“Let’s go, Red,” I said, waving. I took a step back into the room.
“No,” he said, shaking his head. “No.”
I swallowed. “Okay.”
“No.” He stood up and shook his head faster. His voice grew louder. “No, no.”
He walked toward the front of the class, and when he reached the wall, he turned around and headed back. He held his fists next to his face like a boxer blocking punches.
“Red,” I said, standing by the teacher’s desk. “Red.”
He walked past. He wasn’t hearing me.
I checked the door. I couldn’t leave to go get help. I couldn’t leave Red alone.
I grabbed the locks above my neck and let out a puff. Then I let out another.
Everyone would reach the gym in a minute or two. Someone would notice we weren’t there. Someone would come looking for us.
“Red,” I said again. “Red.”
He paced.
Back and forth.
Finally, Mehdi appeared.
“Hey, Rip,” he said, walking in. “What’s going … what’s the matter with Red?”
“Can you go get Coach Acevedo?”
“What’s the matter?”
“Can you just get him?”
Mehdi took off.
Red paced.
Back and forth.
Finally, Coach Acevedo arrived.
“Hey, Rip,” he said, swinging into the room. “What’s going on?”
“I can’t,” Red said as soon as he heard Coach Acevedo’s voice. He paced faster. “I can’t, I can’t.” His fists rapped the sides of his head. “I can’t, I can’t.”
“He’s been like this the whole time,” I said. “You need to call his mom.”
“Red,” Coach Acevedo said. “Are you—”
“You need to call his mom,” I said again.
“I can’t,” Red said a little louder. “I can’t, I can’t.”
Coach Acevedo pulled back his hair and stared at Red.
“Call her,” I said.
He took out his cell.
“You’re going to stay here with me until I get in touch with her,” he said. “Once I do, you need to go back inside and tell Mr. Karmoune he needs to coach. He’s watching the team.”
“Mehdi’s dad’s going to coach us?”
“Well, I can’t exactly leave Red, can I?” he snapped. He pulled back his hair again. “Rip, the team needs you on the court. If our new strategy has any chance of working, you need to be out there.”
I nodded.
“Show Mr. Karmoune the iPad,” Coach Acevedo said. “Explain to him what we drew up. Tell him I probably won’t be out there for the second half.”
I nodded again.
“Before you head out,” Coach Acevedo said, “I want you to tell Red what you’re doing. Tell him that I’ll be staying with him until his mom gets here. I know he probably won’t hear it, but I want you to say it anyway.”
He dialed Suzanne.