The bing-bing of the bus cord wakes me up. I look over at Trina. She’s the one who pulled it. I was so tired from staying up all night celebrating with the team that I barely made it out of bed. “You saved me,” I tell her. She smiles in return. That saves me a little bit too.
“So are you going to work more now that the season is over?” she asks. She’s getting off in front of Ryan’s too. Wal-Mart is at least two stops away. I nod my sleepy head.
“We can catch the bus right in front of school.” I like the word “we” from her lips. “I mean, that is, if you’re staying in school now that the season is over. I hope you do, Lucas.”
“I have to graduate.” I then tell her about Coach saying that his California friend will offer me an athletic scholarship. I point at my CD player. “Maybe I’ll hear the beach for real.”
She talks about going to Jefferson State Community College. She chats the entire walk to the Ryan’s employee door. “I gotta go,” I say. Then I lean over to kiss her. Trina doesn’t back up; she pushes forward. The door opens and Mr. Robbins stands there gawking. I feel embarrassed.
I walk inside. Mr. Robbins invites Trina to join us. Where I normally dump my bus tray is a big cake. Written on it is “Congratulations, Lucas!” Nobody’s ever done this for me before.
“You made the front page.” Mr. Robbins holds up the local newspaper. Not just the sports section, but the first section of the whole paper. It is a photo of my blocked shot in the closing seconds.
I take the paper in my hands. It is like I’m holding a pile of bills, investing in my future.
“We’re proud of you,” Mr. Robbins says—like, I imagine, a dad might proclaim. People applaud. They’re coworkers, but at this minute, it almost feels like they’re family. Trina hangs on my arm, which makes me feel strong and safe. I gaze at the photo. Up front there’s me looking so tough, but I look at the faces in the background. I can’t make any of them out, so it is easy to pretend that one of them is Mark feeling proud of me too.