Strange Country Day Read Online Free Page A

turned, and stared at myself. Sure, I was swimming in my pads and uniform, but I was Peyton Manning. Actually, more like Peyton’s backup’s backup. Or a member of the practice squad. But all those years playing in my friends’ backyards after school had paid off. I wonder what they’d say if they could see me now.
    The last few days had been stressful for a myriad of reasons. After my miraculous throw and Dex’s even more amazing catch, Coach Schmick marched Dex and me to his spacious, trophy-filled office in the athletic center and informed us we both had serious potential. Because we were seventh graders and he didn’t know much about us beyond the throw and catch we completed, he invited us to work with the team for a couple of weeks, and then he’d see if there was a place for us. Under his guidance and coaching, he said, if we measured up, we’d be molded into All-State players with the potential of being recruited by a college. It seemed a little weird to think of Dex or me playing college ball, but who says no to that? We told him we’d talk to our parents to get permission, to which he responded, “I’ll come to your houses to chat if necessary.”
    Convincing my parents was a different story.
    “ … And now he wants me to join the football team, possibly for good!”
    This had easily been the most amazing day of my life. A girl had acknowledged my presence, even though she was dating a jerk who wanted me permanently bruised, I’d thrown a long touchdown pass to someone who could be my new friend, and now the school’s million-dollar football coach personally invited me to play for him. I was really excited.
    My parents didn’t show even a little bit of excitement. Nothing.
    “I don’t know,” Dad said, glancing over at Mom. “You could get hurt.”
    My mom sat there, thinking it over.
    I couldn’t believe this was happening. They wanted me to make friends, to fit in, to do well in school.
    “Here’s our deal, Alex,” Mom said. “The first time we see an unsatisfactory grade from you, you’re off the team.” I was thrilled, but I noticed Dad frowning, as if she was going against his wishes. “And you must be careful,” she added.
    “Thank you thank you thank you! I will! I mean, Coach said I’d be their third quarterback, so I’m going to be working hard to develop in practice, but it’s still amazing. I get a jersey and a helmet, and he says he’s going to mold me into an amazing quarterback, and Dex is joining too … ”
    “Who’s Dex?” Dad asked.
    “Remember, I told you I threw that pass and this really short kid jumped up really, really high to catch it, even though I overthrew it? That’s him,” I replied.
    “How high would you say he jumped?”
    “I don’t know. It was just amazing. I’ve never seen someone jump like that.”
    “And you said he looked like some kind of animal?” Dad said.
    I didn’t say anything about an animal.
    Mom intervened. “Alex, I think you have homework to do,” she said, giving my father a look that told him to keep quiet.
    But I had similar questions for Dex. I asked him after gym class that day how he jumped that high. He shrugged at me and answered, “I’ve always been able to do that.”
    On Monday, I decided I would still sit next to Sophi so I could tell her my big news. But before I made it through the door, someone tapped me on the shoulder. Who do you think it was?
    “C’mere,” Flab said as he put a beefy arm around me and led me a few steps away to a stairwell near the classroom. He stood over me and glanced around before speaking in hushed tones.
    “You’re lucky I don’t do something worse to you right now,” he said. “I heard you were talking to Sophi.”
    I was too nervous to respond. He figured that out quickly and smiled at me. That was the last thing I expected.
    “Hey, that’s cool. You can sit next to her or whatever. But she’s my girlfriend. And let’s face it, guys like me”—he pointed to his