It would have been easy enough to just admit Gary’s slightly superior IQ in the first place, and not have to deal with all his taunts. But Derek was not someone who could resist a challenge, no matter what the odds. And for that, he feared, he was about to pay the price.
Buck-buck-b’guck.
Math was in the morning, with English in the afternoon. Derek used the tricks Vijay had taught him to make sure he got through most of the questions quickly, with plenty of time at the end to go back and solve the difficult problems. He wound up with ten minutes to spare!
As he got up to leave for the cafeteria, Derek saw that Gary was still working away. Well, well—that’s a switch, he thought happily. But then, as he left the room, he had second thoughts. Should he maybe have used those ten minutes to go over the tough questions one more time?
Dave was already in the cafeteria when Derek got there, and Derek sat down next to him.
“How’d it go for you?” Derek asked.
Dave shrugged. “I think I did pretty well—thanks to studying with Vijay.”
“Yeah, right? That’s probably why Gary always wants to make bets with me, not Vijay!”
They both laughed. It was true. Gary was the type of kid who would never make a bet he thought he could lose.
“So, listen,” Dave said. “My mom told me we’re moving Wednesday.”
“So fast?” Derek said, dismayed. “That’s the day after school’s over!”
“I know,” Dave said sadly. “I told you. They wanted to leave last week, but they put it off on account of me. So anyway, we’re going to be packing and stuff next week. But I wanted to see if we could hang out one more time before we leave. Maybe over the weekend?”
“I’ll ask my parents, but I think it’ll be okay,” Derek said.
“We could go drive some golf balls or something, maybe?”
“Sure.”
Derek liked golf, but he avoided playing it during Little League season, so as not to mess up his baseball swing. But after Saturday? Why not?
“Wow, I just remembered,” Derek said. “We’re up against each other tomorrow!”
“I know. Should be fun, huh?” Dave smiled, but it faded quickly. “I… I know how much it means to you, Derek. I… I almost hope you guys win.”
“Aw, you don’t have to say that.”
“I said ‘almost.’ You know I play to win.”
Derek knew, all right. “Hey, are you even going to be able to play golf in Hong Kong?”
“Oh yeah,” Dave assured him. “The school even has its own golf team.”
“Wow! Well, you’re a cinch to make it, huh?”
“There are only ten kids in my class, so I have a feeling there’s room on the team.”
“It sounds fancy, but good. You must be excited.”
Dave looked him right in the eyes. “I’ve never been as happy as I was here, in Kalamazoo,” he said sadly. “It was hard at first—but I made real friends here—you most of all.”
“Vijay and I are going to write you. Once a week. We’re going to take turns.”
“Oh. Okay, cool.” Dave seemed doubtful, but Derek knew now that he could write well when he wanted to—his essay had proved that.
Which gave him an idea. He reached into his book bag and pulled out his English final. Finding the essay page, he folded it in half and gave it to Dave.
“Here.”
“What’s this?”
“My English essay. Read it. Not now but later, when you’re in Hong Kong.”
The bell rang, and kids started filing into the cafeteria for lunch. Derek spotted Gary walking in, scanning the room for him.
“Ah, Jeter!” he said as he came over to gloat. “Gave up early this morning?”
“No, I finished the whole thing,” Derek replied. “You seemed to be having some difficulty there.”
“Ha! That’s funny, Jeter. About as funny as you’re going to look wearing a—”
He cut his words short, realizing that Dave was there. “Well, let me not ruin the surprise,” he said, before tootling off toward the food line.
“What was that about?” Dave asked.
“I’ll tell you next time I see you.”
“Hmmm. Sounds intriguing.” Dave waggled his eyebrows and stroked his chin.
Derek had to smile. It felt good, after all that studying and stress and worry, to have done his absolute best this morning. He had a pretty good feeling about this afternoon, too. After all, hadn’t he already beaten Gary on the English final?
“Dad?”
“Yes, Derek?” Mr. Jeter looked up from the textbook he was reading.
“Could I ask you a favor?”
Mr. Jeter smiled. “I think you’ve chosen your timing for this ask wisely. You’ve been studying day in and day out for weeks, it seems like.”
“Could you take me to the ball field early tomorrow, and hit me some grounders?”
Mr. Jeter nodded. “I’d like that, Derek. I’d have liked to be there more for you this season, but, well…”
“I know. Sharlee.”
“I think she has finally accepted that we didn’t win the championship. It took her a while, but…” He paused, looking hard at Derek. “You ready to earn that big win tomorrow?”
“Of course!”
“That’s my boy. We enjoy every minute, but we also play to win, right?”
“Right!”
By the time Coach Stafford arrived at the field with Pete, Derek and his dad had already been at it for thirty minutes. Derek had worked up a sweat chasing ball after ball, but he had gotten a sort of rhythm going, as if he were on autopilot. Derek felt like if a ball came to him during the game, he could handle it with his eyes closed.
“I like it, I like it!” Coach K said. “That’s some dedication there! Way to go, Derek!”
“Thanks, Coach. Thanks, Dad.”
The coach then went over to the stands on the Tigers’ side of the field. Sitting there was a man who’d shown up around fifteen minutes earlier. Next to him sat a kid in a Tigers uniform. Derek didn’t know either of them, but Pete was talking to the kid like he knew him. Probably from school, thought Derek.
The man pointed over at Derek, and
