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He had sworn on Soledad’s ain He would not beco fro Wil ’s resolve: Think you’re better than et out of the Audi with his soccer gear

The carpool attendant clapped the boy on the back The boy went jogging off toward the building Fred Barro pul ed away and was gone

A security guard appeared at Wil ’s carWil hadn’t even seen hi

"Can I help you, sir?"

Wil wanted to drive a switchblade into the young etWhen’s pickup for soccer?"

"It hasn’t even started yet, sir You probably read the drop-off time"

"I probably did"

"Pickup time is two o’clock"

"Oh, helTwo Sure"

Wil pul ed out, waving his thanks, and took the school exit at a leisurely ten un and make plans about the boy

No more indecision

Erainya Manos would cooperate Hel , yes, she would

Chapter 6

I was sure Je by the end of the suuy was an unpaid volunteer who knew next to nothing about soccer He ca like he’d been up al night doing things a role model for little kids shouldn’t do

On the other hand, the school was too cheap to hire a real coach None of the parents could or would volunteer So when the kids were close to tears, thinking their suuy had been the only knucklehead du, plus Saturday games, for the rest of the summer

"Tres!" Jem yel ed as I walked in the boys’ bathroom Then he corrected hi each other with their shin guards

Paul had du over the door of the stal while another kid whose name I couldn’t remember tried to climb underneath

The other boys were in various states of lunacy--pul ing shirts over their heads, skating on backpacks, cal ing each other poop-butts

I did the only thing a coach can do I blehistle

"Ow!" they al said, pul ing on their ears

I jumped into the half second of focus I’d created "On the field, fivedirections across to a group of eight-year-olds is akin to Luke Skywalker hitting the meter-wide vent on the Death Star

I ruffled Jem’s hair, told him to hurry out of the bathroom, since I was personal y responsible for his safety, then went to check on the girls From their bathroo tortured I yel ed, "Five minutes, ladies!" crossed e overlooking Salado Creek Froe point, the entire city seemed to spread out below one’s feet Given the school’s wealthy clientele, I was pretty sure the visual e was intentional

Unfortunately for frustrated coaches, the edge of the cliff was fenced, so bad children couldn’t go rol ing off into oblivion It also wasn’t rainy enough to cancel practice, though the sky was heavy gray and the field was spongy

I set out cones for a relay race, put al the soccer bal s in a neat line, then watchedover the hil

Kathleen and Carht into the neareston top of each other Paul kicked al the soccer bal s as hard as he could One of them bounced off Maria, who luckily was the size of a tote onto marry Jack!"

Jack, the object of her affections, lol ed his tongue out of his

"I’m very happy for you," I said "Now everybody on the line!"

No results

Even Je hioalie’s net while the Garcia twins kicked puddle water at hi

"Last one is a rotten egg!" I yel ed

A few of them ran to the line

"Oh, look," I announced "Kathleen’s not the rotten egg! She’s here!"

"Yay!" Kathleen said, and proceeded to run away, but the others had gotten the idea

"I’

"Me! I’ to marry Jack"

Pretty soon I had the whole tea around the cones, plowing straight through the cones, picking up the cones, putting the "Happy Birthday"

We did throw-ins, passes and dribbling, stopping approximately every three etting whacked in the head with the bal and not noticing

Soossip I wondered: If they have off at this time of day, why didn’t they volunteer?

I answered ent

One hour into practice, it started sprinkling I considered cal ing an early stop, sending the kids to the extended care building for snacks and board gae now, Tres? PLEEEASE?"