CHAPTER FIFTEEN STUART

The day before the track meet, I sat in my math class. It wasn't just Tony and me but other kids too. But Tony always had to join me.

He pointed to my math question. "We did this one yesterday," he said. "You got it right."

There were a bunch of kids in my math class who were also in the Best Buddies club at school. Tony had to work with more than just me. He worked with Gloria too and she didn't know how to do math either. Neither did Madeline, although she was probably better than me and Gloria. I liked Gloria because she told funny jokes, sometimes dirty ones (my mom got mad at me at home if I told them) that made most of us laugh. Tony worked with some of us, but we had a teacher too, Miss Ellis, who tried to get us to do math. She was the one who gave us the problems and then we were supposed to work on them, and Tony would go around and help, and so would the teacher.

I stared at the numbers. They didn't make any sense. I looked and looked at them. They just seemed to sit on the page like lumps. I had no idea what to do with them. Not a clue. I pushed my book away from me.

"Remember how you figured this out yesterday? You added this number with this." Tony pointed to one number on the page and then to another number. "You can do it again today."

I kept staring. If I tried, I could get it. Maybe. Then I looked at the clock. "I'm hungry."

"Five minutes until lunch bell," said Tony.

"I'm getting french fries today," said Gloria.

"Yooou get Freeench Friiies eveeery daaay," said Madeline.

"Do you guys have a Best Buddies dodgeball game today?" Tony asked.

"Dodgeball!" I jumped out of my chair. I didn't want to do math anymore. I wanted to go to the gym and play dodgeball. And eat my lunch.

"Sit down for just a few more minutes," said Miss Ellis. She came over to me and made me go back to my seat.

"Tony is right," she said. "You got the answer to this problem yesterday." I chewed on the end of my pencil as I looked down at the numbers. Miss Ellis showed me what to do again and I stared and stared. Finally, something happened.

"I got it!" I yelled. "I got it!" I started to write down the answer.

"Good for you," said Miss Ellis.

The bell rang and I closed my book. "I'm done," I said.

I was shoving my book in my backpack when Sam came into the room. "Hey, dude. You ready for dodgeball? I just talked to Justin and he said he's got a surprise for everyone."

"I'm ready," I said, slinging my backpack on my shoulder.

"Okay, we'll eat first then we'll go."

I gobbled down my lunch and then Sam and I went down to the gym. When we got there, a lot of the Best Buddy kids were already there. Some must have eaten their lunches in the gym. Justin was making sure that everyone put their trash in the trash can.

Anna, who is Best Buddies with Harrison and is like a math wizard, came up to us. "We're so glad you guys are back," she said. "We missed you."

It seemed like a long time since I'd been at dodgeball. "I haven't been here since Christmas," I said.

"We were here after Christmas," said Sam, patting me on the back. "We've only not been here since…" he paused and I looked at him. He put his hand on his chest. "Since I got this hunk of metal put in me."

Then he crossed his arms and turned to Anna. "So, what's the surprise?"

"Yeah, what's the surprise?" I asked.

She smiled at me. "Just you wait."

Soon the gym was filled with kids and we were all playing soccer for fun before we played dodgeball, and we were running and kicking the ball.

I was the fastest runner and beat everyone to the ball. Gloria laughed every time she kicked it and missed. Once she kicked it so hard she went flying and fell on her butt. She still laughed. Willa asked if she was okay. When Gloria still laughed, Willa told her she was as tough as they come, and helped her up. I just kept running because that's what I do best.

Then Justin called us all in to gather in a circle. He always did that. When everyone was in a big circle, he said, "One of our Best Buddies is running in the track-and-field meet on Thursday."

"That's me!" I stuck my arms in the air.

Erika put her arms in the air too and said, "Go, Stuart, Go!"

Then Anna went running over to where all the balls were in a trolley, the ones we used to play dodgeball. From behind the trolley, she pulled out a bunch of signs and brought them over to the group.

"We have made signs for everyone to take to the track-and-field meet, and we can hold them up when Stuart is running."

She held one up. It said, "Go, Stuart!" Another one said, "Go, Stuart, Go!"

I liked them!

Then she held up a couple more, like one that said, "Run Fast, Stuart!" "I like that one best," I said.

"We made them in art class," said Erika.

"I was not a part of this project," said Harrison. "I'm not particularly fond of art class as it is too abstract."

"Erika and Madeline made them for everyone to use," said Gianni. "We can all still cheer, even the ones who didn't make the signs."

"I'll make sure to get the times that Stuart is running to everyone," said Sam. "He's in the 100, 200, and 400 metre races."

"Way to go, Stuart," said Gianni. "Three events! Wow."

"I was in three dance numbers," said Erika, holding up three fingers. "When Gianni and I were in Grease."

"Rock on, dude," said Willa.

"Now, time for some dodgeball," said Justin. "I'll be It first. Who wants to be It with me?"

Not me, I thought. I wanted to run away from the ball and try not to get caught. I win this game all the time.

****

On Thursday morning, my mother asked me so many questions at breakfast and I just wanted her to stop talking. She'd made me an egg because she said I needed protein. Then she made me a smoothie which had little pieces of green in it. I didn't drink it. I wanted toast, like I always had, with peanut butter.

"Do you have your new sneakers in your backpack?" she asked. "And your shorts and t-shirt?"

"I dunno."

"Can I check your backpack? I washed your t-shirt last night and told you to put it in your bag."

I kept taking bites of my toast and eating my egg. Everyone was acting weird around me because I was running today. I didn't care if she checked my backpack.

"Have at it," I said.

"Does that mean yes?"

"Holy shit, Mom. Why are you asking so many questions?"

She pointed her finger at me. "Language."

I bowed my head and continued eating.

When she came back to the kitchen, she had my backpack in her hand and the case for the video game that Donny had given me.

She frowned at me. "Where did this come from?"

"I dunno."

Just then Declan walked into the kitchen, his hair sticking up all over the place and wearing only his pajama bottoms.

My mom opened the box and there was nothing inside. "Where's the game?" she asked.

"I broke it," said Declan.

My mother turned back to me. "Who gave you this video game? Where did you get it?" She didn't talk loud or yell, so she wasn't mad.

"I dunno," I said.

"You do so," said Declan. "That stupid Donny guy did. He's in jail now, y'know."

"What?" Jail? Donny was in jail?

"He's in jail. Got caught and put in handcuffs."

"When did he go to jail?" I hadn't seen him in a long time. Since Christmas maybe. No, not that long. Since he'd given me the video game.

My mother sat down across from me. "It was on the news last night," she said. "Donatello Dunn was arrested for selling drugs."

"It was a huge drug bust," said Declan. "You're lucky you weren't with him. Or else you would have been thrown in a jail cell too. They showed it on television. Everyone in his house had to come out with a cop and they were in handcuffs. The cops surrounded his house and they had their guns drawn. Just like in a TV show."

"Declan, I think that's enough," said my mom. "We can talk about this later."

"Handcuffs?" My brain was spinning. "Guns? At his house?" Declan got out his Special K cereal and my mom poured him the rest of the smoothie she'd tried to pawn off on me.

"Stuart," said my mom as she handed Declan his smoothie. "That game he gave you is not a game you want to play."

I refused to look at her. Everyone was bugging me today. Asking so many questions about everything. And telling me all kinds of things that I didn't like.

I got up. "Stop talking to me!"

My mother sighed. "Okay. Sorry I brought this up. We'll talk later." She got up from the table. "On another note, good for you for putting your shoes and your shorts and t-shirt in your bag last night."

"I'm going to watch you today," said Declan, slurping his cereal. He always ate cereal for breakfast and he always made noises.

"So are lots of people," I said.

Not Donny though.

Not today because he was in jail.

****

The track-and-field meet didn't start until after announcements and the national anthem, "O Canada." Today, some kids sang on the microphone and they tried to make it like a hip-hop song but they weren't that good. Not as good as the rap music Donny played in his car.

When the anthem was finally over, Sam came and got me, and we walked to the changeroom so I could put on my shorts and t-shirt and shoes. My new shoes.

"Remember, you're starting with a gun," he said. "It's just like the word GO, only it's a gun shot. And don't go before it goes off, okay? That's a rule."

I shrugged. Donny had guns. I'd seen them and held them. The cops had guns too.

"Let's go outside and get you warmed up. You have heats in the morning and finals in the afternoon."

"Okay," I said.

"How are you feeling?" He put his arm around me.

I shrugged again. "Good."

"It's okay to be nervous. I'm always nervous before I play basketball— well, when I used to play basketball. So if your stomach is a little upset or you're feeling kind of jittery, that's okay. Just use all of that energy to run as fast as you can. In a straight line. Okay?"

"Except in the 200 and 400. In those races I go around corners."

"Right," he said, smiling at me.

I followed Sam outside and I couldn't believe how many people were at the track-and-field meet. There were even little stands selling water and other drinks. Kids were everywhere. Some events were already running, like high jump and shot put. I wasn't doing any of those events.

I saw a lot of parents and I looked for mine. Where were they? I looked and looked, but I couldn't see them. I had to squint to look for them because it was so sunny outside. I was glad I had a t-shirt under my jacket in case I got too hot.

"Here come your parents," said Sam.

"Where?" I said.

He pointed and I saw them and waved. They were all here. Randy was dressed in a suit, but he had his jacket slung over his shoulder. Mary waddled like she had something shoved up her butt. Owen was beside her, holding onto her arm. My mom and dad were both walking together, and my dad had his suit on too. When they saw me they waved and came over. Everyone was there but Declan, but he was probably still in the school. Lucky Declan got to graduate at the end of the year and not go to school anymore.

"How are you feeling?" my mom asked me.

"Why does everyone keep asking me that?" This was so confusing.

I wasn't sick.

She smiled at me and pushed hair out of my eyes.

"I'm going to warm him up," said Sam to my family. He glanced at his watch. "He runs in his first heat in twenty minutes."

"We'll be at the finish line," said my dad. He gave me a thumbs-up and I gave him one back.

Sam and I walked away from my family and headed to an area that he said was quiet.

He made me stretch and do that mountain-climber exercise and high knees. Then I got to swing my leg back and forth and then the other leg, and I had to do that a couple of times. The stretches we did were stretches that Declan liked to do too.

Then he looked at his watch and said, "We'd better head over to the track."

We walked over to a great big, huge board that had all the lanes. Sam pointed to the board and there was my name. I was in lane six.

My stomach heaved up and down like it was doing cartwheels, one after the other. And I needed water; my throat was so dry. Was this what being nervous was all about? Sam had talked about being nervous. I also had the jitters. My body felt like it was vibrating.

Lane six. I was in lane six. I knew lane six.

"That's your lucky lane," said Sam.

I nodded.

"I can't go over there with you, Little Man. But you know what to do."

"Start running when the gun goes off and run in a straight line to the finish," I said.

He patted my back. "You got it!"

Mr. Rossi used a megaphone and called out, "Junior 100 metre boys. First heat. Line up at the start."

"That's you," said Sam. He patted my back and walked over toward where my family was.

I went over to lane six. I was okay with the boys beside me. Neither of them were mean to me. I put one foot against the back block and one foot on the front. I was supposed to take off low and just fly out of the blocks like a fast car.

Thinking of a fast car made me think of Donny. He was in jail. That's what Declan said. But I wasn't in jail. Declan said I would be if I hung out with him. Declan said I was going to jail.

"Runners, on your marks," yelled Mr. Rossi in the megaphone.

I wondered if Donny had killed someone with his gun. I saw his guns. I touched his guns.

"Set!" I heard Mr. Rossi and I knew the gun shot was coming next.

The gun shot was coming! My entire body pulsed, like a beat in a rap song.

Boom. Boom. What if it was Donny's gun! I had seen his gun.

I had to run! Now!

I bolted out of the blocks.

Suddenly there were two shots. Two shots. Why two?

I heard someone calling my name, telling me to stop running.

And that I had to go back. I turned and looked back at the starting line.

Everyone was lining up again. Okay. I would too.

I walked back. I didn't see Donny anywhere. I wasn't shaking as much.

"That's a false start for lane six." Mr. Rossi looked right at me.

"Line up again," said the guy in the lane beside me. Then he looked at me and whispered, "Go when the gun goes, okay? You go early again and you'll be disqualified. They're giving you a second chance."

Disqualified? I didn't know what that meant. But I got low again.

And I crouched. And I waited.

I heard Mr. Rossi call out, "Runners. On your marks."

I was in position. What did disqualified mean again? I shook my head.

"Set!" Mr. Rossi yelled.

I looked over, saw him lift his hand in the air, and he was holding the gun in his hand.

I had held Donny's gun in my hand.

What if they found my fingerprints?

I had to go. I had to GO.

The gun shot was coming.

I took off.