Chapter 6
“I don’t know what to do,” Daniel said. He was walking home again, but this time his friend Jimmy Kim was walking with him. Jimmy was the sports writer for the school newspaper.
“This might be my only chance to start, since Dwayne is out of town,” Daniel said. “But let’s face it. I’m not good enough. Maybe it would be easier to just let Scott take my place.”
Jimmy shrugged. “I suppose it would be easier,” he said.
“You think I should just give up?” Daniel asked, a little surprised.
“I didn’t say that,” Jimmy said. “I just agreed it would be easier to give up.”
“Oh, I see,” Daniel said with a roll of his eyes. “You’re being wise, huh?”
Jimmy laughed. “It’s the only way I know how to be,” he said. “Look, my point is this. From the line you’re as good as Dwayne Illy, right?”
Daniel shrugged. “Might be,” he said.
Jimmy waved him off. “I’ve seen his stats,” he said, “and yours. Plus I’ve seen you at the park, just shooting foul shot after foul shot. You’re as good, probably better.”
“Okay,” Daniel said.
“Now, your game from the floor,” Jimmy went on, “that’s another story.”
“You’re telling me,” Daniel said. “I’m a mess.”
“You’re not that bad,” Jimmy said. “I get that practice didn’t go so well, but I know you don’t normally dribble off your own foot. You’re better than that. It sounds like today was way worse than normal.”
“Man, it was awful,” Daniel said, remembering how embarrassed he’d been at practice.
“You do throw a heck of a brick now and then, though,” Jimmy added.
“Hey!” Daniel protested. But it was true, he knew it.
“So, you’ve got four days,” Jimmy went on. “It’s not ideal, but you can practice, and get your drive down.”
“You want me to just stroll up to Coach T and say, ‘Hey, Coach. I have to practice my game from the floor, so let’s just focus on me between now and game day’?” Daniel said.
The two boys reached the corner of Main and Eighth Street. Jimmy’s family lived to the left, and Daniel’s to the right.
“Look, I gotta head home,” Jimmy said. “But you worked on your foul shot all season without help from the coach or the practices. Why can’t you do the same with your drives? Anyway, I’ll see you.”
Daniel stood on the corner as Jimmy walked away.
“He’s right,” Daniel muttered to himself. “I’ve done it before. I can do it again.”
He turned to his right and started toward home. To his surprise, a group of old men were sitting on a nearby bench, watching him.
“Also,” he added quickly, “I really have to stop talking to myself.”