Unstoppable (10 page)

Chapter Thirty-Five

“HARRISON, IN MY OFFICE.
Okay?” Coach called to him from across the locker room.

Harrison set his helmet down on the bench and marched in.

“Listen, everything's fine, but I'm going to keep you out of the contact drills the rest of the week. Just to be safe. Oh, and don't wear your rib pads.” Coach winked at him and shooed him out of the office.

For the next four days, Harrison had to stay out of contact drills, and that hurt. Worst of all was watching on Saturday when his team took the field against East Manfield. Harrison dressed in full uniform like everyone else and ran through the pregame warm-up drills, but when it came to game time, Harrison had to take a seat on the bench.

Coach put a hand on his shoulder pad and leaned over to whisper into his helmet's ear hole. “Trust me, if there was any way to let you play, I'd do it. My career is hanging on this doggone game. We should win it, though, Harrison. We really should. Then next week? Look out.”

Chapter Thirty-Six

THEY DID WIN, BY
two touchdowns. The team cheered and swarmed Coach, everyone reaching out just to touch him, and his face seemed to shine. When they got home after a long bus ride from East Manfield, Jennifer—who had driven to the game in her car—met Coach at the door and kissed him until Harrison blushed. They separated and both of them laughed as they each put an arm around Harrison and led him inside.

Jennifer took a roasted chicken out of the oven and pots of mashed potatoes, gravy, and steamed corn off the stove. Harrison wolfed down his food, hungry for the coming week, and eager to build his muscles and strength for the first football game of his life.

On Sunday they went to church. After a midday meal, Harrison put on some jeans and a T-shirt and met Justin at Dr. Smart's big house on the hill. Justin led him around to the back, where a lawn mower sat in the detached garage.

“You ever drive one of these?” Justin pointed to a green John Deere riding mower.

“I can drive a tractor,” Harrison said. “That thing is easy.”

“Okay, I'll let you do the easy part, this time.” Justin pointed to a push mower in the corner. “Next time, you do the grunt work.”

“I'll push today.” Harrison reached for the small mower. “I owe you.”

“No.” Justin guided him toward the rider. “Just watch. I'll do the detail work today, everything around the edges. Trust me, it's a good payback. I'll be done with this whole job in half the time and I need that. Doc doesn't like to hear the mowers on Sunday.”

Harrison looked toward the house. He was hoping he might see Becky. “Are they home?”

“No, but Doc said they'd be back at three and he asked me to be finished by then.”

“Well, let's go,” Harrison said.

They finished right at three and were putting the mowers away in the garage when they heard Dr. Smart's Suburban pull up in front of the house.

“Doc'll be happy.” Justin wiped sweat from his forehead. “Come on.”

Harrison followed Justin down the driveway, passing the house and the circular drive in front. He glanced up, hoping to see Becky, and was surprised not only to see her but to see her walking toward them with two bottles of orange Gatorade.

“Hey, guys.” She held out the bottles and smiled. “Dad said the lawn looks great and you need to stay hydrated. Here.”

Justin accepted the folded money she handed him. “Thanks, Becky.”

“Did you get all those math problems done, Harrison?” she asked.

“Uh, yup.” Harrison hated the sound of his low, gravelly voice.

Becky smiled. “Well, see you tomorrow.”

They watched her walk back up the hill. She turned and waved before disappearing into the house.

Justin stood frozen in place. “Man, she is the bomb.”

“Come on.” Harrison tugged Justin's sleeve. “It's not polite to stare.”

On the street, Justin told him the next job would be tomorrow after dinnertime. “I already told Mrs. Peabody you'd be working with me, but I'll meet you there and show you where everything is and pay you for today. That's only because I've got to get change for these bills.”

“You don't have to pay me for today. I'm working off my sub.”

“Okay, I get it. Still, that was what, six bucks? You just made yourself fifteen, so I owe you nine.”

“You get thirty dollars for this?”

“Doc's rolling in it. Another good reason for you to marry his daughter.” Justin grinned.

Harrison put him in a loose headlock and pretended to punch him in the stomach. “Don't say that.”

They both laughed.

“Man, she sure is friendly to you,” Justin said.

“She's friendly to you, too,” Harrison said.

“Not the same.”

They got to the end of the driveway, said good-bye, and headed their separate ways.

Back home, Coach was waiting to take him fishing, and the two of them spent the rest of the afternoon on the lake. The heat from the sun, the lawn work, and the fresh fish Jennifer cooked on the deck grill that evening left Harrison exhausted and happier than he ever imagined he could be. Then, just as he dropped off to sleep, something nasty crept into his mind.

He tried to make it go away, but it wouldn't. It was a feeling that things were just
too
good. He'd never felt like this before, and what scared him about it was that it seemed someway, somehow, something almost had to happen to restore his life to its natural order.

And that's where his mind dragged him, to a place where all the bad things that ever happened to him were stored up like an attic full of junk, just waiting for him.

A place that was dark and scary.

Chapter Thirty-Seven

WHEN HARRISON AWOKE THE
next morning, things seemed much better, and as he forked the final piece of French toast into his mouth he began to think that maybe it was just a matter of time, and that he could get used to things being so nice.

Before he left for school, the phone rang and Jennifer held it out for him. “It's my mom.”

Harrison blushed and took the phone.

“How are you, Harrison?” Mrs. Godfrey's voice warmed him from the inside out.

Harrison watched Jennifer leave the kitchen. He could hear Coach's footsteps upstairs. He cupped the phone in his hand and spoke softly. “Can things be too good?”

She chuckled. “I'm not sure what you mean.”

“Everything is . . . great. It feels like this can't last.”

“You'll have to get used to the fact that good things happen to good people. I believe that.”

“And I'm good?”

“I wouldn't have sent you to live with my daughter if you weren't.”

Harrison smiled. He told her about football and she promised she'd come visit and see a game.

At school, his bright thoughts from breakfast and his call with Mrs. Godfrey were confirmed. There was a lot less whispering and secret pointing than a week ago. Leo Howard still gave him sour looks, but they didn't last as long because Harrison decided to glare right back until Leo looked away. Otherwise he almost fit in. Justin and Becky seemed more at ease around him too, and Harrison began to think that maybe, just maybe, Mrs. Godfrey was right and that he might have found a normal life.

At practice that afternoon, Harrison was finally allowed to hit again, and that's what he did. He felt like a wild animal sprung from a cage. He didn't bother searching out Leo or Leo's buddies. Harrison just clobbered anyone who got in his way. Even Justin tried to tackle him during a scrimmage at the end of practice and Harrison blasted right through him without a second thought.

On their way into the locker room, their uniforms drenched in sweat and their hair matted to their heads, Justin asked Harrison why he hadn't taken it easy on him.

“Are you kidding?” Harrison asked.

“Not really.” Justin scuffed his cleats on the pavement outside the locker room and looked at the ground.

Harrison slapped Justin's shoulder pad. “Come on, Justin, I don't know who's who out there. I got to do my best on every play. I want to be the starting halfback when we play on Saturday. Besides, when I get going, all I see is people coming at me and red.”

“Red?” Justin stopped short.

“It's like a mist, a crazy, angry mist.”

“That is crazy.”

Harrison shrugged and waited for one of their teammates to walk past and into the locker room. “Coach likes it.”

Justin rubbed his elbow. “I like it too, but not when you hit me.”

“Part of the game.” Harrison looked at his friend, hoping he understood. “Right?”

Justin smiled and slapped his back. “Right, and don't worry about starting. There's no way Coach won't start you over Varnett. He's all right, but not even close to you. Hey, I keep meaning to tell you, after the game Saturday there's a big dance. They call it the Fall Ball. Did you hear about it?”

“How would I hear about it?”

Justin tilted his head. “I thought maybe Becky might have said something.”

“Why would she?”

“I don't know. Man, she looks like a TV star and she likes you, right?”

“She's nice to me.” Harrison's insides tightened.

“So, if she didn't ask you, you gotta ask her,” Justin said. “I'm just trying to help. I already asked Charlene Gambol. She's that tall girl with the long, dark hair. We could all hang out.”

“I'm thinking about football, not a dance.”

“I know,” Justin said, “but after we stomp Clayborn Park, you'll want to be at the dance. Everyone will be there celebrating. Come on, that's my job. I'm your wingman.”

“Wingman?” Harrison squinted at him.

“Watching out for you so you can focus on the important stuff.”

“Stomping Clayborn Park,” Harrison said.

“And asking Becky to the Fall Ball.” Justin looked past Harrison, smiled, and waved. “Speaking of which, there she is.”

Harrison turned around. Becky and two other girls were coming off the soccer field, sweaty with grass-stained knees, giggling together. Becky had a red bandanna tied around her head and it only made her green eyes greener. Fear choked Harrison's throat as the girls approached.

Justin leaned close. “Go ahead, ask her.”

Chapter Thirty-Eight

HARRISON COULDN'T SPEAK.

“Hey, Justin. Hey, Harrison,” Becky said. “This is Delilah and Rachel. Guys, this is Harrison Johnson, the big football player everyone's talking about.”

“Nice going on Leo Howard.” Delilah was a redhead herself and she spoke without letting up on the gum she chewed.

“Yeah,” Rachel said, “I haven't heard him so quiet since kindergarten when he got his tonsils out.”

Their words only made Harrison less comfortable. He couldn't speak, but he did manage to nod his head.

“Hey, Becky,” Justin said. “Harrison was just going to ask you something. . . .”

All eyes turned to Harrison.

“We were talking about the Fall Ball,” Justin said.

Becky suddenly went pale and looked almost as upset as Harrison felt.

“Oh,” she said after an uncomfortable silence. “Well, he's probably thinking more about the game than some dance. Well, gotta go. See you guys.”

Becky and her friends disappeared before Harrison could blink.

Justin backhanded him in the gut. “You big dummy. What were you waiting for? I set you up perfect.”

Harrison swallowed the knot in his throat. “I don't know. I didn't get the chance, really.”

“You can't be scared to ask her,” Justin said. “She's crazy about you. Did you hear that, ‘the big football player'? That's what she called you, bro. She loves you.”

“She kind of took off.”

Justin waved a hand through the air. “Girls are flighty. Come on, you'll get another chance.”

Harrison followed him into the locker room, where they changed into street clothes. Many of the other players had already changed. Harrison felt their eyes on him, but when he did catch someone glancing at him, it was a different look than before. Before, the looks were mocking and mean. Now Harrison could see the uncertainty, even the caution, in their eyes, and he had to admit that it felt good. It made him breathe easier to know that he had a place in this new world where, even if people wouldn't be his friends, at least they would let him be.

“Don't forget we're meeting after dinner,” Justin said as they walked out. “I've got two lawns. Meet me at Mrs. Peabody's at twenty-seven Oakwood and I'll get you started. I'll do the other one just down the street. Neither is as big as Doc's, but we only get ten bucks each.”

“Ten is great,” Harrison said.

“So, I'm not going to Subway. I got homework. See you then, right?”

Harrison bumped fists with his friend and headed for home. He had schoolwork too. Harrison was just finishing up his last math problem at the kitchen table when Coach came in.

“Paperwork for all of us, huh?” Coach said, looking over Harrison's shoulder. “You got number seven wrong. It should be three
x
over fifty-
six.
Seven times eight is fifty-
six,
not fifty-four.”

Harrison looked at the last calculation on the sheet and began to erase. “I always mix that up.”

“I always used to forget that too,” Coach said. “I don't know why. Then someone told me this: five, six, seven, eight, five-six is seven times eight. It's backward, but it works. I don't know. Math is like Chinese to me. That's why I teach English.”

“That works. I like it. Thanks Coach.”

Coach began taking things out of the refrigerator. “I got a text from Jennifer. She's in a meeting running late, so she asked us to get this started.”

Harrison helped prepare dinner by making a salad under Coach's precise instructions. As he cut up a cucumber, he asked, “Do you think I'll start on Saturday, Coach?”