Janice Abel Online

Coach Cline sat braced against the edge of his desk. Nick, perched on the edge of a battered bench had hardly glanced from the patterns on the tile floor. The words floated over Nick’s head until he heard Coach Cline say, “The bottom line is your ridin’ the bench until you get your head off the fans and onto the field.”

“But, coach…” he protested, glancing up, the first words he’d uttered.

“Nick, it’s best for you and the team. I repeat, take it from your old coach here, you’ve got to forget about big leagues, at least for now, until you can get your head back in the game. Be a good bench sitter. I remember when you cheered on,” he hesitated and stared into deep thought, “no, better put, I’d say, you willed the guys to victories they wouldn’t have made otherwise. Get the old Nick spirit back. The guys need you, they just don’t know it anymore.”

In the next moment Nick had never heard silence so heavy. Coach Cline’s face was solidly serious, but he didn’t seem mad. “You thought anymore about college baseball? ” he asked.

Nick shrugged; no words came.

“My buddy over at San Marcos, Robb Wilson baseball coach, said he would really like to talk to you. Was surprised yesterday when I told him that you hadn’t decided anything yet.”

“Don’t think so,” Nick murmured.

“Think about it,” Coach Cline quickly replied. “I will give him a call if that will help.” He stood, giving Nick an encouraging pat on the shoulder. “Next game, tomorrow. Okay?”

Nick stood staring into his coach’s eyes. The blow of being benched loomed large in his head. Without another word, Nick strapped on his power backpack and whisked away not thinking too much about his track home and not noticing that two guys were following him.

Back to Books by Janice Abel.