Free Force Out by Tim Green Page A

what?”
    â€œYeah, Coach Barrett with who?”
    Joey looked hard and thought he recognized the man next to Coach Barrett but not the other man facing him. He had no idea who the three heads facing away from him were. “I don’t know. Who?”
    â€œLook hard. The guy next to him?”
    â€œHe looks familiar, but I don’t know.”
    â€œThe Pirates coach? You see now? The other guy is the coach of the Cardinals, and the bald guy with his back to us coaches the A’s.”
    â€œSo?” Joey slipped his arm free from Zach’s grip. “They’re having a coaches’ meeting or something.”
    â€œThe meeting is tomorrow with the league president. I heard them talking about it, remember?”
    â€œYeah.” Joey studied the faces of the men. They looked jolly and Coach Barrett was telling a story. “That’s what coach said to me, too.”
    â€œSo, why are they here?” Zach said.
    The hostess asked if it was just the two of them and Zach requested a table in the farthest corner, away from the coaches. They ordered milk shakes and French fries and sat staring at the men, trying to read what was happening. Joey’s stomach got tighter and tighter. The idea that his fate for the summer, and maybe his entire baseball career, was being decided over cheeseburgers, shakes, and coffee coiled itself around his brain like a python.
    â€œThey don’t have any rosters or score books,” Joey said. “You’d think they’d have that if they were deciding on the all-stars.”
    Zach narrowed his eyes at the group. “They’re not doing that. They’re up to something, though.”
    â€œSomething, like what?”
    â€œI don’t know. Just something.”
    Just as the waitress brought Joey and Zach’s shakes, the coaches all burst out laughing together and stood up. Everyone shook Coach Barrett’s hand, he slapped their backs, and then they filtered out with Coach Barrett stopping at the cash register to pay the bill.
    â€œDon’t turn around.” Zach moved so the back of Joey’s head blocked the coach’s view of him. “He’s looking.”
    After a minute, Zach relaxed, and he watched through the front window as their coach went into the parking lot.
    â€œThey probably just got together to celebrate the end of the season.” Joey wanted to keep his thoughts positive. Zach sometimes liked to make a big deal out of things and see problems and mysteries where there were none, and that’s what he told himself this was.
    â€œYeah,” Zach said, “probably.”
    Joey could tell Zach didn’t believe it. Joey would have preferred they argue. “Why did you have to even bring it up?”
    â€œIt was weird,” Zach said, “that’s all. I wasn’t bringing anything up.”
    â€œAnd why didn’t you want him to see us?”
    Zach sipped his milk shake. “I’m sorry, man. I just had a weird feeling. I know you’re book smart, but I’m people smart.”
    â€œAnd I’m not?”
    â€œYou’re way smarter than me in school, right?” Zach asked.
    â€œI guess.”
    â€œYou are. It’s no big deal. We are what we are and I can admit it. Why can’t you admit I’m people smart? Look at me working this thing with Leah for you. I do it because you’re my friend and it’s easy for me.”
    â€œWhy did you have to bring Leah into this?”
    â€œI’m just saying. Does everything have to be a fight?” Zach scratched his nose. “I know you stuck your neck out for me last night, and I’m sorry. Trust me—if I’d have known your mom was going to get on the case like this, I wouldn’t have let you do it, but I wanted to win that game just like you and have us both playing on the all-stars and then who knows?”
    â€œCenter State select,” Joey said, sighing because now it seemed