The Ball Hogs (6 page)

“So, what’s the decision?” Loop asked as Ben took his seat in the classroom on Monday morning. “Are you with us or not?”

Ben frowned. He hadn’t decided what to do about recess. “We’ll see,” he said.

Ben knew one thing. He
would
be playing four square. A week on the sidelines had been more than enough. He just wasn’t sure which group he’d be joining.

If he walked up to Tyler’s group and waited his turn, they’d probably take him back. But he’d be in for some tough talk first.

He was welcome to join Loop’s game, but then he’d have to put up with Mark.

The third group would take him, but they had the weakest players.

“You can always play hopscotch instead,” Loop said.

Ben scowled, but Loop just grinned. “I’m kidding,” he said.

“Very funny.”

“Maybe you can set up a game by yourself,” Loop said. “You can jump back and forth in all four squares.”

“Why would I do something that stupid?”

“Because you don’t seem to be getting along with anybody else lately,” Loop said. “You won’t play with Tyler, you won’t play with Mark. Get used to it, Ben, you’re not the only
one who wants to play. You don’t get your way every time.”

Ben was shocked. He had tried to be the peacemaker. Now they were all turning against him. Maybe he
would
just sit this out again. Who needed four square anyway?

Ben sat on the bottom rung of the monkey bars at the start of recess. Erin walked over.

“You’re still moping around?” she asked.

“No.”

“Oh, excuse me,” she said. “I didn’t notice how happy you are.”

That made Ben smile, but he fought it back. “They’re jerks,” he said.

Erin glanced at the four-square games in progress. “Yeah,” she said. “They could be having a lot more fun over here doing nothing, I suppose. Like you.”

Ben nodded slowly.

“I’m joining Loop’s game,” Erin said. “They’ve only got four today.” She made a tiny waving gesture with her fingers. “See you later.”

Ben gripped the monkey bars tightly while she walked away. “Wait up,” he said.

Erin grinned as Ben leaped up and joined her. As they reached the game, Ben noticed that Loop had a big smile, too.

“Look who’s here,” Mark said the next time the game stopped. He glared at Ben, and Ben glared back.

Erin stepped into the first square and Loop served the ball. Ben would be in next. He watched the action closely. Loop was the only one of these kids he’d played with regularly, so he wanted to see what skills they had.

Not bad
, he thought as the ball flew from square to square.
This’ll do for now
.

Ben couldn’t help but notice that Mark was a pretty good player. That was hard to believe, because four square is a game where control makes a big difference. Relying on speed or strength isn’t as effective as accurately placing the ball in another square.

Mark was always out of control on the soccer field, but he was showing some real patience here.

Erin made a nice save and directed the ball into Loop’s square. Loop lunged for it but knocked it out of bounds. So Ben was finally in the game.

Loop held out his hand as he walked out of the square, and Ben smacked it. “Hope you’re not too rusty,” Loop said.

“Don’t count on it,” Ben said.

It was a warm day and Ben felt a surge of energy as he took his spot. He was diagonally across from Mark, who’d be serving.

“Don’t get too comfortable,” Mark said, giving Ben a nasty smile.

“Try me,” Ben said.

Mark served the ball hard with a wicked spin, and it landed in Ben’s square. Ben took a quick step back and brought his hand down at a sharp angle, slicing at the ball and catching it just right. The ball rocketed back into Mark’s square and zipped past him.

“Lucky!” Mark said as he ran after the ball.

Ben stood tall and grinned at Erin. She rolled her eyes and shook her head, but she was smiling, too.

Mark frowned and tossed the ball to the next server. Then he stood alongside Loop as they waited for the next break in the action.

Ben quickly worked up a sweat, dodging around and making some excellent shots. Recess ended just as he reached the fourth square.

He pointed toward the pavement and said,
“This spot is
mine
, people. I’ll see you all back here tomorrow.”

“One serve,” Mark said. “That’s how long it’ll take me to put you back on the sideline.”

“We’ll see about that,” Ben replied. He walked away with his head held high.

A week without four square had been
way
too long.

Ben was glad to get to practice that afternoon. He had thought about it all day. He couldn’t wait to run.

He got to the field early, but he didn’t want to wait until practice started. So he dropped his ball and started to kick it, working hard to keep it close to his feet. That was another tip on his list. He ran two laps around the outside of the soccer field. The ball only got away from him once.

He started to run a third lap. Suddenly he heard someone running close behind him. He turned and saw Mark.

Mark did not have a ball, so he was running very fast. He caught up to Ben and kicked Ben’s ball to the side.

“Quit it!” Ben said.

“You’re too slow!” Mark said. “And you
think you’re so cool because you have your own ball.” He kept running.

Ben ran over to his ball. He could see Coach Patty and Shayna getting out of their car. Other members of the team were arriving, too.

“Come over here!” Ben called to Mark.

“Why?”

“Just come here.”

Mark stopped running and walked over to Ben. “What?” he asked.

Ben didn’t want to admit this, but he had to say it. “We’ve been hurting the team.”

“I haven’t.”

“Yes, you have,” Ben said. “When we don’t pass, we hurt the team’s chances.”

“I’m the best player we have,” Mark said. “You hurt the team when you don’t pass to me.”

“You do the same thing when you don’t pass to me!”

Before Mark could answer, Coach Patty
called the team over to her. “We’ve really improved,” she said. “If we work hard today, I think we’ll be ready to win on Saturday.”

Coach had the team do some drills that focused on passing. “It’s the best way to set up a shot,” she said.

In one drill, a player would take the ball to the corner of the field, then pass backward to a teammate. That player then passed the ball across the field, sending it right in front of the goal. A third player was waiting there to stop the ball, then shoot it into the net.

“Think of a triangle,” Coach said. “The ball moves from one point, to a second point, to a third point. The defenders will chase after the ball. If we pass it quickly, we’ll have an open shot before they can catch up.”

They worked through the drill several times.

“Now it will get harder,” Coach said. “We’ll
do the same drill, but with a defender on the field. We’ll have to speed it up.”

Ben waited on the field for Erin’s pass to come from the corner. He stopped the ball and turned quickly toward the center of the field. Mark was playing defense. He came toward Ben, trying to stop him. Ben swiftly kicked the ball toward Kim.

Kim took the pass, dribbled once, and shot the ball into the goal.

“Great job!” Coach said. “Good things happen when we work together.”

Ben jogged over to the spot in front of the goal. It was his turn to be the third point in the triangle.

Here came the pass. Ben stopped it with the inside of his foot. He took a step to his left to get past the defender. The only thing between him and the goal was the goalie.

He planted his left foot and kicked hard with his right. The ball left the ground and flew on a line drive toward the goal.

The goalie reached for the ball, but it landed solidly in the net. Ben had scored. He lifted his arms and yelled, “Yes!”

“Nice shot,” Coach Patty said. “That’s how teamwork pays off.”

After practice, the team gathered around the coach again.

“Passing is the best way to move the ball,” she said. “But if you have a good chance to shoot, then take it. The second point of the triangle doesn’t always have to pass. Sometimes that player has a chance to score, too. And the third point doesn’t always have the best shot, either. He can pass the ball right back.”

Ben wiped his sweaty face on the sleeve of his T-shirt. There was no doubt that the team had played better today.

Now if they could only manage to do it in a game.