Chapter 26

When Zach woke up the next morning the first thing he did was check his wrist. He was pleased as he flexed and twisted it that it hurt less than the night before. It still wasn’t healthy enough for wrestling but it felt like it was going to heal itself.

When he told his mother she was skeptical. “Zach, are you sure?” she said. “It wouldn’t hurt to see a doctor.”

“It’s fine, Mom,” Zach said, knowing she was relieved that she wouldn’t have to arrange a doctor visit, nor pay for one.

“Are you working out today?” she asked. “Remember what your girlfriend said.”

“She’s not my girlfriend, Mom,” he said. “But I’ll go for my run like I always do,” he said. “I don’t think the coach will take me back but I’ll be ready just in case.”

For the first time in weeks the temperature was above freezing, if only by a few degrees. Usually Zach ran his four-mile course and went back inside, but this time he deviated. He looped past the Burger King and headed back towards the high school when he’d finished the four miles, finally stopping in the gym parking lot.

Still breathing hard, he walked into the gym to watch the youth league basketball games that were held there every Sunday. Some of the parents looked over as he walked up a sideline and climbed into the bleachers but nobody seemed very interested. Zach didn’t even like basketball but it felt good to be there, away from anything that reminded him of his problems.

~~~

Beth eased her Chevy Impala to the curb after coasting past the parked white van. She wondered how Zach’s spirits were holding up as she walked through the chain-link gate and up the walkway to the door. Her mission was to talk him through another day, long enough for Easton to have a chance to get him back on the team. Before she knocked she heard the long beep of a car horn. Without turning her head too far she determined that it had come from the van.

~~~

“Check it out,” Herndon said. “Hot chick at six o’clock getting out of that car. Now we know why Zach didn’t answer the door. He was expecting company.”

“I’ve never seen her before,” Dumphries said.

“Nor I,” Fauquier said.

“Nice jeans,” Herndon said as the girl walked towards the house. “Doesn’t it seem like every time we see Zach he’s got a different girl? Let’s see if we can get her to look.” He reached over and leaned on the horn.

”You moron,” Fauquier said in disgust as he pushed Herndon’s hand away. “Now it looks like I did it.”

~~~

Beth knocked a few times before conceding that nobody was home. She wasn’t anxious to leave the front step because she was nervous about whoever was in that van. After another minute of waiting she felt she had no choice but to leave.

“Looking for Zach?” a voice called from the van just before she pushed the gate open.

“Yeah,” she shouted back, trying not to look startled. Knowing they were Zach’s friends put her at ease. “Have you seen him?”

“No,” Herndon answered. “We just got done doing the same thing you did.”

Ordinarily she’d have kept walking but out of a sense of urgency she approached the van and the rough-looking characters inside. “I really need to see him,” she said. “I guess you guys don’t have any idea where he is, either, huh?”

“Nope,” Herndon said.

“He might even be inside,” Beth said. “Last night he wouldn’t come out of his room.” By then she was standing at the passenger side window.

“Do you want to get in and wait with us?” Fauquier leaned over to ask. “Kind of chilly out there.”

“No, thanks,” Beth said.

“I talked to his mom last night but she wouldn’t let me see him,” Dumphries said. “We heard he got kicked off the wrestling team. Do you know anything about that?”

“Yeah, sort of,” Beth said, casually trying to get a better look inside the van. “You guys must be good friends of his.”

“He’s in our band,” Herndon said. “He was, anyway. Now that his schedule is freed up we’re here get him to come back.”

“Oh, you guys are the band,” she said. “He’s told me so much, I feel like I know you. You’ve got to be Joe,” she said, looking at Fauquier.

“Whatever he told you, it’s all true,” Herndon said.

“His schedule might not be so free,” Beth said. “We’re working on getting him back on the team.”

“What?” Herndon asked. “We were about to nab him!”

Suddenly they all turned to look when they heard the large black SUV that had come out of nowhere and was roaring down the street towards them. After it raced past Fauquier’s van and Beth’s Impala the brake lights flashed and the truck skidded to a stop in the mix of salt and sand that still covered the side streets. White reverse lights came on long enough for the truck to be maneuvered in front of the Impala. Seconds later Mark Easton walked up the street while watching Zach’s front door.

“Who’s this dork?” Herndon asked.

“Mark!” Beth yelled. “What are you doing here?” She walked toward him until they converged about thirty yards away from the van.

“I figured I’d make sure our boy was doing his part before I go to the coach,” Easton said. “Is he here?”

“Nobody’s seen him,” Beth said. “Nobody answered the door either.”

“Who are those dorks in the van?” Easton asked.

“That’s Zach’s band,” Beth explained. “They’re here on a recruiting trip. News travels fast. They were already here when I pulled up.”

Beth had been walking backwards while she and Easton talked. Herndon stuck his head out the window and yelled “What’s up?” in Easton’s direction.

“Hey,” Easton said when he and Beth had reached the window.

“So let me get this straight,” Dumphries said from the back. “We kicked him out a few weeks ago. You kicked him off the team yesterday. Now we’re all here trying to get him back?”

“I heard he got kicked out of the glee club, too,” Herndon said. “I guess they’ll be here any minute. What do you think they ride around in?”

“Which will he choose?” Dumphries wondered aloud. “Us or you?”

“Well, Zach said something weird last night,” Beth said. “I don’t think he’ll go back to just one. Just wrestling or just the band, I mean. He’s afraid he’d be letting the other side down. I think he’ll do both or neither.”

“Do you two want to get in?” Fauquier asked. “I’m going to start it up to get some heat going.”

Easton and Beth looked at each other and nodded. Dumphries slid the side door open and they moved to the rear bench seat while Fauquier started the engine.

“So who are you two, anyway?” Herndon asked.

“I’m Beth,” Beth said. “I’m a friend of Zach’s from school.”

“Mark Easton,” Easton said. “I’m Zach’s wrestling teammate. How about you guys?” he asked. “You’re from the band? Didn’t you come to one of our matches?”

“Yeah,” Herndon said. “That’s Joe, that’s Toby, and I’m Bo,” he said as he pointed each musician out.

“You’ve really made an impression,” Dumphries told Beth. “That’s the first time he’s ever introduced us by our real names.”

“So you’re the big boy that our Zach looked up to so much,” Fauquier said as he sized Easton up. “He wanted to be just like you. With the Joe Jockstrap haircut and everything.”

“Not really,” Easton said. “He doesn’t even like me. He may be putting on the ‘Mr. Clean’ act but he’s more like you than me. Always has been.”

“Do any of you know what really happened to his wrist?” Beth asked.

“Yeah, we know,” Dumphries said. “Is it a secret?”

“Sure it is,” Beth said. “If the coach finds out it happened when he was doing something stupid he’s not going to like it.”

“Coach Crisfield knows the story about slipping on the ice is bogus,” Easton said. “Trust me on that one.”

“So what really happened?” Beth asked again.

“I don’t know,” Dumphries said. “Are we getting Zach in trouble with your buddy here if we tell?” he asked, pointing at Easton.

“I won’t say anything,” Easton said. “I want him back, remember? I’m just saying that they know he’s lying about it.”

They explained to Beth and Easton how Zach had come to the show drunk and ended getting into a scuffle with the bouncers. When they were done Beth was laughing and shaking her head. “Oh my God. There’s so much I don’t know about him,” she said. “He’s got a whole other side.”

“A whole other life, you mean,” said Easton.

“That’s not typical Zach behavior,” Dumphries reminded them.

“So how about on your end,” Herndon said. “What happened all of a sudden? Why did he get kicked off the team? Don’t you know how hard he was trying?”

“First of all, he shows up with a hangover and an injured wrist and some goofy story about how it happened,” Easton said. “It didn’t help that his face was all beat up, like he’d been in a fight. Then, he was overweight so we couldn’t even weigh him in. So the other team knew ahead of time that we’d be sending a scrub out to wrestle in his place and they took advantage of it. It cost us the match and Coach didn’t like it. He’s been pretty close to getting thrown out all year because he always gives the coach a hard time.”

“I didn’t understand a word you said,” Fauquier told him.

“Well, let me put it this way. If he’s trying to be like me, it isn’t working,” Easton said. “It seems like he pulls all-nighters with you burnouts before every match.”

“But you still want him back,” Herndon said. “How bad could it have been?”

“We’ve all got a stake in this guy,” Dumphries said. “It’s funny how things work out.”

“But let’s say he gets back on your team,” Fauquier said. “Doesn’t that mean he can’t come back with us? Wasn’t that a problem in the first place?”

“Only if the coach knows about it,” Easton said. “I won’t say anything. There are only a couple weeks left in the season anyway.”

“What’s in it for you?” Dumphries asked, looking at Easton. “Aren’t you the guy Zach was always fighting with? Why would you want him back on the team?”

“He could ask the same question right back at you,” Beth said. “Why do you want him back in the band? If you wanted him, why kick him out in the first place? And why would you care about helping us get back on the team?”

“Who said we cared about him being on the wrestling team?” Fauquier asked from the front seat.

“Well, she said a few minutes ago that Zach told her he would do both or do neither,” Dumphries said as he gestured towards Beth. “That’s why we all need him to do both. That’s why we all care.”

“Like I said,” Easton said. “There are only two weeks of wrestling left. I don’t see why we can’t get him through both.”

“You never answered my question,” Herndon said to Easton. “Why does a guy like you care if Zach does either one? What’s it to you? He’s nothing but trouble for your team and the band doesn’t mean anything to you.”

“I like the guy, alright?” Easton said with exasperation. “He pissed me off at first but now I get it with him. And I think he has a crappy life.” He was drumming nervously with both hands on the back of the seat in front of him as he spoke. “I’d just like to see him get a break for once.”

“You never answered the question either,” Beth said to Herndon. “”You kicked him out of the band a long time ago. So why are you here?”

“Look, it’s simple,” Fauquier said before Herndon could speak. “We’re a better band with him than without him. It’s the difference between getting signed and playing bar mitzvahs forever.”

“So let’s say Mark talks the coach into letting him back onto the team,” Beth said. “Then what? What are you guys going to do?”

“We want him back,” Dumphries said. He looked at Fauquier who nodded in agreement. “It doesn’t matter about the wrestling. We’ll work around it. It’s just for another two weeks anyway.” He pulled out a cigarette and put it in his mouth before patting himself down for a lighter.

“Until next year,” said Herndon.

“Do you have to smoke?” Easton said. “I’m out the door if you do.”

“So that’s where Zach gets it from,” said Herndon. Dumphries yanked the cigarette out of his mouth and tossed it at Herndon.

“Well, I guess we have to wait and see what happens with the coach tomorrow,” Beth said. “Right? For now, everything depends on that.”

“Don’t forget about his wrist,” Easton said. “I don’t know about the band but I know he can’t wrestle yet. At least he couldn’t yesterday.”

“We have to know what he’s going to do, sooner rather than later,” Fauquier said. “We’ve got a showcase to play next weekend. We need to know if Zach’s in or out by Wednesday or so.”

“What’s a showcase?” asked Easton.

“We play for a bunch of guys in suits over in Philly,” Herndon said. “Supposedly they’re talent scouts, or just big wheels hiring bands for big shows, stuff like that. It’s like a contest,” he explained. “We play Friday. If we’re good enough they invite us back to play again on Saturday.”

“What time?” Easton asked. “The district tournament is this weekend.”

“Man,” Dumphries said, pounding the ceiling with a fist.

“It’ll be late on Friday,” Fauquier said. “Probably ten or eleven o’clock.”

Easton shrugged. “I guess that could be okay,” he said. “We should be done by then, anyway. What about Saturday?”

“I don’t know,” Fauquier said. “I’d have to check.”

“Is there a chance it could be at night again?” Beth asked. “What time would the tournament be over, Mark?”

“Pretty early, since it’s just districts. Like six or seven o’clock, usually,” said Easton.

“Of course, we’d have to get Zach over to Philly in time somehow,” Dumphries said. “We’ll already be there setting up.”

“I’ll figure something out,” Beth said. “I have a game on Friday but I’ll find somebody to drive him.”

“Jeanine could always do it,” Herndon suggested.

Beth scowled. “Not her,” she said crossly.

“That’s a minor detail,” Dumphries said.

“But an important one,” Fauquier said.

“Look, why don’t you all give me your phone numbers?” Beth suggested. “I’ll keep everybody up to date on what’s happening and what they need to do.” They recited their numbers one at a time to Beth, who jotted them down on her hand. Then she and Easton moved toward the door.

“Sweetie, when you leave, walk real slow to your car,” Herndon said to Beth. “I want one more look at those jeans.”

“Shut up, Stoner,” Easton said. “We’re in this together but it doesn’t mean I’m putting up with anything like that.” Herndon winked at him without replying.

Easton and Beth left the van, which sped away seconds later. “Let me know how it goes with the coach,” Beth said.

“I’ll call you,” Easton promised before they both got into their own vehicles and drove away. Five minutes later Zach ran up to his front door from the direction of the high school and let himself into the house.