Free Hot Shot by Matt Christopher Page B

Julian’s duffel bag looked like, because it was the same bag he’d had for years!
    What if Barry had slipped the box of candy into Paul’s bag, thinking the duffel belonged to Julian?
    Paul sat on his bag to keep me from taking it,
Julian thought.
He must have squashed the box. The box opened and some of the candy spilled out. Then the chocolate smeared all over his towel
     when he threw the bag over his shoulder!
    “That’s got to be what happened!” Julian cried. “And I know how to find out for sure!” He raced out of his room. “Megan! Megan!”
    Megan’s bedroom door opened. “What’re you shouting about?”
    “Did you help Barry put a box of Cutler’s candy in my duffel bag yesterday?”
    Megan grinned. “It’s about time you found it! I’ve been dying for some!”
    Julian let out a low whistle. “Dying is what almost happened, all right!”
    He told her everything he had figured out. Her eyes grew wide with horror. “Oh, my gosh! Come on, we have to tell Mom.”
    “And Coach Boyd,” Julian added grimly. It wasn’t a conversation he was looking forward to.
    Fortunately, Mrs. Boyd and Mrs. Pryce were both present when Julian and Megan explained to Coach Boyd what had happened. That
     made it a little easier to get the words out.
    “So you see, sir, it was all just a terrible mistake,” Julian finished. “How—how is Paul doing?”
    Mrs. Boyd answered. “He’s going to be pretty worn out for the next few days. But he’ll be fine. He’s coming home in a little
     while, actually.”
    The coach cleared his throat. “His doctor advised him not to play basketball for a week,” he said gruffly. “I guess that means
     you’ll be taking his place until he’s ready to return.” He didn’t look pleased at the idea.
    Julian stared at his toes. “Um, yes, sir. Whatever you say.”
    “I’ll see you at practice tomorrow afternoon.”
    Julian nodded. Then he and his mother left.
    The phone was ringing when they returned to their house. Julian answered it.
    “Julian? It’s Alex. There’s something I want to know.”
    Julian gripped the receiver tightly. The suspicion in the other boy’s voice had come through loud and clear. He set about
     removing that suspicion as quickly as he could by telling him everything he’d just told the coach.
    Alex was quiet for a long moment. When he spoke again, he sounded relieved. “It all makes sense now! Man, when I realized
     that the name on the box was Cutler’s, not Culbert’s or Cutter’s…”
    “You had to have wondered if I had put it in Paul’s bag,” Julian finished.
    “It did cross my mind,” Alex admitted. “I even wondered if you’d come to the hospital room to see if your plan had worked.
     You know, the old ‘criminal returning to the scene of the crime’ kind of thing.”
    “Did you—you didn’t talk to anyone else about what you thought, did you?” Julian asked.
    “No. I wanted to talk to you first. And man, am I glad I did!”
    “Me too, especially since Coach Boyd is going to start me in the next game.”
    Alex whistled. “Can you imagine what the other Warriors would have thought if they believed you’d deliberately put Paul in
     the hospital? Yikes!”
    “Yeah. I wouldn’t have lasted too long on the court, I don’t think!”
    “Are you kidding? I would have led the charge against you!” Alex said. “Instead, I plan to back you up all the way!”
    “Thanks, Alex. That means a lot.”
    And it did.

20
    J ulian arrived at basketball practice the next day ready to work hard. And he did just that. But he was careful about how he
     played too—no fancy moves, or tricks, or showboating of any kind. Nothing, in short, that would make his new teammates think
     he was trying to outshine them, or Paul.
    Julian wasn’t looking to be the team’s new star. He wasn’t after glory. He simply wanted to play. To his delight, that’s just
     what he got to do.
    Three days after Paul’s hospitalization, the Warriors faced