Chapter 36

Scooter

“Please sit down, Scooter,” the old man said.

I did, and watched him do the same.

We were in an office. A big office. The walls were covered in pennants and plaques.

“Do you know who I am?” the man asked.

I shook my head.

“My name’s Coach Grand. That’s not bragging. It’s my name.”

He winked at me. I wondered how many times he’d made that joke over the last few decades.

“I’m the head coach here at Huntington,” he said.

“What’s going on?” I blurted out. I was too confused and curious to keep my mouth shut any longer.

“I thought you were supposed to be shy,” Coach Grand said. “Maybe there’s more to you than meets the eye.”

I wasn’t sure whether this was a compliment or not. But I was sure he hadn’t answered my question.

“What am I doing here?” I asked.

He leaned back in his chair. “We’re looking for speed on offense, Scooter. Eric tells me you’ve got the potential to be quite the little scat back.”

“I can’t, Coach. I should have told someone before I got here, but I can’t afford to come here. It was really nice of Eric to put in a good word for me but—”

“You wouldn’t have to pay, Scooter,” Coach interrupted. “I’m talking about a scholarship.”

I’m not going to say I wasn’t excited. Of course I was. I was on the verge of literally jumping for joy. But I also didn’t understand.

“Why?” I asked.

He chuckled. “In all my years coaching, that’s the first time a player has ever responded to a scholarship offer by questioning my decision.”

“I just mean . . .” I forced myself to breathe, clear my head, get my thoughts straight. “Based on what? I barely even played last week.”

“Eric said you played enough to put on a dazzling display. He said you had the whole team chasing after you. He said you’ve got elite shiftiness and speed. And he’s not someone who throws words like that around. If he says you’re elite, I believe him.”

I wracked my brain trying to come up with more questions to ask. But I was too excited to think of any.

“I can’t wait to tell Jeff. He kept talking about how we could go to college together; we’ve got this nickname, Thunder and Lightning, it’s kind of stupid but—”

“Just to be clear,” Coach interrupted, “I’m offering you a scholarship, not Jeff.”

“I don’t understand.”

“I only have one scholarship left, Scooter, and if you want it, it has your name on it.”

“But Jeff was invited to visit, not me.”

“I wish Eric hadn’t handled it that way. I know it makes this awkward. But frankly, he wasn’t expecting to find someone like you—and in the last few minutes of the game, no less. He wasn’t sure how to get you here, what with your so-called shyness, and he knew he didn’t want to leave without making sure you’d be at our campus, one way or another. So he got Jeff to bring you along on his visit.”

I thought about Jeff touring the facilities. I thought about how happy he must be.

“Thanks, but . . .” I took a deep breath and tried to wrap my head around what I was about to say. “Give the scholarship to Jeff. He’s earned it.”

“You don’t understand, Scooter. I’m not offering it to Jeff. Eric tells me he’s a truly solid high school ballplayer. Strong. Tough. Yes, solid’s the word. But I’m not looking for solid. I’m looking for fast. I’m looking for game-changing. I’m looking for you, Scooter.” Coach Grand swayed his head back and forth, as though he were weighing his options. “Or for someone like you, if you don’t accept my offer.”

He checked his watch. “We better get you back in that chair where I found you.” Standing up, he moved to the door and held it open for me. “I don’t expect you to decide today. But you do need to decide quickly. Eric and my other scouts are traveling all over the country, trying to find someone just like you.”

He ushered me out the door and began to close it.

“Coach?” I said. “What am I supposed to tell Jeff?”

“It’s up to you,” he said. “But if it were me? I wouldn’t tell him anything—at least not yet. Not if you still want a ride home.”