Free Underdog by Eric Walters Page A

tomorrow, we’ll do it later. We’re down to the last thirty boxes. We can do that easy before next weekend.”
    Everybody reverted back to not talking. That was okay. I knew Ashton didn’t need to be pushed right now. He was hurting and he had the right to feel hurt. I’d wait until later to talk to him. I’d give him a phone call tonight. Although I wasn’t exactly sure what it was that I was going to say when I did call him.The phone kept ringing—four…five…and there was still no answer. I guessed nobody was home. Maybe that was better anyway because I still hadn’t figured out what I was going to say.
    There was a “click” and an answering machine came to life.
    â€œWe’re not home,” said a woman’s voice. “At the beep please leave a message and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.”
    I hated leaving messages.
    â€œBeep!”
    I hesitated for a split second. Maybe I should just hang up. No, I better say something. “Um…hello…um…this is…um…Nick and—”
    â€œHey, Nick.” It was Ashton.
    â€œHi. I didn’t think anybody was in,” I said.
    â€œI’m home. I always listen for the machine. If it’s not for me I just leave it. That way I don’t have to take messages.”
    â€œThat’s smart.”
    â€œAnd safe. You don’t have any big brothers, so you can’t imagine how mad they get if you forget to tell them that some girl called.”
    â€œI know I get annoyed when somebody doesn’t tell me that Kia called.”
    â€œThis is a little more serious. These aren’t girls who are friends but girlfriends. The worst, about two years ago, was when some girl called and asked for one of my brothers and I said he wasn’t home because he was out on a date with his girlfriend.”
    â€œWhat’s so bad about that?” I asked.
    â€œWhat I didn’t know was that he was out on a date with
one
of his girlfriends, and I was talking to another one who didn’t know about the first.”
    I burst out laughing.
    â€œGlad you think it’s funny,” he said. “My brother, my much bigger brother, didn’t think it was funny at all. Speaking of funny, the message you started to leave was pretty funny.”
    â€œWhat was so funny about it?”
    â€œYeah, it sounded like you didn’t remember your own name. ‘Um…this is…this is…um… Nick.’ ”
    â€œI don’t like talking to machines,” I explained. “So how you doing?”
    â€œI’m doing just fine. Now.”
    â€œI thought you might need some time,” I said.
    â€œAll I needed was time to make the right decision.”
    â€œDecision, what decision?” I asked. I didn’t want him to make any decision.
    â€œI’m quitting the team.”
    â€œYou can’t quit!” I exclaimed.
    â€œSure I can. Already decided. I’m not going back again.”
    â€œBut you can’t do that. You’re a great player and the team needs you.”
    â€œDidn’t you hear? The team doesn’t need me because I’m not even part of the team.”
    â€œOf course you’re part of the team!”
    â€œNo, I play me-ball not b-ball.”
    â€œHe wasn’t just saying that about you. Nobody was passing the ball.”
    â€œIt doesn’t matter. Haven’t you figured it out? That coach wants me to quit. He doesn’t want me on the team.”
    â€œYes he does. If he didn’t want you on the team, he wouldn’t have picked you in the first place,” I tried to explain.
    â€œNo, it’s better for him if he picks me and then I quit. Then he can say it’s my fault instead of the real reason,” Ashton said.
    â€œWhat do you mean, the real reason?” I asked.
    â€œHe’s a racist.”
    â€œA racist! How can you say that?”
    â€œBecause he is.