Lacrosse Firestorm (7 page)

He needn’t have worried. When not playing lacrosse, Todd liked to play elaborate magician-and-monster role-playing games.
To play games like that well, he had to know
what each piece was up to at all times and keep track of his opponent’s action too. Now, Todd transferred those skills to
the lacrosse field.

He planted himself at the top of the crease, ready to screen for Samuel. Samuel darted by him and looked to the goal, but
even with Todd blocking the goalie’s view, he didn’t have a clear shot.

Now the ball went to Jeff. Once more, Todd set a screen — and this time, the play worked like a charm. Jeff darted to one
side of Todd and laced in a perfect shot seconds before the goalie realized what he was up to.

The Rockets were up by one! That late-game goal seemed to deflate the Bears. When the game ended a few minutes later, the
Rockets had pushed yet another goal across the line to win by two.

Garry cheered with the rest of his team
and then, winded from playing the entire game, headed to the bench for a much-needed rest. But any thought of relaxing went
out the window when Michael planted himself on the bench beside him.

“You are really in for it, you know that?” the attacker threatened. “If I don’t score several times the next game, you are
dead!
”

Garry took off his helmet, ran his fingers through his sweaty hair, and put on a puzzled look. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but
don’t you actually have to be in the game in order to score?”

Garry had often heard the expression “so angry his head exploded.” But he didn’t really get what it meant until just then.
Michael’s eyes bugged out, his nostrils flared, his face turned beet red, and his lips pulled back in a snarl. Garry actually
leaned back, certain his nemesis was about to lose it completely.

But Michael just stood up and shook a finger in Garry’s face. “You just kissed your place on this team goodbye, Wallis!”

He whirled around and thundered over to Coach Hasbrouck. “Coach, I have something I think you, and the authorities, will be
very
interested in seeing!” he cried. With a triumphant flourish, he reached into his duffel bag and pulled out the matchbox.

The coach looked at the box for a long moment. “You know, Michael,” he said finally, “I think you’re right. I think the authorities
are going to be very interested in seeing this. But tell me something first.”

He fixed the boy with a steely stare. “Where exactly did you get these matches, and why are you carrying them around in your
duffel bag?”

M
ichael blinked. He opened his mouth, closed it, and then opened it again. At last, he jerked a thumb at Garry.

“They’re his!” he blurted. “He’s the one who started the fire!”

“You saw him?” the coach asked calmly.

Now Michael puffed out his chest. “I sure did! He was lighting matches up on that big boulder! And … and …” Suddenly, he faltered.

“And?” Coach Hasbrouck prompted.

Now Michael clamped his mouth shut and didn’t open it.

“I’ll tell you what happened, Coach,” came a new voice.

Garry stared at the speaker, dumbfounded. “Evan?”

Several other Rockets looked up with interest.

“E-man, my friend, what’re you doing?” Michael said.

Evan held up a hand in warning. “Don’t ‘E-man’ me, Donofrio. I’m sick and tired of you and your stupid mind games!”

That caught the Rockets’ full attention. They gathered around to listen to what Evan had to say. Scottie came over from the
stands too.

Evan turned back to the coach. “I was with him the other night in the woods. We followed Garry out there.” He shot Garry a
quick look of apology. “I honestly don’t know what Michael planned to do if we found
you. I just hope I would have had the guts to stop him if … well, you know.”

Garry nodded grimly.

“Anyway, when we didn’t find you right away, we split up. I went on one side of the river, Michael went on the other.” Now
Evan looked at Scottie. “You thought I was Garry, didn’t you? When you shouted his name, I panicked and ran farther up the
river. There’s a little footbridge up there. I crossed over and headed down the other side. That’s when I saw Michael light
the match.”

“It’s a lie!” Michael yelled suddenly. He rounded on Evan. “You’re the one who lit the match, not me!”

Evan shook his head. “No,
I’m
the one who grabbed the cell phone from your sweatshirt pocket and called 9-1-1!
You’re
the one who freaked out when your match accidentally
landed in that pile of sticks! You ran away, leaving me to deal with the flames!”

“Prove it!” Michael challenged.

At this, Evan grew silent. “I can’t,” he said finally.

Michael snorted. “Then it’s your word against mine, isn’t it?”

At this, the coach cleared his throat. “Actually, it may be Evan’s
words
against yours.” When everyone looked at him in confusion, he explained. “Emergency calls are recorded. That’s probably why
the fire chief thought Michael had made the call, because Michael’s cell phone number showed up on the caller identification.
But if we can hear the actual recording —”

“ — we’ll hear Evan’s voice, not Michael’s!” Garry finished excitedly.

Coach Hasbrouck nodded. “I think you two boys better come along with me to the
fire station,” he said to Michael and Evan. “I’ll want the chief to hear your stories. The rest of you, shower up and get
some dinner. Oh, and good game, Rockets!”

Garry, Scottie, and the rest of the Rockets murmured their thanks as the coach placed a firm hand on Michael’s shoulder and
led him away. Evan followed.

“Wow,” Garry said after they’d gone. “That was …” But he couldn’t come up with a word to describe it.

“What do you suppose turned Evan against Michael?” Todd asked. “I mean, come on, he’s put up with so much from him for so
long!”

Jeff screwed up his face as if in deep thought. “If I had to guess,” he mused, “I’d say the break came when Michael proclaimed
himself a hero on that stage. I mean, it was hard enough for
us
to listen to. If Michael
really ran from the fire like Evan said he did, think of how hard it must have been for Evan to stomach!”

They all broke out laughing at that image. “Speaking of stomach,” Garry said when they’d calmed down, “I’m famished! How about
some dinner?”

They gathered their gear and began to walk toward their cabin. Scottie went with them. All at once, Garry stopped and grabbed
the Thunder goalkeeper by the arm.

“There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you. When we played you yesterday, how did I get so many goals past you? And how
did you stop so many of Michael’s shots? Usually he’s chalking them up left and right!”

Scottie grinned. “Bet he was pretty PO’d, wasn’t he?”

Garry nodded. “Yeah. In fact, he accused you of letting me score.”

Now Scottie laughed out loud. “And risk losing the game? Fat chance! I stopped Michael cold because I knew every time he got
the ball near the goal he was going to try to score. It’s pretty easy to defend against someone when you know what they’re
going to do. You? I couldn’t read you.
That’s
why you scored.”

Garry gave him a sidelong glance. “Did that make you mad? Because you wouldn’t even look at me after the game. That’s when
I thought that
you
thought I’d started the fire.”

“Naw. I was just down because we’d lost the game!” With that, he thumped Garry on the back and departed.

Then Todd fell back and motioned for Garry to join him. His face was serious.

“Garry,” he said, “you are one lucky kid, you know that? What if …?” He let his voice trail away, but his gaze was intent.

“I know, it was a really stupid move, lighting those matches,” Garry replied. “Believe me, I’ve learned my lesson. It’s a
huge mistake to play with fire, whether it’s the kind that burns wood” — he tapped his chest — “or the kind that burns here
when you’re angry. From now on, if I need to lose my cool, I’ll find a better way to do it!”

Todd’s face cleared. “Good. Now, let’s put that whole thing behind us and focus on what’s important!”

“Winning the tournament?” Garry guessed.

“No! Dinner! Come on, I’m starved!”

Read them all!

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