Danny’s phone buzzed during sports study hall. He was in the library playing penny hockey with Cupcake across a table. He disappeared into the back corner of the reference section and called his mom back.

“So, what’d she say?” Danny whispered.

“Don’t even get me started.” His mom spoke so loud he glanced around.

“Shh. I’m in the library.”

“Oh. We can talk when you get home.” His mom crunched something in her mouth. “But you’ll be in a new class by tomorrow morning. I can tell you that.”

“Okay, thanks, Mom. Gotta go.”

Danny hung up and pumped his fist in the air. He went back to the table where Cupcake sat twisting a paper clip into a rabbit’s head. Danny reached into his backpack and fished out the sheet of sight words he was supposed to be learning. Carefully, he folded it into a paper airplane. He aimed and let it fly.

Clunk.

It was a direct hit into the metal wastepaper can.

“Nice shot,” Cupcake said. “What was it?”

“I guess you could say it was Ms. Rait getting put in her place.” Danny laughed and Cupcake followed along like the good friend he was.

Later, when he and Cupcake walked into the locker room together, his teammates began the “Dan-eee” chant as they banged their palms against the lockers. Cupcake raised Danny’s hand like a fight champion and everyone cheered.

Danny bit the inside of his mouth, trying hard to keep his smile from becoming too proud. He changed like the rest of his teammates into shorts and a jersey. He put on his football cleats and grabbed his helmet. When he turned from his locker, Bug was blocking his path.

“Dude. Bonfire. Tomorrow.” Bug spoke in grunts. “You in?”

“Uh, yeah. Can Cupcake come too?”

Bug narrowed his eyes. “Cupcake’s a hog.”

“And that’s a good thing?” Danny knew “hog” was a football term that meant lineman, but in Crooked Creek it might mean an actual hog, as in a pig.

“Hogs are automatically invited.” Bug turned and marched away.

“Ooo-kay,” Danny said under his breath, thinking that he’d have to go but that he’d ask Cupcake first.

The older players said the day after a game was always a very light practice that would end with some running to flush the soreness out of their legs. The air was festive out on the practice field during stretching, even though the sky was dark and hinting at rain. Laughter rang out amid wisecracks and tomfoolery. Even the coaches’ eyes weren’t as squinty as normal. When Coach Kinen blew his whistle, though, the team gathered around a stern face.

“Danny Owens? Where are you, Danny?” Coach Kinen searched around.

Danny hesitated because this wasn’t the tone he’d expected from his head coach. Ms. Rait flashed through his mind. He couldn’t help thinking that she had something to do with the scowl on his coach’s face.

Danny swallowed, stepped forward, and raised his hand.