Danny kept his head high as he walked into English class and sat down behind Janey. He was somewhat sad that when he got the new teacher he wouldn’t be with her for English anymore, and not just because she helped him. But Danny knew the road to the NFL was a rough one, and he knew he’d have to make even bigger sacrifices in the future.

Ms. Rait didn’t pay him any special attention, but she did hand out a test first thing after the bell. Danny took his and passed the rest back. He flipped through the two-page test, circling random answers and calculating the odds. He wondered how much higher, or lower, he’d get than the probable 25 percent.

Finished before anyone else, he looked around. When he caught Ms. Rait’s eye, he smiled pleasantly. Not smug, just pleasant. He didn’t want to rub it in, but it was hard not to recall the color of Mr. Trufant’s face when he asked her if she’d like to keep her job.

The tests were handed in and they spent the rest of class talking about the kid in the book, Bud, who didn’t like to be called Buddy. It was the opposite for Danny. When people called him Dan, he used to look around to see if they were talking to his dad.

That made him think of the way Coach Kinen said “Daniel” in their meeting with the principal. Danny felt the icy grip of horror on his heart and immediately turned his mind back to reading . . . it was definitely overrated. Everything was in video on a screen now.

When the bell rang, he ignored the teacher and bolted from the room.

“Hey, Danny, wait up!” Janey called out in the hallway.

“Last time I’ll have to see her,” he said to Janey when she caught up.

“What do you mean?” she asked.

He told her the story about the meeting, but when he looked to see her reaction, she kept her head angled down and continued walking.

“Isn’t it great?” He stopped and tugged at her arm.

“I like having you in English.” She smiled weakly. “And she said she’d teach you. Isn’t that an opportunity?”

He let go of her arm. His mouth dropped. “An opportunity to fail. What’s wrong with you?”

“I’m sorry, Danny. I think you should be able to read. I’ve told you that before.”

“Yeah, but in a nice way, like you were on my side. Not this. This is risking my whole football career.” He couldn’t believe what she was saying. More than anyone, Janey knew how important the big game was. The chance to catch Coach Oglethorpe’s eye. She knew it was the path his father had taken, and she knew Danny was determined to follow that same path. It was his mission in life.

“Calm down. I’m just saying . . .”

“Well, don’t.” He forced a laugh, like it was simply poor humor on her part. “Don’t talk crazy. I need you.”

“Need me?”

He looked into her eyes. “You’re my best friend.”

“I know.” The bell rang and she looked up. “I can’t help what I feel though. I gotta go.”

Danny watched her leave without trying to stop her.

“Girls,” he said, sounding like he didn’t care what she thought, even though he did.

He and Janey still sat together with Cupcake at lunch, but they didn’t talk about reading anymore.

The rest of the day passed, and Danny had a strong practice after school, earning Coach Kinen’s praise. But when Cupcake’s brother pulled the pickup truck into his driveway, Danny had a sinking feeling in his chest.

He threw open the back door and stopped just inside. His mother sat at the table with an unlit cigarette in her mouth, fists clenched. She was staring at the pen and paper in front of her. She looked up at him with fire in her eyes, removed the cigarette, and said, “Good, you’re home.”

Then she picked up the pen and signed the classroom transfer.