For all those dedicated parents, teachers, and coaches
who do it the right way
PUBLISHER’S NOTE: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Cataloging-in-Publication Data has been applied for and may be obtained from the Library of Congress.
ISBN 978-1-4197-4827-1
eISBN 978-1-64700-038-7
Text © 2021 Tommy Greenwald
Book design by Heather Kelly
Published in 2021 by Amulet Books, an imprint of ABRAMS. All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, mechanical, electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher.
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We do not stop playing because
we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing.
—Benjamin Franklin and George Bernard Shaw, among others
You know what’s weird?
When you’re falling through the air, about to crash into a hard wooden floor and get really badly hurt or possibly die, you have a lot of time to think.
Which is good, because I have a ton of stuff to think about as I fall. The first thing I think is, this isn’t as scary as I thought. I mean, it’s definitely scary, but it’s also calm.
And silent.
Like, the world stops.
I keep falling, and I keep thinking.
I think about everything that led up to this moment.
I think about my mom and dad.
I think about not wanting to die.
I think about how much it’s going to hurt when I land, if I don’t die.
I think about what kind of injuries I’m going to have and how long it will take for me to get better.
I think about how the injuries might be so bad, I won’t be able to play basketball again for a long time. Or ever. Or maybe I’ll be able to play, but I won’t be as good as I am right now.
And I think about how that might not be the worst thing in the world.
I hit the floor.
I hear a SLAM! Then a CRACK!
And everything goes dark.
FIRST HALF
Four Months Earlier
WALTHORNENEWS.COM
PROWLING WITH THE PANTHERS
A MIDDLE SCHOOL SPORTS BLOG BY ALFIE JENKS
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5
Hoops Season Kicks Off with Middle School Tradition
You can feel the crispness in the air. You can try to ignore the holiday commercials popping up on television, but you can hear the rustle of winter coats being removed from mothballed closets all over town.
That can only mean one thing: It’s basketball season in Walthorne!
This is a town that takes its basketball extremely seriously; four Walthorne hometown heroes have made it to the NBA over the years and one to the WNBA, while many student-athletes have received Division I scholarships. Girls and boys all over town are getting ready for the season at every level, from the district champ Walthorne Wildcats high school team right down to the kindergarten Superkitten League.
One tradition that everyone looks forward to is the season-opening game between the Walthorne North Middle School Cougars and the Walthorne South Middle School Panthers. Since 1986, these two rivals have played each other twice a year: the first game of the season and the last game of the season. And it’s always an exciting, fun-filled event.
I caught up with key members of each team as they were practicing for the big game. Austin Chambers, fourteen, is the captain of the Walthorne North squad. A point guard, Austin is the son of Frank Chambers, local legend and former star shooting guard at Penn State. “This is going to be our year,” Austin told us. “We’ve got a strong team and a great bunch of guys. Keep an eye out for Clay Elkind, our center. He’s turning into a huge weapon for us.” Across town, fourteen-year-old Carter Haswell, a young phenom who already stands six feet, two inches tall and was all-state last year as a seventh grader, captains the Walthorne South squad. “I think we could go far,” said Carter. “I like our chances a lot, and Benny Walters is the best coach in the league. But Walthorne North is always tough, and they’ll be a great first challenge for us.”
These two young men will lead their teams onto the floor this Friday at Walthorne South gym. Game time is 4 pm. (And just a personal note: I will be broadcasting the game LIVE on our middle school radio station and website! So feel free to tune in.)
WWMS
WALTHORNE SOUTH RADIO
ALFIE:
Testing, testing 123 . . . Is this thing on?
CARTER:
If you’re talking to me, I can’t hear you.
ALFIE:
Dang it! This equipment is pretty old. Mr. Rashad said he was trying to get us some new stuff but he uh . . . so, yeah, sorry, hold on a sec . . . how about now?
CARTER:
Oh sweet, now I got you. Yup, we’re good.
ALFIE:
Cool. (BANGS THE MIC)
Okay, so, yeah! Welcome to Talking Sports on WWMS. It’s Wednesday, November 7th, and my name is Alfie Jenks, sports editor and head sportswriter.
CARTER:
So, will anyone actually, like, hear this?
ALFIE:
What do you mean?
CARTER:
Like, does anyone listen to your show?
ALFIE:
CARTER:
Like who?
ALFIE:
I mean, well, you know, it’s mostly just for fun and stuff, but like, I think my mom definitely listens.
CARTER:
(LAUGHS) HA! Cool. Well in that case, I’ll try not to swear.
ALFIE:
Thank you.
CARTER:
What kind of name is Alfie for a girl, anyway?
ALFIE:
I’m named after my grandfather. I like it. Why, you don’t like it?
CARTER:
Uh, no, it’s cool.
ALFIE:
I think so, too. So, anyway, yeah, once again welcome to the show everybody. That voice you hear belongs to Carter Haswell, eighth grade basketball star and captain of the Walthorne South Middle School Panthers. We’re here to talk about the upcoming game, the first game of the season against your archrivals, the Walthorne North Cougars. Carter, what are your thoughts?
CARTER:
Uh, my thoughts?
ALFIE:
Yeah. You know, like, your thoughts about the game and stuff.
CARTER:
My thoughts. Got it. Well, my thoughts are that I hope we win.
ALFIE:
Cool.
CARTER:
Cool.
ALFIE:
Everyone’s been looking forward to this game since the end of last year, when the two teams battled it out for the league championship and you guys beat them in the finals by three.
CARTER:
That was pretty awesome, especially winning in that fancy new gym they built.
ALFIE:
Yeah. I wonder when we’re gonna get a gym like that.
CARTER:
Probably never.
ALFIE:
So now it’s a new season, though, and Walthorne North has a lot of tall players, especially their center, Clay Elkind. What’s the plan to contain them? Are you gonna play zone, maybe a box and one, or do you think you can handle them playing man-to-man? Are you concerned about their pick-and-roll?
CARTER:
Whoa. You know a lot about basketball. Like, more than me even.
ALFIE:
I love basketball.
CARTER:
Cool. I like basketball, too.
ALFIE:
Do you love it?
CARTER:
Uh, sure, I guess. I’m not, like, obsessed with it or anything.
ALFIE:
That’s so weird because people are saying you’re, like, one of the best players to ever come out of Walthorne, and you’re not even in high school yet.
CARTER:
I don’t pay attention to any of that stuff. A lot of people take basketball too seriously if you ask me. I mean, it’s just a game, right?
ALFIE:
If you say so. So if you don’t take it seriously, how did you get so good? Do you practice a lot?
CARTER:
I practice when I feel like practicing, which is a lot, but, like it’s not all I ever do. Do you play an instrument?
ALFIE:
No.
CARTER:
Oh. Well, I love playing guitar, but I’m way worse at that than I am at basketball. It’s like, some things you’re really good at, and some things you’re not, and that’s just the way it is, you know? With basketball, people tell me I have a feel for the game. I guess that’s part of it.
ALFIE:
Plus you’re tall and super athletic.
CARTER:
Yeah well, that’s all luck.
ALFIE:
I guess so. Well, it’s almost time for next class, so thanks for coming on the show.
CARTER:
ALFIE:
Oh wait! I almost forgot, the school asked me to announce that the town is doing this online pep rally thing, and they want us to encourage people to go on there and say supportive things about all our sports teams and show some school spirit!
CARTER:
Oh yeah, I heard about that. I guess that sounds fun, so yeah, for whoever’s listening out there, check it out—wait, what’s it called again?
ALFIE:
Walthornespirit.com
CARTER:
Right yeah, Walthornespirit.com. I guess, like, lots of kids are going to be on there getting psyched up for the winter sports season, so all the boys and girls teams are counting on everyone for support and stuff. Thanks.
ALFIE:
Thank you, Carter! This has been Alfie Jenks, Talking Sports. Be sure to tune in next week, when my guest will be seventh grade gymnastics star Rebecca Smythe.
5:32 pm
Austin
YO CLAY, YOU HEAR ABOUT THIS THING?
WHAT THING
THIS ONLINE PEP RALLY THING
YEAH WHATEVER
COACH WANTS US TO DO IT THOUGH, GET EVERYONE PSYCHED
I DON’T NEED TO GET MORE PSYCHED, I ALREADY WANT TO KICK THEIR BUTTS DON’T YOU?
HAHA OF COURSE MAN
I DON’T KNOW ABOUT MY LEG THOUGH I’M A LITTLE WORRIED ABOUT IT, SOMETHING STILL DOESN’T FEEL RIGHT
YOU’LL BE FINE BRO, YOU JUST NEED TO REST
YEAH PROBABLY
SO YOU GOING ON THIS ONLINE THING NOW?
CAN’T RIGHT NOW I GOT MY TRAINING IN A FEW MINUTES, WILL CHECK IT OUT WHEN I GET HOME
THAT PRIVATE COACH DUDE? YOU’RE STILL DOING THAT?
YEAH
HE’S AN AMAZING COACH, YOU SHOULD THINK ABOUT TRAINING WITH HIM TOO ALTHO YOU’RE ALREADY WAY BETTER THAN ME AT THIS POINT LOL
HAI DON’T KNOW ABOUT THAT BUT THX
ANYWAY I GTG BUT DON’T FORGET TO GO ONLINE TO THAT THING,
COACH WILL BE MAD IF WE DON’T,
I TOLD EVERYONE ELSE THEY GOTTA DO IT TOO
OKAY MAYBE I’LL CHECK IT OUT
WALTHORNESPIRIT.COM
WELCOME TO WALTHORNESPIRIT.COM, AN ONLINE PEP RALLY TO GET THE WHOLE TOWN EXCITED ABOUT THE WINTER SPORTS SEASON! PLEASE BE SURE TO POST SUPPORTIVE THINGS ABOUT YOUR FRIENDS AND TEAMMATES FOR ALL SPORTS! *PLEASE NOTE* THIS SITE WILL BE MONITORED AND NEGATIVE COMMENTS WILL NOT BE TOLERATED!
Wednesday at 6:20 pm
Carter Yo everyone did you guys check out my radio interview with Alfie today? #rockstar
She was asking me about the little test we got with Walthorne North this Friday to open the season, who’s comin and who’s down with getting LOUD?!?!
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Wednesday at 6:22 pm
Janeece I’ll be there
And the first girls game is next Monday and hope to see y’all there too
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Wednesday at 6:25 pm
Abner I’ll be there Carter to see you whup up on those North boys
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Wednesday at 6:26 pm
Briscoe I’ll see if I can clear my sked
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Wednesday at 6:28 pm
Lucas Every1 wear red and if you sit behind the hoops you are hereby ordered to go nuts during every foul shot taken by North
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Wednesday at 6:30 pm
Carter U know it
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Wednesday at 6:33 pm
Clementine i will say those boys do look cute in those little uniforms with the shorty shorts
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Wednesday at 6:34 pm
Briscoe C’mon Clem throw some love to the football players
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Wednesday at 6:36 pm
Sham Back off son, it’s basketball season. Please continue my dear
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Wednesday at 6:38 pm
Clementine Nah I’m done
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Wednesday at 6:41 pm
Sadie Sorry Briscoe, Clem’s right
Basketball players are cuter because they’re not all covered up
You can see Amir’s gorgeous face
And Carter’s got that pretty blond hair flowing as he runs up and down the court
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Wednesday at 6:43 pm
Janeece Whoa Sadie settle down
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Wednesday at 6:44 pm
Carter No don’t, keep going ☺
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Wednesday at 6:46 pm
Eddy Yo what about me? Am I pretty too?
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Wednesday at 6:47 pm
North4Eva You guys are so cute and funny hahahaha lolol but meanwhile over at W-North we’re practicing RIGHT NOW with one thing in mind, TAKE DOWN W-SOUTH and that’s exactly what’s gonna happen
so u all keep passing notes back and forth like fifth graders, we’ll pass the rock, and we’ll see who comes out on top Friday
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Wednesday at 6:50 pm
Amir Who is this dude
You up past your bedtime?
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Wednesday at 6:52 pm
North4Eva Doesn’t matter who I am it only matters what I do on the floor, who’s with me?
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Wednesday at 6:53 pm
Chase Can I be part of this fun little pep rally even though I go to Walthorne Academy? I play hockey which is much harder than basketball btw. Hey South how’s your hockey team, oh that’s right you don’t have a hockey team
But I think I saw some of your parents cleaning up the rink after our last game
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Wednesday at 6:54 pm
Kevin Chase man, they’re gonna kick you off of here
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Wednesday at 6:56 pm
Lucas What kind of a lame name is Chase
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Wednesday a
t 6:57 pm
Sham I know right??
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Wednesday at 7:00 pm
North4Eva The kind of name that smells like money
As opposed to Sham which, uh, doesn’t
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Wednesday at 7:01 pm
Chase Thank you my friend
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Wednesday at 7:02 pm
North4Eva No hard feelings tho right fellas?
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Wednesday at 7:03 pm
Admin Please be advised that this board is being monitored for inappropriate content, and appropriate action will be taken when deemed necessary.
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Wednesday at 7:04 pm
Carter Yo can everyone chill please
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Wednesday at 7:06 pm
Austin Whoa just reading this stuff now, not cool seriously
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Wednesday at 7:09 pm
Chase Hahahaha what are you guys, the principals? Do you want to see us in your office?
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Wednesday at 7:11 pm
Clay This is nuts