Sasquatch in the Paint by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Page B

She’d once told him about her dog getting hit by a car, and he’d been sympathetic. Now Constance seemed to be in a state of shock rather than excitement. Theo realized that was because she hadn’t known what Brooke had done. Brooke had probably told Constance to follow her to Theo’s table, and she had done so because, well, people did what Brooke told them to do.
    â€œAnyway,” Brooke said, “I don’t like going behind anyone’s back, so I’m telling you to your face. It’s not personal. Just what’s best for the team.” She looked right at Theo, and he could see that there was no anger or spite in her eyes. She believed what she was saying. “You’re holding us back, Theo.”
    Brooke walked away, and Constance hurried behind her, trying to catch up. Constance glanced over her shoulder at Theo and mouthed, “Sorry.” But, of course, that wouldn’t stop her from replacing him.
    â€œMan, this stinks!” Brian said. “We should go talk to Mr. J.”
    â€œWhy?” Rain asked. Was she actually eating the cookie crumbs from Brian’s tray?
    â€œBecause she’s trying to get me kicked off the team,” Theo said, “that’s why.”
    â€œIs she wrong?” She licked her fingers of the last crumbs.
    â€œWhat?” Brian asked, shocked by the question.
    â€œIs she wrong about Theo’s performance on the team? Has he been slacking off? Is he pulling the team down?”
    Theo and Brian looked at each other.
    â€œThat’s not the point!” Brian snapped. “The point is we’re friends, and you don’t ditch a friend like that. I bet Daryl and Tunes will back us up. If Theo goes, we’ll all quit.”
    Rain wagged her head back and forth like she was weighing both sides. “That’s noble and all, but if Theo is such a good friend, shouldn’t he be pulling his weight? Isn’t that his duty as a friend to the rest of you?”
    â€œHe’s also got basketball practice,” Brian said.
    â€œMaybe he can’t do both.”
    Brian started to answer, then hesitated. Brian was loyal, Theo knew, but he was also smart. Good arguments were good arguments and he couldn’t deny them.
    Theo stood up, grabbed his tray, and started walking away. Brian followed. “You wouldn’t understand friendship,” Theo said to Rain without turning, “because you don’t have any friends.”
    â€œMaybe,” she replied. “But am I wrong about you?”

“CATCH the freakin’ ball , Theo!”
    â€œDribble toward the basket, Theo! Toward! ”
    â€œDon’t shoot! Pass it, dude! Pass it now !”
    â€œBounce-pass, Theo! Bounce-pass! ”
    Theo’s teammates were hollering at him the way they would at a stray dog who was running off with their backpacks. He tried to follow their advice, but it was just too hard to do everything at once. And everything he did do was wrong.
    Whatever goodwill he’d earned from the rumors of his playing at the park and standing up to Motorcycle Guy had been erased by his stumbling around the court today like a three-legged rabbit caught in a cattle stampede. As far as his teammates were concerned, he was back to square one.
    Square one sucked!
    Practice that day had started with so much hope.
    As the team was dressing in the locker room, a couple guys who’d never even spoken to Theo off court had nodded hello. One kid had called him “slugger” in a nonsarcastic way. Roger and Sinjin ignored him, but that meant they didn’t insult him, so this was progress.
    â€œListen up, men!” Coach shouted from his office. “Everybody in here on the double. Hustle it up!”
    The players hurried into his office. Coach Mandrake sat behind his messy desk, waving everyone in. “C’mon, c’mon. There’s plenty of room.”
    The boys crowded closer to look at his computer