Free Making the Save by Matt Christopher

Chapter 1
    T hwap!
Bucky Pinter slapped down the soccer ball Dewey London kicked at him. He sent the ball rolling back to Dewey. Dewey trapped it with his foot, lined up behind it, and kicked again. This time, Bucky jumped high to tap the ball up and over the goal.
    “Another great save, Bucky!” Dewey cried enthusiastically.
    Bucky retrieved the ball. “Thanks for practicing with me today,” he said. “I want to be sure I’m ready for our last game!” Bucky was the starting goalkeeper for the Soccer ’Cats. Dewey played halfback.
    “It’d be awesome to end the season with a win,” Dewey agreed. He punted the ball at Bucky.
    It was a soft kick, and Bucky caught it easily. This time, instead of sending the ball back to Dewey, he started bouncing it from knee to knee. “I’ve been thinking,” he said. “Maybe we should get Coach Bradley a thank-you present for all he’s done for our team. What do you think?”
    Dewey nodded. “Sounds good to me. Let’s talk to Bundy and see what he thinks. He is the captain of the team, after all.” He checked his watch. “Bundy had a dentist appointment earlier, but he should be home by now. Want to head over to his house?”
    Bucky gave the ball one last bounce. “Sure. Think his mom will feed us lunch? I’m starving!”
    Several minutes later, the two boys were sitting with Bundy at his kitchen table. Bucky and Dewey were eating sandwiches and chips. Bundy had a bowl of applesauce.

    “Is that all you’re having for lunch?” Dewey asked, his mouth full of peanut butter and jelly.
    “I can’t chew. My lips and tongue are numb,” Bundy replied. At least that’s what Bucky thought he said. It sounded more like, “Ah cad tsew. By libs ad tug ah nub.”
    Mrs. Neel explained, “Bundy had a cavity. The dentist gave him a shot to numb the area around the tooth so he could drill out the cavity without hurting Bundy. The numb feeling will wear off in a while.”
    Dewey looked horrified. “A shot? Did it hurt?” Bundy nodded miserably.
    His mother kissed the top of his head. “It’ll feel better soon. And maybe now you’ll stay away from sugary snacks and drinks!”
    Bucky watched Bundy scoop up a spoonful of applesauce and carefully put it in his mouth. He decided to follow Mrs. Neel’s advice. He sure didn’t want to have to get a shot in his mouth!
    As the three boys ate their lunches, Bucky brought up his idea. “So, what do you think, Captain Bundy? Should we get the coach a thank-you present?”
    Bundy nodded. He opened his mouth to say something, but before he could speak, his mother interrupted. “I think it would be a great idea. I just have two questions.” She turned from the counter and looked at the three boys. “First: What are you going to get him? And second: How are you going to pay for it?”

Chapter 2
    B ucky gulped. He had an idea for the present, but he hadn’t really given much thought to where the money would come from.
    Mrs. Neel seemed to realize that. “I suppose we, your parents, could just give you the money,” she said. “But then the gift wouldn’t really be from you and your teammates, would it?”
    “So we need to figure out a way to earn the money ourselves,” Dewey finished for her. “Maybe we could have a bake sale. You know, make cookies and cakes and sell ’em to people?”
    Bundy shook his head violently. “No way!” he said, his speech still a little garbled. “I’m staying away from sugar!”
    “A lemonade stand?” Dewey smacked his lips. “I love lemonade!”
    The other two boys shook their heads. “Lemonade stands are for little kids,” Bundy said. “Besides, no one ever makes money from them. Why don’t we just ask everyone to break open their piggy banks? I bet I’ve got a couple of dollars in mine.”
    “We could,” Bucky agreed. “But I think it’d be better to come up with a way to earn money as a team.”
    The three boys were quiet for a few minutes, each trying to think up a way to make