Hailey pulled past the house toward the barn, and Grant noticed a few other trucks. He eyed the field of cows and managed to refrain from commenting on the smell, but, when Paul and his posse walked from the barn, he couldn’t hold back any longer. “What are we doing here, Hailey?” he exclaimed.
“It’s an impromptu team meeting,” Hailey replied. “Paul and the guys just want to talk to you.”
“They don’t look like they want to talk,” Grant commented. “Do they look like they’re in the mood for conversation to you?”
“Paul said on the phone that he just wants to talk,” Hailey insisted. “He thinks we should get a few of our team problems worked out without my dad around to referee.”
“I’ll bet he does,” Grant rolled his eyes.
“Come-on,” Hailey urged. “They’re all really great guys if you just give them a chance.”
Grant eyed the chickens that ran about the barnyard as he got out of the truck.
“Hi, Grant,” Paul said as the rest of the team stood unified behind him. “I’m glad you agreed to come.”
“Something like that,” Grant muttered.
Hailey walked over and stood by Misty. “What’s going on?” she asked. “What are you doing here? I thought this was just a simple team meeting?”
Misty shrugged. “Paul called it an intervention.”
“Over the past few days,” Paul began with an overconfident flick of his head, “it has become obvious to me that you and I are not going to be able to make it work as teammates, and, because I have lived in Hope Hull all my life, and you have only been here a matter of days, I think it is only fair that I be the one to lead this team to the state championship this year. So, I’m going to ask you to do the right thing and quit the team.”
Grant laughed. “Let me think about that one,” he rolled his eyes.
“We thought you might react that way,” Paul nodded. “So we have a Plan B.” Paul pointed toward the field. “Do you see those two tractors?”
Grant nodded.
“The game’s called Chicken…it’s simple…you drive one tractor, I drive the other…we drive toward each other and the guy who bails out first loses. If I win…you quit the team.”
Grant laughed. “Oh wow! This is rich! People actually do this stuff? I thought this only happened in Footloose.”
“So, you in?” Paul asked.
Grant chuckled as he shook his head. “Despite the rich comedic potential this situation possesses, and I appreciate the sheer hillbilly nature of it I assure you, I have a more practical suggestion.”
Paul laughed. “So, you’re chicken before the game even starts?”
Grant stared at the stone-faced boys backing Paul and shook his head. “Call me crazy,” he grinned, “but, I just don’t see the point in involving innocent farm equipment in something that deals strictly with basketball.”
“Okay,” Paul conceded hesitantly, “I see your point.”
“It was a difficult concept, but I thought you might,” Grant nodded.
“So what’s your bright idea?” Paul shot back.
“One-on-one…we’ll flip for first possession,” Grant replied.
Paul nodded. “And if I win…you’ll quit?”
“Yeah,” Grant nodded back, “and if I win, what do I get? Besides, of course, the satisfaction of showing you up in front of all your fellow farmhands.”
Paul glanced over at Hailey. “I’ll tell you what,” he smiled. “If you win, which you won’t, I’ll give you a break, and I won’t tell Coach Nelson what you did to daddy’s little girl last summer.”
Grant shrugged. “What exactly did I do to her?” he inquired. “Just so we’re clear.”
Paul walked over and put his arm around Hailey. “You played her, then you broke her heart, and now you’re back to do it again.”
“Where is this coming from? Misty, what did you say to him?” Hailey hollered.
“Paul, you knew that was supposed to be a secret!” Misty cried.
Hailey sunk out from under Paul’s arm. “I can’t believe you told him about the summer, Misty; I told you about camp in confidence, and you knew it!”
“And here I thought everyone just hated me for no reason,” Grant snickered at Hailey. “It’s nice to know where the general sentiment came from.”
“It’s not like that,” Hailey insisted.
“It is like that,” Grant snapped. “You’re the reason everyone in this town hates me; I just wasn’t supposed to know it.”
“Misty is the only person I told about our summer,” Hailey pled. “She wasn’t supposed to tell anyone else!”
“Hailey, Paul is the only person I said anything to,” Misty promised.
“It was a secret, Misty. It was personal,” Hailey yelled, doing her best to fight back tears. “I trusted you. You were my best friend.”
“Were?” Misty threw up her arms. “That’s just great, Hails. You can’t just throw away a lifetime of friendship. How about directing your anger at the person you’re really mad at!”
