Long Shot - Mike Lupica [33]
But as soon as he started, Pedro realized that Ned hadn’t prepared a speech. He was clearly making it up as he went along.
“You guys all know me, right?” he said, not looking at Pedro, turning toward the audience instead. Pedro could see Jeff Harmon and Dave DeLuca in the front row. “And if you do, you probably know that I pretty much have been captain of every team I’ve ever played on.”
He paused for a second, letting that sink in. “I’ve never had to run for captain, it’s just that the other guys on the team always thought I was the best guy for the job.”
For some reason, Jeff and Dave applauded now, even though nobody else in the auditorium did. Ned smiled at them and made a time-out gesture with his hands, stopping them.
“I actually feel a little funny being up here,” Ned said, “because I’ve never been very comfortable talking about myself. I’ve always preferred to let my actions speak louder than my words.”
Tell me about it, Pedro thought.
He was waiting for Ned to talk about what kind of difference he could make as class president, but instead Ned started talking about sports. As if they were in the gym and not in the auditorium, as if being a difference-maker in a basketball game made him the best guy for the job. So he talked about some of the games he’d won and the teams he’d played on, almost like someone reading stuff off the back of his own baseball card.
As he did, Pedro checked the runners’ watch his parents had given him on his last birthday, one he hardly ever wore but had put on today. He planned to take it off and just put it down in front of him when he started speaking, not wanting Mr. Lucchino to have to tell him he’d run over his allotted time.
Still a minute to go for Ned, he saw.
Only Ned was wrapping things up, coming up on what he must have thought was going to be a big finish.
There wasn’t one.
“I’m not here to talk bad about Pedro, or talk up myself,” he said. “I’m just looking to be captain of the school this time. Everybody else seems to think I’m the man.” He paused there, and smiled, like that was one line he had prepared. “The man for the job, I mean. I hope you guys do, too.”
Jeff and Dave stood up, clapping their hands hard. Everyone else applauded along with them. But Pedro noticed that Jeff and Dave were the only ones standing.
Mr. Lucchino said, “Your turn, Mr. Morales.”
He got out of his chair now, because it was finally time to say everything that needed to be said.
This had been Pedro’s plan all along. He wasn’t going to say what needed to be said in the gym.
He was going to say it here.
All he changed from the night before was his opening line.
“I’ve never been the man,” Pedro said. “Just a team man.”
He was off. Not feeling nervous. Not rushing it. Feeling like he was exactly where he was supposed to be, the way he always had in basketball, at least until this season.
“This isn’t a contest about which one of us is the better athlete, because if it was, Ned wouldn’t just be elected president of Vernon Middle, he’d be elected mayor of Vernon.”
That got a laugh.
From everyone, it sounded like.
Pedro wasn’t looking out in the audience, though.
He was looking directly at Ned Hancock.
“You know who I am,” he said in a clear, loud voice. “You know I never pretend to be something I’m not. That I would never pretend to be somebody’s friend and then act in a way opposite of that.”
He paused again, picked out a face in the audience the way Sarah had told him to. Her face. Then he turned right back to Ned. But as soon as Pedro’s eyes were back on him, Ned quickly turned away, the kid who was supposed to be the coolest in the whole school not looking so cool at all.
Pedro had always thought of Ned Hancock as being so much bigger than he was.
Not now.
Now they were even.
“If I’m on your side,” Pedro said, “you don’t have to keep looking around to see if I’m still there. Because I will always be there.”
This time he had to pause