Hit for Six (5 page)

Everyone burst out laughing.

‘That little squirt?' asked one of Josh's friends.

Josh nodded and pointed at Davey.

Davey said nothing. Trevor looked intrigued.

‘Six sixes in a game against me . . . ?' Josh slapped his knee. ‘You're dreaming!'

Davey met Josh's gaze coolly. He was becoming immune to others laughing at him. ‘See you at the game, Josh.'

Josh walked off laughing.

‘Let me guess: he's an excellent cricket player, even if he is a bit arrogant,' Trevor said.

‘His team is current number one and he also plays for the rep side.'

‘Yep, I hate him already.'

Trevor pulled his cap further down his head and got back to work. ‘See you this arvo, then.'

Davey took that as a signal to head off to school.

He thought about what Josh had said as he rode to school. He now had very little time to practise big-hitting and Josh would make sure everyone found out about the bet.

Davey was going to be the laughing stock of the whole town.

For the rest of the day, Davey couldn't stop yawning. This gave Mudge a great deal of satisfaction.

‘Tired from doing some honest work for once, Warner?' the teacher asked with a smirk.

Davey thought he had a nerve – Mudge was always exhausted.

‘That's the trouble with your generation – no work ethic.' This inspired Mudge to launch into a monologue about how the values of ‘young people these days' were on the decline.

Davey blocked Mudge out. He was thinking about how to get some cricket training into his already packed week.

At least Mudge seemed to have calmed down about the Max incident now Davey was serving his penance.

Mo, on the other hand, wouldn't leave Davey alone. ‘Not much time for batting practice with all the gardening you'll be doing!' he whispered to Davey while Mudge's back was turned.

‘That was low,' Davey hissed back. ‘How can I practise my hitting if I'm stuck at the bowls club every waking minute?'

Mo leaned in so close that Davey could smell his breath.
Phee-ew!

‘Not my problem, Warner.'

‘Can I help you two?' Davey looked up to see Mudge standing over them both.

‘No thank you, Sir,' said Mo innocently. ‘David and I were just discussing the lawn bowls assignment, Sir.'

This placated Mudge, who went back to droning on about wayward youth and how unemployable they all were.

Mo winked at Davey. ‘No Whopper Chomps for you, Warner.'

Davey didn't reply. As much as he hated to admit it, Mo had him. He had him right where he wanted him.

Sunil, Kevin and George were still playing cricket at Little Park when Davey rode his bike there that evening. He'd come straight from the bowls club. There were still a few minutes left of daylight and Davey had been itching to practise a new batting trick he'd thought about all day.

‘Guys, the legendary MS Dhoni had a brilliant helicopter hit that always got him sixes,' he announced, picking up Sunil's bat to demonstrate. The famous Indian player would hit the ball upwards and then follow through with his bat twirling above his shoulders in a circular motion. When played well, it looked like a helicopter rotor.

Sunil guffawed. ‘This I've got to see.'

‘I know, I need to practise it, but maybe I could use it to hit a six off a good-length ball.' Davey stifled a yawn. ‘Borrow your bat?' he asked Sunil.

‘Sure, I'll bowl.'

Davey grabbed his helmet and fastened the straps. This was a trick that required head protection.

Sunil walked back up to his mark and turned to face Davey. Kevin got into position as wicket-keeper and George fielded at first slip.

Sunil went easy on Davey and the first ball was slow compared to what he'd have to face against Shimmer Bay. He swung hard at the ball and tried to spin around in a circular
movement after the bat. He spun so fast he nearly fell over.

‘You need strong arms and a really fast bat speed for the helicopter shot to work,' Sunil pointed out.

Davey knew his mate was right.

‘Bowl on a good length,' Davey instructed, ‘and let me see what I can do.'

Sunil bowled the next one short of a length and as it passed Davey at waist height, he swung at the ball but only succeeded in sending it straight up into the air.

The following ball was well up, but Davey swung too late and only managed to pop the ball straight back to Sunil.

‘Not as easy as it looks on YouTube. It's hard to time it right,' Davey lamented.

But he kept practising and after several more tries he succeeded in hitting a beauty right out of the park.

It was almost dark. ‘Better go finish my essay for Mudge,' said Sunil.

‘Don't tell me that's due tomorrow?' Davey asked with a groan.

‘Okay, I won't!'

Davey gave him a look. ‘Is it?'

Sunil nodded.

Davey sighed. He was utterly spent. ‘Better get to it, then,' he muttered and headed across the road to his house.

Davey's mum had kept his dinner warm. He realised he was starving and bolted down his favourite meal of sausages and mash.

‘Thanks, Mum!' Davey gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and headed to his room.

He opened his schoolbook and stared at the blank page. The lines began to blur. His muscles were sore, his stomach was full. It had been a long day.

Within minutes, his head had fallen onto the desk. Davey was fast asleep.

Davey spent the next morning before school helping Trevor at the bowling club. They laid new turf to try and patch the holes Max had made.

‘Not bad,' said Trevor when he saw the job Davey had done. The green was already
beginning to look more green than brown. ‘I'll water it while you're at school.

‘
School
?' Davey checked his watch. He was going to be late!

Davey rode like crazy and made it to school just as class was about to begin. He slipped into the room and quietly took his seat. He felt a deep burn in his thighs from pedalling so fast. His muscles were going to stiffen up sitting all day.

Bella caught his eye and held up a piece of paper and mouthed the words ‘A-plus' at him. Davey remembered with a jolt:
The essay!
He hadn't done it.

‘Oh no!' Davey hoped like crazy that Mudge would forget to ask for their essays until after lunch. Maybe then he could write his during the lunch break.

‘Shall I collect the essays?' Bella Ferosi asked Mudge, with a triumphant look at Davey.

Davey groaned. So much for that.

Mudge clapped his hands together eagerly. ‘Thank you, Bella. Lovely to see someone with drive and initiative.'

Bella was out of her chair in less time than it took to say Teacher's Pet.

Davey shot Sunil a panicked look. The friends had to sit in opposite corners of the room so they couldn't talk about cricket. Mudge loathed cricket almost as much as he loathed students who didn't hand in their assignments.

Sunil understood immediately. He shot his hand up.

‘Yes, Sunil?' Mudge asked.

Sunil flashed his dimple. ‘I was wondering if you'd mind repeating yesterday's equations, Sir? I didn't quite understand.'

‘Not like you, Mr Deep.' Mudge began writing out an equation on the whiteboard.

Davey gave Sunil the thumbs up. Maybe the distraction technique would work.

With his back still turned, Mudge asked Bella, ‘Miss Ferosi, how are you going with those assignments?'

Or maybe not. Davey felt doomed.

Bella was making her way around the room slowly. She ticked each name off a list
with a determined flourish as she collected each paper.

‘Nearly done, Mr Mudge.' Bella moved a little faster.

‘Take a seat, Miss Ferosi, I'll collect the rest myself.'

Bella handed Mudge the pile of essays. Mudge scanned the checklist.

‘Just two to go. Mr Clouter and Mr Warner.' Mudge held out his hand impatiently to Davey and Mo.

Mo handed over two sheets of paper held together by a silver paperclip. Mudge added it to his pile.

‘Warner?' Mudge clicked his fingers impatiently. ‘Come on, we don't have all day.'

Davey gulped. ‘It's like this, Sir . . .'

Mudge raised an eyebrow. ‘You're not going to tell us your dog ate your homework, are you, Warner?'

There were a few sniggers from around the room.

‘Although, knowing your mutt, I wouldn't put it past him.'

Davey squirmed.

‘With all the extra work at the bowling club, I . . .'

‘
Yes?
' Mudge leaned over him.

‘With all the extra work at the bowling club, I . . .'

‘Spit it out, Warner!'

‘I fell asleep, Sir,' Davey finished lamely.

Mudge rocked back and forth on his heels. ‘A shining example to the rest of the class about the pitfalls of leaving everything to the last minute.'

‘Sorry, Sir,' Davey added.

‘You will be!' Mudge brightened up slightly. He obviously lived for moments like this. ‘You're on lunchtime detention for the next two weeks. And I want that essay finished by Monday.'

‘But with the work I'm doing at the bowling club, I won't have any time,' Davey argued.

‘I
own
you for the next two weeks!' Mudge roared. ‘
Am I clear?!
'

Davey knew it was pointless to argue. ‘Crystal, Sir.' He slumped lower in his seat.

Mo nudged him sharply with his elbow. ‘Lord and Master,' he guffawed.

Bella, who sat on the other side of Davey, leaned in close to him. ‘I hope you've been practising your cheers,' she smiled brightly.

Bella was right. In no time, Davey would be wearing a pink skirt and chanting netball songs. He was sunk.

Now Davey had absolutely no time to practise his big-hitting. And there was no way in the world he was going to win a merit award. He imagined wearing pink and
cheering the netball team while Mo snacked on Whopper Chomps and Davey was his personal slave.