The Comeback Challenge (10 page)

Neither team managed to put the ball into the net for a score. Each of them came close, but their defense came through every
time.

Any rivalry that had existed between Mark and Vince vanished as they tried to make one play after another work. But to no
avail. The Panthers just seemed to be everywhere, blocking every kick, intercepting every pass.

Then, after a long siege defending the Scorpion goal, Charlie Burns managed to clear the ball out to Vince. Vince broke loose
from the Panther defending him and dribbled the ball across the mid-field line. When he started to get into trouble, he booted
the ball to Jim, who sent it immediately over to Mark.

Mark knew the game was going to end at any moment. He had only one chance to break the tie. But his line to the goal was blocked
by a jungle of Panthers.

Suddenly he remembered a play that the team hadn’t used in weeks. It was a simple enough play, involving only two players.
But those two players had to be able to read each other’s minds in order to make it work. One misstep, and that would be that.
Still, Mark figured it was their best shot against this difficult defense.

“Scorpion Red!” he called out. He prayed Vince had heard him. And would do what he had to do without a second thought.

He had. He did. When Mark passed him the ball, Vince trapped it, then kicked it high over the Panthers’ heads in a graceful
arc. While the Panthers were watching it, Mark darted in between them. He didn’t need to keep an eye on it to know where it
was going to fall. He just had to be there when it did.

The Panthers’ goalie stepped out of the goal, readying himself to catch the ball. And that’s when Mark the Scorpion struck.

He gave a mighty sideways leap and headed the ball right over the goalie’s outstretched arms. Unable to stop himself from
falling, he struck the ground hard and felt the breath knocked right out of him.

But the cheers from the stands made him forget his pain. He didn’t even need to look at the score-board to know that the play
had succeeded.

Within seconds of the ref blowing the whistle that ended the game, a sea of fans poured onto the field
and completely surrounded the Scorpions. Mark looked up from where he lay to see Vince holding out a hand to help him up.

Just then, Grandma and Grandpa Conway gingerly made their way over to him.

“That was the most exciting play I’ve ever seen!” said Grandma Conway, rubbing her mittened hand behind his neck as she drew
him close. Grandpa Conway clapped him on the back and kept repeating, “Wonderful! Wonderful!”

Mark tried to free himself to find Vince in the crowd to offer his congratulations and thanks. But the right wing was nowhere
in sight.

The following Monday, Coach Ryan held a meeting of the Scorpions during their regular practice time.

“All right, guys, settle down,” he said. “We have a few things to do to wind up the season. First, it’s the tradition here
at Knightstown Middle School to elect next year’s captain at the close of the previous season. This should be someone who
is willing to take on the job and has shown leadership abilities out on the field. Okay, the floor is open for nominations.”

Charlie Burns’s hand shot up. “I nominate Vince Loman.”

“Does anyone second the nomination?”

Stu Watts seconded.

“Any other nominations?”

Craig spoke up: “I nominate Mark Conway.”

“I second Mark,” Mel added.

Mark was pleased to be nominated, but he was a little concerned, too. He’d taken it for granted that Vince would get the job
again. If Mark was elected, would that put an end to their truce?

“Well, since there don’t appear to be any other nominations, let’s vote. Unless the nominees would like to say a few words
first?”

Vince shook his head.

“Mark?” asked the coach.

Mark was about to shake his head, too. But something got into him and he changed his mind.

“I’m happy just to be a member of the team,” he said. “But if I can help out by being the captain, I’d be proud to do it.”

“All right, then,” said the coach. He handed out little slips of paper to each player.

For a moment, everyone was busy writing down a name. Then the coach collected them in his cap.

Mark looked up, expected the coach to figure out the tally right then and there. But he didn’t.

“It’s also a tradition here to announce the captain at the awards banquet being held this Saturday night. So Vince, Mark,
you’ll just have to sit tight until then!”

The boys all laughed at Mark’s surprised look. Mark wondered if Vince was as uncomfortable about hearing the winner in such
a public way as he was. But traditions were traditions, after all.

C
raig and Mark were seated in the backseat of the Crandalls’ station wagon. Mr. and Mrs. Crandall were driving them to the
Scorpions’ awards banquet. Both boys were dressed up in their best clothes.

“Stop messing around with those neckties,” Mrs. Crandall said over her shoulder. “You both look very nice, so just leave things
that way.”

“How are your grandparents getting to the banquet?” asked Craig.

“My dad’s picking them up,” said Mark. After a moment, he added, “My mom’s going to be there, too. She’s sitting with Evan’s
parents.”

“Cool,” said Craig. And that was that. No probing questions about the situation. Craig just accepted it for what it was.

Which is what I’m slowly learning to do, Mark thought.

Craig elbowed him. “Got your acceptance speech all written?” he asked with a grin.

“Cut it out,” Mark said, blushing.

“Why? You’re the best person on the team to be captain, and everyone knows it. Announcing it at the banquet is just a formality.”

Mark wasn’t so sure. “I don’t know. Vince is a terrific player. And besides, he’s grown up with you guys. I hear that he was
always the leader, even in kindergarten.”

But Craig just said, “We’ll see,” and left it at that.

When the car stopped, the boys hopped out and ran off to join their pals.

The Knightstown Middle School gymnasium was all decked out with scarlet and gray streamers. Hanging from the ceiling was a
big banner that spelled out, K
NIGHTSTOWN
S
CORPIONS
— C
HAMPIONSHIP
T
EAM
.

A few tables near the stage had signs on them that read, R
ESERVED FOR
T
EAM
. Mark and Craig scrambled to get good seats so that they could watch the
presentations after dinner. They were joined by Stu, Eddie, Mel, Willie, and Charlie. The rest of the tables filled just as
quickly.

“Yuck, I hate those squishy grapes they put in these things,” said Craig, pointing to the fruit cup in front of him.

“Give it to Charlie,” advised Mel. “He’ll swallow anything that doesn’t move.”

The guys all laughed and began to eat their dinners. After they had finished off three baskets of rolls, their chicken, mashed
potatoes, peas, and the apple pie with vanilla ice cream, they were ready for the awards.

The coach got up on stage and stood in front of the microphone.

“I want to thank everyone for coming here tonight to honor a great bunch of athletes. Every one of them deserves an award
for just getting out there and doing his best. I’m proud of them and hope you will all join me in a round of applause for
the Knightstown Middle School Scorpions.”

Everyone in the gym applauded, long and loud. The members of the team tried not to look dumb, but they couldn’t help smiling
at one another.

Then the coach called them up on stage, one by one, to receive their team letters. They were big scarlet-and-gray K’s. Printed
over each one was a cartoon scorpion on top of a black-and-white soccer ball.

“Next,” Coach Ryan said, “I’d like to present the award for Most Improved Performance. This award goes to a returning player
who has shown the most improvement from the previous year. And this year, the award goes to … Charlie Burns!”

Charlie climbed the stairs to the stage and took a package from the coach. He stepped to the microphone and mumbled, “Uh,
thanks. I — I — I’ll keep trying.”

When he got back to the table, the guys made him open the package. Inside was a video of that year’s World Cup finals.

“Wow! It sure pays to get better!” exclaimed Craig.

“Something to go for next year,” agreed Mark.

On stage, the coach held up a silver trophy cup. “This award,” he said, “belongs to the team’s Most Valuable Player. That
player’s name will be added to the others inscribed on the trophy’s base. Then the
trophy will be placed back in the case at the entrance of the school, where all can see it. This year, the award goes to …”

He paused and looked down at the tables filled with members of the team. Craig nudged Mark’s knee and gave his pal a knowing
look. But Mark just shook his head.

“Vince Loman!”

The gymnasium exploded in applause. Everyone got up to cheer as Vince accepted his award. Finally the coach asked people to
please sit down. Then he pointed at the microphone and nodded to Vince.

Mark expected Vince to be as brief as Charlie. But instead, Vince took a piece of paper from his shirt pocket and stared at
it a moment. Then he started to speak.

“I want to thank Coach Ryan and all the Scorpions. Without all of you, I wouldn’t have been such a good player this year.
It was an honor to be your captain and to be chosen as MVP.”

There, that was a nice speech, Mark thought. Whoever would have figured that Vince could speak like that?

But Vince hadn’t finished.

“As many of you probably know, I won this award last year, too. But I have to tell you, it wasn’t so tough then. This time,
I worked much harder than I ever did before out there on the field. This time, I really feel like I earned the award. You
see, someone at dinner here tonight — someone on the team, that is — pushed me to be the best player I could be. I’m not even
sure he knows it, but it made a real difference. In fact,” Vince continued, glancing briefly at Coach Ryan, “it seems that
player made a real impression on most all of us. Because he’s the one we elected to be our captain next year. Heck, I even
voted for him myself — and I was one of the nominees! Mark Conway, congratulations!”

This time, the applause was deafening. Mark just sat there, stunned as much by what Vince had said as he was by the way his
election had been announced. Then he broke into a large grin.

When the noise died down, Coach Ryan said, “I want to thank everyone for coming here tonight and for your support all season.
Now, drive carefully and we’ll see you all next year!”

As the banquet broke up, people came by to congratulate Mark, Vince, and Charlie. Mark spied his
grandparents and parents standing by the doorway. But before he slipped away to join them, he turned to Vince.

“Congratulations, Mr. MVP!” he said, stretching out his hand.

Vince took it immediately and shook it. “And to you, too, Captain,” he said with a smile.

“That was really nice, what you said up there,” Mark said.

“I meant it,” Vince replied. “You really did push me, and it was good for me. And you are the best man for the captain’s job
because you’re always thinking about the good of the team. I — I think I lost sight of that for a while.”

Mark didn’t say anything. But he knew that he was already looking forward to the next season, when he and Vince would
really
be playing on the same team.

He caught up to his family a moment later. They all congratulated him warmly. Then his mother turned to his father and said,
“So next Tuesday, then?”

His father nodded curtly. His mother bent down,
gave Mark a quick kiss and a hug, then said she had to be on her way.

Mr. Conway left to find the car to take Grandma, Grandpa, and Mark back home.

“What’s next Tuesday?” Mark asked while he was gone.

His grandparents exchanged glances. Grandma Conway sighed and said, “Next Tuesday is the day you have to meet with the judge.
She wants to talk with you about your parents’ divorce.”

Y
our father wanted to pick you up,” Mark’s grandfather said Tuesday morning. “But your grandmother and I are going to the courthouse
anyway, so you might as well ride there with us.”

Mark didn’t say anything. In fact, ever since the ride home from the banquet, he hadn’t felt much like talking.

In the car, he sat up front with his grandfather. Once again, he was dressed in his best clothes.

Mark had never been inside the Knightstown courthouse before. It was a really old building. If it weren’t for his parents
fighting over who he was to live with and for how long, he might have found it interesting, he supposed. It had marble floors
and shiny oak walls. The whole place smelled as though it had just been polished.

But all he wanted was to get things over with so he could get out of there.

His mother and father each gave him a hug and a kiss when he saw them. Then they went off and talked with their lawyers in
separate parts of the courthouse. He sat with his grandparents on a hard bench. And waited.

Finally someone dressed like a policeman came and told them that Judge Wilkerson was ready. They followed him into the judge’s
chambers.

When he came in with his grandparents, Judge Wilkerson smiled at him and asked him to sit down on a couch next to her. His
parents were already sitting in big chairs facing the couch. His grandparents remained standing.

“There, now,” said the judge. “I think we can start. Will everybody but Mark and Mr. and Mrs. Conway please leave? I’ll let
you know when we’re ready for you to come back. Please wait outside in case there’s anything I need to ask you.”

The lawyers and Mark’s grandparents left the room.

Judge Wilkerson spoke directly to Mark.

“First, let’s go over why we’re here,” she said.
Then she went on to explain that Mark’s parents had decided to get a divorce because they had personal problems they couldn’t
solve. She pointed out again and again that these problems had nothing to do with their feelings for Mark. Did he understand?