Juice - Eric Walters [16]
“Look,” Caleb began, “I know something’s going on here. I’m not stupid. Those special shakes that Tony makes—do you know what’s in them?”
“Nobody knows that but Tony.”
“Well I think I know. I think there’s something that’s not legal. I think we’re being fed steroids.”
A chill went up my spine.
“Tony told me that there’s nothing illegal in those drinks,” I said.“Just stuff he gets at health food stores.”
“There’s lots of stuff that’s sold legally that is still illegal to take in sports. They test for lots of stuff in the Olympics, on pro teams. Look, everybody’s getting too strong too fast. Something’s not right. Besides, haven’t you seen how people are acting, like those two inside just now? Everybody seems to be on edge, picking fights with each other. I’m edgy. For the first time in my life I’m having trouble sleeping at night. It’s like I can’t turn off my head.”
I’d been having trouble sleeping too, but I wasn’t going to admit it. Not now.
“Maybe there’s just a lot on your mind,” I suggested.
“There is a lot on my mind. I’m wondering if we’re being doped without knowing it.”
“It’s not like that. If they wanted you to use steroids, Tony would ask you,” I said.
“How can you be so —?” Caleb stopped. He looked dead serious. “You know that because they asked you, didn’t they? Moose, you gotta be honest with me. Are you using steroids?”
I didn’t answer. I had been feeling guilty already for not talking to Caleb. I knew he wasn’t going to be taking them—receivers didn’t need to bulk up.
“Well?” he asked.
“I’m not doing anything wrong,” I finally said. “I’m just trying to do what’s best for everybody. For the team, for my mother, for my future. That’s all. You don’t have to worry.”
“I don’t have to worry, but I’m going to anyway,” Caleb said. “And you should be worried too.”
Chapter Twelve
I slammed the door with such force that the glass rattled. For a split second I thought it was going to break.
“Michael?” my mother called out as she rushed into the hall. “What was that noise?”
“Nothing. I closed the door.”
“What are you doing here?” she asked.
“I live here!” I snapped.
“I mean what are you doing here now? Aren’t you supposed to be working?”
“Supposed to be.”
“Then why aren’t you?” she asked.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” I said as I brushed past her and headed for the kitchen.
“I need you to talk about it,” she said as she trailed in behind me. “Did something happen?”
I flung open the fridge door and grabbed a Coke. “I’m going to my room.”
She stood in the doorway, blocking my way. “You’re not going anywhere until I get an answer.”
“Look, it’s no big deal. It happens to people all the time,” I said. “I was suspended for the day.”
“Suspended! What happened?”
“Nothing.”
“Something had to happen.”
I was angry and embarrassed. I really didn’t want to talk about it.
“Please. Tell me,” she said.
“There was this woman…”
“What woman?”
“At the store. I don’t know who she was. I was moving some empty boxes…”
“Yeah, go on.”
“And she cut me off with her grocery cart and the boxes tumbled over and one of them bounced against the side of her cart,” I said.
“Accidents happen,” my mother said.
“That’s what I said. And it wasn’t like anybody got hurt.”
“That’s the important part.”
“You’d think that, wouldn’t you!” I snapped. “But she just starts yelling at me, and screaming like I’d tried to kill her!”
“That’s awful.”
“Everybody’s staring at me, and she keeps on screaming, getting louder and louder…and then…I told her to shut up, and she wouldn’t. So I started yelling at her, telling her what a stupid witch she was and—”
“Michael, you didn’t,” my mother said.
“She deserved it, the stupid—the stupid—woman.” I felt my temper rising as I talked about her. “I had to fight the urge to reach out and give her a smack!”
“Michael, don’t even joke about that.”
“Who’s joking? I had to stop myself from giving her a backhand across the—” I was stopped