Fake Out (5 page)

Monday at recess, Ben walked over to the swings and took a seat. He slowly pumped his legs and began to glide back and forth.

He looked over and saw the players in his four-square group starting their regular game. Ben played every day, but today he wasn’t in the mood. Loop was in the group, and he didn’t feel like talking to him. But Loop was staring at him. He caught Ben’s eye and smiled. Ben looked away with a frown.

All of the fourth graders had recess at the same time, so most of Ben’s soccer teammates were out on the playground, too. Mark and Erin were playing four square, and Shayna and Kim were jumping rope on the basketball court. Omar and Darren were with a group shooting baskets at the other end of the court.

“I bet I can swing higher.”

Ben looked over and saw Jordan walking toward him, pointing at the swing next to Ben. He grinned and sat down.

Ben hadn’t known Jordan before the soccer season, and they’d hardly spoken. But they’d made some good passes to each other lately in practice and in the games. They were both quick and played hard.

“Why no four square today?” Jordan asked.

Ben shrugged. He pumped his legs harder. “Just didn’t feel like it.”

“I know what you mean,” Jordan said. “Still thinking about Saturday’s game?”

“Yeah.”

“Me too.” Jordan stopped swinging and braked with both feet. “All weekend, I kept thinking about how we got burned. I was
so
sure we would beat those guys.”

“So was I.”

“It’s like we’re right on the edge of being good,” Jordan said. “You know what I mean?
Just one or two steps forward and we’ll be as good as anyone in the league.”

“We seemed about a thousand steps behind on Saturday,” Ben said.

“Yeah, but we weren’t. Just a couple of plays could have made all the difference.”

“That’s what Erin said. But I played pretty badly.”

“No, you didn’t. Erin’s right.”

Ben stopped swinging, too. He looked around the playground. “Seen any soccer balls?”

“No, but I was thinking of bringing one tomorrow,” Jordan said. “Get in some extra passing. Sound good?”

“Sounds like a plan,” Ben replied. “Maybe we’ll spend half of recess kicking the ball around, then switch over to four square.”

Jordan jutted his chin toward Loop’s group. “Speaking of four square, they could use a few players.”

Ben stepped off the swing. “Let’s go.”

They walked across the playground and stood next to Mark, who was waiting to get back into the game. Loop and three others were smacking a pink rubber ball back and forth, trying to hold their positions in the square. After each round, one player had to leave the square and a new player would take his place.

“Look who’s back,” Loop said as the point ended, nodding toward Ben, then Jordan. “Ready to join the elite, huh?”

“Ready and able,” Jordan said.

Loop smiled broadly. “Just watch how the pros do it,” he said, serving the ball toward Mark. He kept his eyes on the game, shifting back and forth and skillfully returning the ball, but he kept chattering, too.

“See, the best players are always in motion,” Loop said, swatting at the ball. He kept his
hands up and shifted from foot to foot. “Duking, juking … it’s all about speed and positioning.” He took his eye off the ball for a split second, glancing at Ben. “Leaving your opponent
flat-footed
.”

Ben blushed. But in that split second Mark lined the ball hard into Loop’s square. It took a sharp bounce and Loop had no chance to reach it.

Ben clapped his hands. “Great demonstration,” he said. “I see
exactly
what you mean. Flat-footed and burnt.”

Loop scowled. He put his hands in his pockets and stepped out of the square. The other players shifted to new spots and Ben stepped in to take Loop’s place.

Ben and Loop were friends, but they were rivals when it came to sports and games. Ben knew that Loop had the upper hand now, after his team had clobbered the Bobcats in soccer.

As they headed back toward class a few minutes later, Loop walked next to Ben. “So, who do you guys play this weekend?” he asked.

“The Eagles,” Ben said. “I don’t know much about them.”

“They beat us the first week of the season,” Loop said. “But that was when nobody on my team knew what we were doing. We just ran around the field like turkeys or something.”

“Who do you play?” Ben asked.

“The Sharks,” Loop replied. “What do you know about them?”

“We beat ’em a few weeks back,” Ben said.

“Then we should bash them,” Loop said. “Just like we did to you.”

Ben gave Loop a light shove. “You got a lot of breaks.”

“Like I said, we
made
our breaks.” He shoved Ben back, but he didn’t seem angry. “As far as I can tell, there isn’t any team better
than we are anymore. And we’ll prove that over the next few weeks.”

Ben just looked away. He and his teammates had to prove that they could succeed, too. Mostly they had to prove it to themselves.

Ben hit the ground hard, but he rolled and stood up. He ran toward the ball, wiping his hands on his blue game shirt.

The weather had turned much cooler, and the field was damp from an overnight rain. Still, Ben was sweating and panting hard.

The Eagles had the ball and they were in a frenzy. Mark had scored an early goal for the
Bobcats, but neither team had managed to score since then.

Not much time was left in the game, so all of the black-shirted Eagles except the goalie were at the Bobcats’ end of the field, frantic to tie the score.

“Defense!” Ben shouted. “Let’s hang on.”

One of the Eagles had the ball in the corner, and three of his teammates were near the goal, shouting for a pass. Ben moved into the goal area, too, as Mark and Jordan raced toward the ball.

Ben took a quick glance toward Erin, who was playing goalie for the Bobcats. She’d made four good saves since halftime.

Here came the ball, soaring through the air on a path that would put it directly in front of the goal. Ben firmed up his stance, bracing to jump. There were Eagles on both sides of him, ready to do the same.

Ben got there first. He brought his head back slightly, then poked it forward, meeting the ball with his forehead and knocking it away from the goal.

That worked
, Ben thought, a bit surprised. He’d seen older players “head” the ball, but he’d never tried it in a game.

The ball drifted to the side, and Mark reached it. He turned toward the goal, then spun and dribbled quickly toward the sideline. Ben angled over and shouted, “Here!”

It would be a dangerous pass, but Mark had no choice. Two Eagles players were blocking his path, so he passed back to Ben. Ben took control and sliced past two more opponents. He had a clear field ahead.

The gap closed quickly, but Ben had time to send a crisp pass over to Jordan, who was running in the same direction. Mark made a smart move and circled behind Jordan, and the three Bobcats sprinted up the field toward the Eagles’ goal.

A series of sharp passes kept the ball moving upfield. First Jordan, then Ben, and then Mark dribbled and passed.

As they reached the goal area, Ben had the ball, with one defender at his side.

Do that fake
, he told himself.

Step over the ball!

Ben dodged to his right, then stepped over the ball and brought it back to his left.

Now run with it
.

The move almost worked, but Ben slipped on the wet grass and the defender knocked the ball away.

I stink at this!

The ball flew on a line drive, right at Jordan’s chest. But Jordan leaned back and let the ball roll off his chest to the ground. He was in perfect position for a shot, and he drove the ball into the goal.

Ben felt a huge rush of energy as he watched the ball whoosh into the net. Jordan had given the Bobcats a 2–0 lead.

“Awesome!” Jordan shouted.

Ben looked at his parents, who were on the sideline clapping. He raised his fist. But
he was embarrassed about tripping over the ball.

“Everybody get back!” Mark called. “Tough defense now! Don’t let up for a second.”

Even the Eagles’ goalie came down on offense now, but the Bobcats were ready. Any time the Eagles made a charge, either Ben or Jordan or Shayna seemed to be there to stop it.

Erin had to make one more save, but it was on a soft shot from a long distance away. She caught it easily and punted it far up the field.

The whistle blew soon after, and the Bobcats had their second win of the season.

Ben smacked hands with Jordan and ran off the field. The Bobcats gathered around Coach Patty. Everybody was jumping and shouting, but Ben couldn’t help but feel that he almost cost his team the victory.
The Eagles could have scored when Ben lost the ball. He was lucky Jordan had stepped up.

“Great effort,” Coach said. “That’s what I like to see.”

“We were rolling,” said Kim. “This was our day.”

They all put their hands into the center of the circle and yelled, “Bobcats!”