Mrs. Shelton said.
Mrs. Shelton parked the SUV in the school lot. Cam, Eric, and Eric’s twin sisters, Donna and Diane, got out. Mr. Shelton took Eric’s brother Howie out of the baby seat. Mrs. Shelton took out a large bag filled with baby things. Mr. Shelton carried Howie and they all walked toward the school.
“Hi!” Danny called to Cam and Eric.
Danny Pace and his father were near the end of a long line of people waiting to get into the school.
“Guess what?” Danny’s father asked Mr. Shelton.
Mr. Shelton shook his head. He didn’t know what to guess.
“No, really,” Mr. Pace said. “Guess what I’m wearing.”
“I know,” Diane Shelton said. “You’re wearing a jacket and shoes and pants.”
“No. That’s not it.”
“Yes,” Diane said. “You are wearing all that!”
“Yes, but look what else I’m wearing.”
Danny’s father opened the top few buttons of his shirt. Beneath it he had on something orange. “I’m wearing the top from my old basketball uniform. It’s tight, but I can still get it on.”
“It’s real tight,” Danny whispered.
“I’m wearing it for luck,” Danny’s father said. “I want Coach Jenkins to win his last game.”
People ahead showed their tickets to the student at the door. They entered the gym. Cam and the others moved up.
Danny’s father said to Mr. Shelton, “I bet you don’t remember the number on my uniform.”
Mr. Shelton thought for a moment. Then he shook his head. He didn’t remember it.
Cam said, “I bet I know it.”
Cam closed her eyes and said, “Click!” Then she said, “I’m looking at the pictures in the yearbook. Mr. Pace’s number was twenty-four. Mr. Shelton’s number was eighteen.”
“That’s right,” Danny’s father said. “You really have an amazing memory.”
Cam’s real name is Jennifer, but because of her photographic memory people started calling her “The Camera.” Soon “The Camera” became just “Cam.”
“Open your eyes,” Eric told Cam. “It’s almost our turn to go in.”
Cam opened her eyes. She and the others moved up.
A student was standing by the door. She wore a paper orange Hamilton Helper sash.
“I played for Coach Jenkins,” Danny’s father told the helper. “Look, I’m wearing my uniform.”
He gave her two tickets.
The girl smiled. “I hope you’ll stay after the game for the party,” she said. “It’s for Coach, and it’s in the cafeteria.”
Mr. Shelton gave her a bunch of tickets. Then Cam and all the Sheltons entered the gym. The game was about to begin.
Chapter Two
“Look up,” Diane said. “Look at all those balloons.”
Two large nets filled with colorful balloons were tied to the ceiling of the gym.
Ten players, five from each team, stood on the court. The Hamilton players wore orange and black uniforms; the players from the other team, Franklin High School, wore green and yellow uniforms. Two players, one from each team, stood in the middle of the court. A referee in a black and white striped shirt stood between them. He held a basketball.
Trill! Trill!
The referee blew his whistle. He tossed the basketball up. The two players jumped. The one from Hamilton got to it first and tapped it to a teammate.
“Hurry! Let’s find seats,” Mr. Shelton said.
Hundreds of people had come to the game. Almost every seat in the bleachers was taken.
Cam looked up. She saw someone in the last row waving. It was Danny. There were empty seats in his row.
Hamilton scored and the crowd cheered.
Cam and the Sheltons climbed to the last row. They were just below the balloons.
Donna told Danny, “We’re winning!”
“No we’re not,” Danny said. “Franklin just scored. We’re tied, two to two.”
“Oh, I want Hamilton to win,” Donna said.
“Me, too,” Diane said. “Go Hamilton!” she shouted.
The players ran from one end of the court to the other. They passed the ball. They carefully threw it toward the basket.
“They go so fast,”
Mrs. Shelton parked the SUV in the school lot. Cam, Eric, and Eric’s twin sisters, Donna and Diane, got out. Mr. Shelton took Eric’s brother Howie out of the baby seat. Mrs. Shelton took out a large bag filled with baby things. Mr. Shelton carried Howie and they all walked toward the school.
“Hi!” Danny called to Cam and Eric.
Danny Pace and his father were near the end of a long line of people waiting to get into the school.
“Guess what?” Danny’s father asked Mr. Shelton.
Mr. Shelton shook his head. He didn’t know what to guess.
“No, really,” Mr. Pace said. “Guess what I’m wearing.”
“I know,” Diane Shelton said. “You’re wearing a jacket and shoes and pants.”
“No. That’s not it.”
“Yes,” Diane said. “You are wearing all that!”
“Yes, but look what else I’m wearing.”
Danny’s father opened the top few buttons of his shirt. Beneath it he had on something orange. “I’m wearing the top from my old basketball uniform. It’s tight, but I can still get it on.”
“It’s real tight,” Danny whispered.
“I’m wearing it for luck,” Danny’s father said. “I want Coach Jenkins to win his last game.”
People ahead showed their tickets to the student at the door. They entered the gym. Cam and the others moved up.
Danny’s father said to Mr. Shelton, “I bet you don’t remember the number on my uniform.”
Mr. Shelton thought for a moment. Then he shook his head. He didn’t remember it.
Cam said, “I bet I know it.”
Cam closed her eyes and said, “Click!” Then she said, “I’m looking at the pictures in the yearbook. Mr. Pace’s number was twenty-four. Mr. Shelton’s number was eighteen.”
“That’s right,” Danny’s father said. “You really have an amazing memory.”
Cam’s real name is Jennifer, but because of her photographic memory people started calling her “The Camera.” Soon “The Camera” became just “Cam.”
“Open your eyes,” Eric told Cam. “It’s almost our turn to go in.”
Cam opened her eyes. She and the others moved up.
A student was standing by the door. She wore a paper orange Hamilton Helper sash.
“I played for Coach Jenkins,” Danny’s father told the helper. “Look, I’m wearing my uniform.”
He gave her two tickets.
The girl smiled. “I hope you’ll stay after the game for the party,” she said. “It’s for Coach, and it’s in the cafeteria.”
Mr. Shelton gave her a bunch of tickets. Then Cam and all the Sheltons entered the gym. The game was about to begin.
Chapter Two
“Look up,” Diane said. “Look at all those balloons.”
Two large nets filled with colorful balloons were tied to the ceiling of the gym.
Ten players, five from each team, stood on the court. The Hamilton players wore orange and black uniforms; the players from the other team, Franklin High School, wore green and yellow uniforms. Two players, one from each team, stood in the middle of the court. A referee in a black and white striped shirt stood between them. He held a basketball.
Trill! Trill!
The referee blew his whistle. He tossed the basketball up. The two players jumped. The one from Hamilton got to it first and tapped it to a teammate.
“Hurry! Let’s find seats,” Mr. Shelton said.
Hundreds of people had come to the game. Almost every seat in the bleachers was taken.
Cam looked up. She saw someone in the last row waving. It was Danny. There were empty seats in his row.
Hamilton scored and the crowd cheered.
Cam and the Sheltons climbed to the last row. They were just below the balloons.
Donna told Danny, “We’re winning!”
“No we’re not,” Danny said. “Franklin just scored. We’re tied, two to two.”
“Oh, I want Hamilton to win,” Donna said.
“Me, too,” Diane said. “Go Hamilton!” she shouted.
The players ran from one end of the court to the other. They passed the ball. They carefully threw it toward the basket.
“They go so fast,”
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