Soccer Duel by Matt Christopher Page A

turned to Bryce.
    Bryce looked at him, blinking. What was he going to do — offer Bryce a nice warm seat on the JV bench?
    “You've got an extraordinary package of. skills,” Coach Harrelson told Bryce. “I'll bet Coach Johnson will find a starting spot for you on the front line of the varsity team.”
    “What?!” Bryce couldn't believe what he'd just heard — the varsity! As a
freshman!
    “It wouldn't be at center striker, you understand. My guess is he's gonna go with Curtis Jenkins. You'd have to take right wing, with Nick Vaccarella on the left.”
    Bryce stuttered his thanks, and the two boys watched Coach Harrelson leave to congratulate the coaches.
    “I'm about ready for a sundae, how ‘bout you?” Bryce asked Renny.
    “Definitely!” Renny said, nodding happily. “We've got a lot to celebrate.”
    “And my dad is buying,” Bryce told him.
    Renny stared at him, wide-eyed. “He's here?” he asked.
    Bryce nodded as his dad came up behind him. “Dad, I want you to meet my new friend, Renny Harding.”
    “Pleasure,” Bryce's dad told Renny. “Funny, I feel like I know you already….”
    Out of the comer of his eye, Bryce thought he saw his dad wink at Renny. But why would he do that? he wondered.
    Nah. Maybe he'd only imagined it. Anyway, what did it matter? Bryce felt like the whole world was his friend today. And as for Renny — the two of them would be cheering each other on all next season. And someday, when Renny got to the varsity squad, they'd even get to be teammates.
    The three of, them, Bryce, his dad, and Renny, walked toward Conroy's. As they went, Renny and Bryce talked excitedly about the great plays they'd made that day, and about the future.
    Bryce felt his dad's arm around his shoulder and smiled. He'd lost the championship, and the MVP award, too. But life was still good — it was very, very good.