Falling Star (10 page)

* * *

When the game ended, Coach Spear approached Edison as he left the field. He shook Edison's hand and said, “Congratulations on winning the game for your team. High Park was the better side — I'm sure you'd agree with me if you weren't surrounded by your friends — but you made the difference. Brunswick Valley owes the championship to you.”

As Mrs. Flood hugged Edison, she whispered, “Coach Spear is
very
impressed. He says you're in!”

14

Nerve

Edison and his friends waved as the Dorchester All Stars left High Park Academy. With hands and arms waving from every window, their mini-van looked like a strange multi-limbed insect. Casey had promised to bring her team down in the spring for an exhibition game with Brunswick Valley School.

Mr. Field said, “We'd better get on the road too. Your parents are expecting you home tonight.”

Edison looked around for his mother. She expected him to travel with her, but he didn't want to go straight home. Toby and Linh-Mai and Steve were going for pizza in the little Brunswick Valley Mall before they went home, and had asked him to join them. They wanted to tell him about the soccer games they played when the regular season ended. Linh-Mai had already described some of them — the five-a-side street league in the dead-end road she lived on, the indoor games at the Boys and Girls Club through the winter, and the scrimmages every Saturday morning with some kids from Pleasant Harbour, Brunswick Valley's neighbouring town. Sometimes, she'd told him, they even played in the cemetery, although they weren't supposed to. Toby said if they got caught, there would be, “grave consequences.”

Mrs. Flood, smiling broadly, was hurrying from the school buildings with Coach Spear. She waved and called, “Coach Spear wants to talk to you.”

Edison looked at Mr. Field.

He said, “Go on.”

Coach Spear was holding a file. He opened it, leafed through some papers, and said, “We have a dossier on you. It's very impressive.” With a glance at the faces of Edison's friends peering from the van, he led Edison and Mrs. Flood further away, speaking quietly and earnestly. “We'd like to offer you a soccer scholarship to High Park Academy, starting as soon as you complete the transfer from Brunswick Valley.” He shook hands with Edison again. “We look forward to seeing you on the High Park team, which, on the evidence of your play here today, will surely lead to a place on both the provincial junior team and the national youth training squad. Congratulations!”

He nodded to Edison, shook hands with Mrs. Flood, and marched away.

Edison's mother hugged him. “I'll see Mr. Justason tomorrow and tell him you're transferring to High Park. Then we'll go shopping in Saint John and get your uniform and some new clothes. You'll find that the students at High Park dress quite … er … differently from your friends at Brunswick Valley. And we'll call your father tonight. He'll be so proud. Then …”

Edison blurted out, “I don't want to go to High Park.”

He couldn't believe he had said it. When had he decided? Was it during the game? Or after it? His Brunswick Valley friends had surrounded him, the girls hugging him, the boys pummelling him, and Linh-Mai saying, “You were really great,” as she looked at him, then looked down quickly.

Mrs. Flood was looking at Edison as if he'd passed wind loudly. “But it's what we planned for you — ever since you left Canterbury.”

“Sorry.”

She frowned. “You're just nervous about the move. You'll get over it.”

“I won't change my mind.”

“You'll feel differently in the morning. We'll talk about it then.”

He felt torn in two. He wanted to please his mother, and he knew how proud she and his father would be if he played for High Park and attended school there. He could imagine his mother telling her friends at work about him. She would probably mention him on TV, in the bit at the end of the news when she chatted with the weather man. He was afraid she would be more than disappointed. She'd be hurt.

But he didn't want to go to High Park any more. He still wanted to play soccer — serious soccer — at a high level, but he wanted to do it while playing for Brunswick Valley.

“You're overtired,” Mrs. Flood went on. “There's too much to think about, isn't there?” She hugged him again and said, “Go on. That adorable van's waiting for you.”

“Don't you want me to come with you?”

“Of course I do — but you'd rather be with your friends, wouldn't you?”

He grinned and nodded. He took a step toward the van. Mr. Field was standing by the door and Mr. Grease was already at the wheel. His teammates were watching.

He looked at his mother. Her eyes were shiny. “Thanks, Mom.”

“Call me when you're ready to come home. Then we'll talk some more.”

“Mom, I
really
don't want to go to High Park.”

She patted his cheek gently. “We'll see.”

When Edison climbed in the van, Steve burst out, “What did Coach Spear want?”

Edison took his usual seat between Steve and Linh-Mai. Shay and Julie hung over the back of the seat in front, while his teammates in the seats behind stood and leaned forward.

“He wants me to play for High Park. He offered me a soccer scholarship.”

Mr. Field whistled. “That's worth several thousand dollars.”

“Think of all the famous players who started their careers at High Park,” said Shay.

“What else did he say?” Linh-Mai asked.

“He said I'd get in the provincial junior team and the national youth training squad.”

“You'd be one step away from playing for Canada,” said Julie.

“You'd be famous,” said Shay.

“We'd see you on TV,” said Toby.

Steve smiled ruefully. “I was looking forward to you and me getting lots of goals together.” He reached across Linh-Mai and shook Edison's hand. “Congratulations, buddy. I'll miss you.”

Linh-Mai said, “It was nice having you playing with us, even if it was for just a few games.”

“What do you mean?” said Edison.

“Well if you're playing for High Park, you won't be playing for Brunswick Valley.”

“Who said anything about playing for High Park?”

“You did — just now.”

“Coach Spear did,” Edison corrected her. “I didn't.”

Linh-Mai smiled slowly. “Don't tell me you turned him down.”

“I'm going to.”

“Your mother will go spare,” said Toby.

Edison nodded.

Steve grinned. “You've got nerve.”

Copyright © 2010 by Robert Rayner

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

James Lorimer and Company Ltd., Publishers acknowledges the support of the Ontario Arts Council. We acknowledge the support of the Government of Canada through the Book Publishing Industry Development Program (BPIDP) for our publishing activities. We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts for our publishing program. We acknowledge the assistance of the OMDC Book Fund, and initiative of Ontario Media Development Corporation.

Cataloguing data available from Library and Archives Canada.

James Lorimer & Company Ltd.,
Publishers
317 Adelaide Street West
Suite 1002
Toronto, Ontario
M5V 1P9

www.lorimer.ca

ROBERT RAYNER is a former elementary school principal in St. George, New Brunswick. He worked as a journalist in Cambridge, England before turning to education. His books featuring the kids of Brunswick Valley include
Walker's Runners
, nominated for the Ann Connor Brimer Award,
Just for Kicks
and
Falling Star
both Hackmatack Award nominees, and the Canadian Children's Book Centre Our Choice selections
Suspended
and
Miss Little's Losers.

website:
personal.nbnet.nb.ca/raynernr/

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