

  CHAPTER SIXTY-SEVEN

  “WHERE ARE YOU?” JOSH paced the floor.

  “Syracuse,” she said.

  “Why? What happened? When are you coming? Why didn’t you call?”

  “Josh, I’ve been trying. I had to go to the hospital to ask my dad. He’s working in ICU today, and you can’t have cell phones. Mr. Lido isn’t leaving until tomorrow morning.”

  “Jaden, he can’t.” Josh grabbed a handful of his hair and looked at himself in the mirror, a crazed version of the boy he usually knew. “I have to have your phone. We have to give it to the coach. He said he was coming to see Benji play today. What happened?”

  “Apparently he hurt himself pretty bad,” Jaden said.

  “What?” It was too much for Josh, and his voice was as jagged as a broken bottle. “In the game?”

  “No,” Jaden said. “The way it sounds, he was playing darts at the Retreat and—I don’t know if he fell or what—but he got a dart right through his hand. He freaked and crushed the glass he was holding. Then he fell and drove a piece of the broken glass right into an artery. They had to give him a blood transfusion because he lost so much blood by the time they got it stopped. Anyway, Benji’s mom was the one who helped me find all this out. She went over to his apartment. She’s pretty mad he’s not seeing Benji play, but even she understood that he wanted to take it easy today and leave Sunday morning. He’ll still see Benji’s last game, and they’re still going to the Steelers game. That’s what his mom said anyway.”

  Josh’s mouth hung open in disbelief. “I . . . I just can’t . . . Unbelievable!”

  “Let’s look at the bright side,” Jaden said.

  “Really?” Josh said. “There is one?”

  “Well, my dad said I could go; that’s one thing. And trust me, that wasn’t easy. He couldn’t figure out why I had to go to Pittsburgh tomorrow with Mr. Lido and turn right around and come back on the team bus. He wasn’t going to let me, but I wouldn’t take no for an answer, and finally someone’s heart monitor went off and he had to go and he said yes just to get rid of me.”

>   Josh’s head was beginning to clear. There was still a possibility. Jaden was right. He had to focus on the chance he had. He had to stay positive. He could do this.

  “You’re right,” he said. “But you gotta get here. I gotta play in that game tomorrow. It’s my last chance.”

  “We all know that,” Jaden said. “Can you hang in there?”

  “I have no choice,” Josh said. “Do I?”

  Jaden got quiet for a moment, then she said, “Unless . . .”

  Josh’s heart leaped in his chest. “Unless what?”

  CHAPTER SIXTY-EIGHT

  “UNLESS COACH SWANSON WILL trust us,” Jaden said. “I could give Mrs. Sheridan my phone. They’d have what they want, and he could let you play later today and all day tomorrow. I’ll take the bus to her house. I can be there in less than an hour, maybe half an hour, depending on the bus schedule.”

  Josh shook his head. “I don’t think he’ll go for it.”

  “Shouldn’t you try?” she asked.

  Josh nodded. “Yes. I will.”

  Josh didn’t waste any time. He went right to the dining room. Coach Swanson was sitting with Coach Moose, who gave Josh a questioning look that told Josh he didn’t know what was going on.

  “Coach,” Josh said to Swanson, “can I talk to you?”

  Coach Moose excused himself and got up from the table. Josh sat down.

  “I don’t see a phone.” Coach Swanson studied Josh.

  “It’s coming,” Josh said, “or it was. Jaden needs a ride. Benji’s dad was gonna take her, but he got a dart through his hand and . . .”

  Josh could see by Coach Swanson’s expression that he didn’t want to hear any of that.

  “What if Jaden gives her phone to Mrs. Sheridan?” Josh asked.

  “You tell Jaden to stay away from her.” Coach Swanson stabbed his finger at Josh. He leaned forward and lowered his voice. “I said I want that phone. I want it in my hands with the pass code, because that’s the only way I’ll know that file hasn’t been sent to anyone. I told you I didn’t care how you got it here, and I still don’t.”