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Sacked by Emma Harrison Sacked by Emma Harrison an SAT/ACT vocabulary novel Sacked by Emma Harrison Chapter One “You guys! You know what I just realized? It’s the 1penultimate Thursday of May!” Tamara Glenn announced, stepping out into the sunshine with two huge, whipped-cream-topped iced mocha lattes “Do you realize what that means?” Drew Benson looked at his friends, amused, and a couple of them rolled their eyes Tamara was always psyched up about something In fact, a lot of Drew’s friends found her constant optimism irritating But Drew kind of liked it It was nice to have someone around who was always looking on the bright side Plus, Tamara was not bad to look at, with her perfect dancer’s bod and her long blond hair Drew hadn’t been interested in her that way since they’d gone out back in eighth grade (back when everyone called them Ken and Barbie), but she had always been a good friend So he decided to humor her “No What does that mean?” Drew asked, kicking back in his chair outside Washingtonville’s very own Starbucks The sun was shining as it started to dip toward the horizon, and half the school was either loitering on the sidewalk in the center of their 2quaint Pennsylvania town or hanging out inside the coffee shop In the warm air, Drew could practically taste the impending summer and all the delicious freedom it would bring “It means that in exactly six weeks, graduation will happen, and we will officially be seniors,” Tamara announced That got the entire table’s attention Drew and his friends whistled and cheered, lifting their iced teas and lattes toward the sky Drew reached across the table to slap hands with Jason Szonyi, his best friend and fellow football player, enjoying the 4camaraderie of the moment Every time Drew thought about being a senior, he felt a lightness in his chest that he’d never experienced before penultimate · second-to-last quaint · charming impending · close at hand camaraderie · friendship Sacked by Emma Harrison Senior year The entire social hierarchy of Washingtonville High was going to change, and Drew Benson, as president of the senior class and starting quarterback of the football team, was going to be on top He and his friends were going to rule the school and 5dominate on the field Best of all, Drew’s older brother, Trey, would finally, finally, be gone The great Trey Benson was actually going to be forced to abdicate his throne “Yeah, everyone except me,” Sally Chou lamented with a sigh Sally was Tamara’s sophomore friend and the new girlfriend of Clay Carradine—a defensive lineman from the team She rested her chin on her folded arms and pulled her long, black ponytail over her shoulder to chew on the end “Hey Don’t be harshing my vibe,” Tamara joked, shoving her lightly “Dude, I cannot wait,” Clay said, leaning his elbows on the table, causing his massive lineman’s biceps to bulge “A whole new flock of freshmen females to 6plunder.” “Ew! Clay! That is so not what I meant,” Tamara said, 7whacking his hulking shoulder “Yeah, man Have a little respect,” Drew said Drew’s friends 9jeered, but Tamara shot him a thankful look Drew smiled back but then, the second her back was turned, wagged his tongue at her comically All the guys cracked up “She’s right, though, guys,” Drew said, lifting his red and white Washingtonville High baseball cap off his head to scratch at his blond hair “This is big stuff Senior year We have to make sure that we don’t waste a second of it.” “Yeah,” the guys muttered in agreement, nodding and looking around Drew felt a rush of adrenaline For a second he thought of his brother dominate · prevail plunder take possession by force whacking hitting hard hulking great size and bulk jeered · heckled – challenge agressively Sacked by Emma Harrison This must be what Trey felt like whenever he made his captain’s speeches before taking the football field This was how Drew was going to feel every Saturday next year “No matter what, we have got to make sure that this is the best year ever,” Drew said, standing, enjoying the attention that was 10riveted on him “From the first day of the first practice, we have to—” “Hey Isn’t that your brother?” Clay asked, looking through the plate glass window into Starbucks Drew’s jaw dropped in 11indignation at having his very first speech 12 truncated so 13abruptly But sure enough, there on the TV screen behind the counter was Trey himself, smiling and chatting with the hot reporter woman from the local news “Hey! Trey is on the news!” Tamara shrieked And instantly, every single kid on the sidewalk crowded through the doors and into the tiny coffee house Unbelievable The 14adulation these people heaped on Drew’s brother was simply unbelievable Drew’s shoulders 15 slumped as he reluctantly followed the 16throng inside Part of him wanted to stay out in the sun, away from the Trey Benson love-in, but he didn’t want to appear 17perfidious Because he wasn’t Drew loved his brother He truly did No matter what triumphs Trey achieved or how many 18accolades were heaped upon him, his brother was always both humble and 19magnanimous An 20indisputably good guy But Drew still could not wait for Trey to get his 10riveted · fixed 11 indignation · anger caused by injustice 12truncated · cut off 13abruptly · suddenly 14adulation · flattery 15slumped fell or sank heavily 16 throng · crowd 17perfidious · treacherous 18accolades · praises 19magnanimous · generous 20indisputably · unquestionably Sacked by Emma Harrison butt in the car and move out of the house He had lived in Trey’s shadow for far too long “Turn it up!” Tamara shouted to the kid behind the counter He did, and just then the cameraman gave the world an extreme closeup of Trey’s handsome, smiling face The whole Starbucks crowd exploded with cheers “Shhhhhh!” Jason scolded 21 Everyone fell silent to listen to Trey’s response The whole shop was captivated “Of course I can’t wait to get to Penn State and get to work with the team,” Trey said “But that doesn’t mean I’m not going to miss all the people back at Washingtonville High.” More cheers One of Drew’s friends slapped him on the back Little did he know Drew’s heart felt nothing but sour “Well, I’m sure they’re going to miss you, too, Trey You became a sort of paragon for that team last season,” hot reporter lady said 22 “Well, I don’t know about that But I know that I’m not leaving the team totally 23bereft of talent They’ve got a ton of returning starters, and, in fact, my brother Drew is gonna be taking over as starting quarterback And let me tell you, the rest of the league better watch out,” Trey said, looking into the camera and winking “They won’t know what hit them.” This time, the place erupted in an even bigger 24cacophony, and Drew couldn’t help smiling Trey’s mention of him 25assuaged his jealousy a bit The guy really had a 26penchant for saying the right thing It was as if he knew Drew was watching and knew exactly how he’d feel 21captivated · enthralled, filled with wonder and delight 22paragon · standard, the ideal in terms of which something can be judged 23bereft · lacking 24cacophony · din, loud harsh strident sound 25assuaged · calmed 26penchant · fondness Sacked by Emma Harrison “There you have it, former Washingtonville High football star Trey Benson, future quarterback for the Penn State Nittany Lions as humble as ever,” hot reporter lady said “And now for a story that could have a major impact on Trey’s alma mater, Washingtonville High, we go back to Jane in the studio Jane ” “Omigod! This is it!” Tamara cried “Everyone shut up!” Drew shouted The place went deathly silent as Jane Grady, the 27news anchor, faced the camera “It’s a story of slashed budgets and broken hearts, a story that may reach its 28conclusion this very evening,” Jane said seriously “It was announced in January that, due to budget cuts, the state had decided to close the doors of Corinth High School in Corinth, Pennsylvania, for good this coming fall But the question remained, where would the students of Corinth High wind up?” “Not at our school!” Clay shouted, earning a round of cheers Tamara glared at him and rolled her eyes, but Drew held his breath “It was believed that one of three local schools would absorb Corinth’s students Either Jefferson High, Plainsboro High, or Washingtonville High Well, tonight the school boards of Washingtonville and Corinth are meeting to decide whether their two schools would make a good fit There has been no official decision as of yet, but we will be keeping an eye on the story and let you know as soon as anything new develops.” Groans 29abounded, and Drew and his friends headed back outside to reclaim their table “How could they even think about combining us with Corinth?” Marisa Wise whined, shaking her black curls back from her face Marisa was a cheerleader and daughter of one of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ assistant coaches, 27news anchor newsreader, newscaster 28conclusion · end 29abounded · prevailed Sacked by Emma Harrison which basically made her one of the richest girls in the already wealthy suburb of Washingtonville And the most popular “We’re too different We’d never 30coalesce.” “It’s never gonna happen,” Drew said confidently, even though he felt anything but confident on the inside “Uh, I hate to break it to you guys, but if the state decides that Corinth is going to Washingtonville, there’s nothing our school board can to 31 preclude that event,” Jason said “My mom and dad were up all night talking about it.” Jason’s mother was president of the school board, and Jason had, therefore, been the students’ eyes and ears ever since this whole 32noisome mess had begun “Our school board will find a way to 33circumvent the system,” Drew said 34testily “Let those losers go to Plainsboro They’d fit in better over there anyway, and everyone knows it.” The guys muttered their 35assent as they pulled out their chairs “Oh, why? Because they’re not as 36affluent as we are? Because they don’t all live in 37ostentatious houses and get their own cars for their sixteenth birthdays?” Tamara 38griped “You guys can really be so obnoxious.” “Whose house is ostentatious?” Marisa asked defensively, knowing full well that her own McMansion on the 39outskirts of town was one of the 30coalesce · meld together 31preclude · make impossible 32noisome · troublesome 33circumvent · go around 34testily irritably 35assent · agreement 36affluent · rich 37ostentatious · showy 38griped complain 39outskirts a part of the city far removed from the center Sacked by Emma Harrison showiest homes around “Look, all I know is, if they come to our school, our senior year is gonna be a 40calamity,” Drew said “They’re gonna want to take over everything Our clubs, our student government—” “Our starting positions,” Jason mumbled Drew felt a dart of pain through his heart This was, of course, what he was really worried about Everyone knew that Corinth High’s Samson Hill was one of the best quarterbacks in the state He’d been starting since he was a sophomore and had led his team all the way to the state semifinals the year before If he came to Washingtonville, it would mean that Drew’s dreams would be over before he even had a chance to realize them “Well, I think it could be beneficical,” Tamara said, sipping her iced coffee “You guys could use a little mind opening, if you ask me.” “Yeah, you won’t be saying that when they 41swoop in here and take half the spots on your precious dance team,” Clay snapped “You could be 42 bilked right out of your spot, and you were one of the people who founded the damn thing.” Tamara’s blue eyes widened for a split second, but then she remembered herself and 43scoffed “I can hold my own.” I hope I can, too, Drew thought, his fists clenching under the table Just then, a black Jeep Wrangler came zooming around the corner and careened to a stop right in front of the cafe Jackson Lyle, the editor of the school paper, put it in park and jumped out He ran through the door and stopped just inside, all out of breath and 45blotchy Drew’s stomach clenched 44 40calamity · disaster 41swoop move with a sweep 42bilked · cheated 43scoffed · exhaled with contempt 44careened walk as if unable to control one's movements sideways or in an unsteady way 45blotchy marked with irregularly shaped spots or blots Sacked by Emma Harrison “Jackson? Are you okay?” Tamara asked “They voted yes,” Jackson said “We’re absorbing Corinth.” Everyone gasped in shock Drew felt as if his chair had just been yanked out from under him “No way.” “It’s a 46ruse,” Marisa said, forcing a laugh “One of your lame-o jokes, right Jackson?” “Sorry, guys It’s true I was covering the meeting for the paper,” Jackson said, pushing his glasses up for a second to rub his eyes “It’s over It’s done Our school is no longer our own.” 46ruse · trick Sacked by Emma Harrison Chapter Two The morning of the Washingtonville Eagles’ first summer practice was marked by a blue sky and a brilliant sun It was going to be a hot one, Drew could tell, and he could only hope that Coach Davidson would get in most of the tougher drills before noon Heart pounding with nerves and 47dread, Drew shoved his 48gear into his big black-and-red duffel bag and 49hoofed it downstairs If at all possible, he wanted to get out of the house before his father even came out of his bedroom The last thing he needed this morning was an 50elucidation of his many flaws by his old man He was tense enough as it was, thinking about Samson Hill and the Corinth team 51invading his field “Good morning, hon!” Drew’s mother greeted him the moment he stepped into the open, airy kitchen “Grab a plate! I made you breakfast.” She was fully dressed in her workout gear and had a pan full of scrambled eggs working on the stove Drew’s heart dropped So much for a quick getaway “Actually, mom, I was just gonna grab an iced tea,” Drew said, reaching for the door of the stainless steel fridge “Oh, no you don’t I know you’re all 52hyped up, but that’s all the more reason to eat some real food,” his mother said, patting him on the back “Mom—” “Consider it 53mandatory,” she said, her blue eyes serious “You’re not leaving here without some breakfast in you.” She turned him around and pushed him down into one of the kitchen 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 dread fearful expectation or anticipation gear equipment consisting of miscellaneous articles needed for a particular operation or sport hoofed made a powerful kick elucidation · clarification invading · raiding hyped up got excited or stimulated mandatory · required 10 Sacked by Emma Harrison “The floor is yours, boys,” she said, lifting a their direction 1152 1151 gnarled old hand in Drew took a deep breath and looked at Samson, who nodded resolutely “Ladies and gentlemen of the school board, members of the faculty, students, and members of the Washingtonville and Corinth communities,” Drew began “I know you’ve all heard about what’s been going on with our newly 1153integrated football team, and I know you feel that you’re at the end of your rope But Samson and I, as players on the team, have a better understanding of the actual issues than anyone outside of it can hope to have So we’re here to tell you about our experiences over the past couple of weeks, and then to present a plan that—while it may not be a 1154panacea— will hopefully help us begin to improve the situation.” At the long table, a few of the school board members shifted forward in their seats, giving Drew their full attention He stifled a smile, but he knew at that moment that he had them All he had to now was bring it home 1151 gnarled · twisted 1152 resolutely · with determination 1153 integrated formed or united into 1154 panacea · cure-all a whole 182 Sacked by Emma Harrison Chapter Thirteen Drew walked into the cafeteria at lunchtime on Friday with trepidation, his shoulder muscles coiled and tight The tension in the air was 1156palpable It had been all day Tomorrow was the first game of the season against one of Washingtonville’s biggest rivals, Johnstown High, and today was the first big 1157pep rally of the year Normally, the student body’s wardrobe was 1158invariable—everyone would be sporting the red and white The faces of the seriously dedicated would be painted to show their school spirit Everyone would be psyching themselves up for the big game But nothing about this day was right 1155 Drew himself wasn’t wearing school colors Every other guy on the team was sporting his game jersey over jeans, but Drew had decided against it and gone with a plain T-shirt He knew that his friends were saying highly 1159 pejorative things about him behind his back, but he also hoped they’d understand once his plan came to light If, of course, he had the chance to tell them about it At this point he was starting to doubt whether the school could make it to the eighth-period pep rally without a riot breaking out Drew walked over to his table and dropped his huge history 1160tome at his seat A few Corinth guys—in full gray and blue—shot him a 1161scathing look from the next table, as if he’d just destroyed their 1162tranquility As if there were anything tranquil about the murmuring and back-talking that ran 1163 rampant through the room “What are you guys looking at?” Samson asked the Corinth kids, 1155 trepidation · anxiety 1156 palpable · capable of being felt 1157 pep rally a large gathering of people 1158 invariable · set 1159 pejorative · negative 1160 tome a large and scholarly book 1161 scathing · scornful 1162 tranquility · peace and quiet 1163 rampant unrestrained and violent intended to arouse enthusiasm before a game 183 Sacked by Emma Harrison coming up behind Drew The two kids grumbled and went back to their lunches Drew dropped into his chair, and Samson sat at the end of the table, catty-corner from him That one move drew more disgusted stares than Drew could count “Am I 1164paranoid, or does it seem like the entire school is about to blow?” Drew asked under his breath Clay, Dirk, and a few of Drew’s friends dropped their stuff at the table and headed for the lunch line, grunting their hellos “You’re not paranoid You’ve just got serious 1165perspicacity The resentment in this place is 1166ubiquitous I think even the cafeteria workers are taking sides,” Samson replied, glancing around the room as if to 1167 surmise where and when the first fight of the period would break out There had been a few 1168tangential 1169skirmishes in the halls during the first four periods of the day, but Drew had heard they’d been 1170subjugated fast “At least we can say we’ve got a 1171preponderance of school spirit,” Samson added “Yeah It’s just that no one can figure out who their spirit is supposed to be for,” Drew said as a group of Corinth girls cut off a group of Washingtonville girls on their way into the bathroom As they finally 1172 jostled their way inside, Lily glided through the cafeteria door wearing a lavender sweater and a denim skirt Drew was temporarily distracted by her 1173 pulchritude, and he couldn’t help wondering if she’d worn that sweater to support him Then he caught Adam Lazarus, in his blue and gray Corinth 1164 paranoid · unreasonably worried 1165 perspicacity · insight 1166 ubiquitous · everywhere 1167 surmise · guess 1168 tangential · peripheral 1169 skirmishes minor short-term fights 1170 subjugated · controlled 1171 preponderance · excess 1172 jostled maked one's way by pushing, 1173 pulchritude · beauty or shoving 184 Sacked by Emma Harrison jersey, glaring at him and Samson from across the senior section and was brought right back to earth “Tell me again that we’re doing the right thing, keeping this on the down-low until just before the pep rally,” he said “We are,” Samson replied “If you let it leak out, the whole point would get muddled You know how these things work Everyone would misunderstand what we’re trying to They’d have a zillion questions and they’d make up their own answers They’d decide it was a bad idea before they even had the facts, and that would 1175negate all our work.” 1174 “Right Right Okay All we’ve got to is make it to eighth,” Drew said with a nod “Exactly With any 1176serendipity, by tonight, this school will finally be unified,” Samson agreed Drew took a deep breath in an attempt to calm his 1177frayed nerves “You want to go up there?” he asked, nodding toward the food line “I’m parched.” “Yeah, man.” Samson slapped him on the back as they stood and they walked together along the far wall toward the line Drew felt as if every single pair of eyes was on him and Samson, looking at them like they were a couple of traitors All he wanted to was tell them off, but he wasn’t going to give them the satisfaction of seeing him riled Besides, if he got into a fight today it would 1178jeopardize everything The school board was counting on him to set an example, and he was not going to let them down He stared 1179 obstinately ahead and got in line “I hope they have pizza today,” Drew said, making a lame attempt at small talk 1174 muddled · confused 1175 negate · undo 1176 serendipity · luck 1177 frayed worn away or tattered 1178 jeopardize · endanger 1179 obstinately · stubbornly along the edges 185 Sacked by Emma Harrison “Dude, the pizza here rocks,” Samson replied with forced 1180jollity A couple of girls looked at them like they were on something, and Drew laughed, but before he could even reply, one of the many 1181truculent people in line finally snapped “Hey! I was next!” a Corinth girl shouted loudly The Washingtonville guy who had cut in line said something that Drew couldn’t hear, but from the gasps of the crowd, it was rather 1182scurrilous “What did you just say to her?” Tank Langford asked, stepping out of line “Oh, God Here we go,” Drew said “We better 1183neutralize this fast,” Samson added They ran over and Samson grabbed Tank’s arm, pulling him back Austin Harrow, the Washingtonville guy who had started it, was all red in the face and 1184primed for a fight, but was also about one-tenth Tank’s size Drew got right in his face and pushed him back “Walk away, Harrow,” he said through his teeth “It’s not worth getting pulverized over.” Harrow looked Drew up and down, noting his non-Washingtonville wardrobe, and sneered “Some captain you are,” he spat But he, at least, took Drew’s advice and strode off He had barely made it halfway across the room when another fight broke out among the freshmen Samson turned away from Tank, whom he was still talking into 1185submission, and glanced at Drew “Still think we can make it to eighth?” Drew asked in frustration, 1180 jollity · cheerfulness 1181 truculent · hostile 1182 scurrilous · insulting 1183 neutralize · defuse 1184 primed · ready 1185 submission · compliance 186 Sacked by Emma Harrison jogging to break up yet another fight “I don’t know, man, but if they 1186rescind the deal and the football team goes under, maybe you and me should go partners in a bodyguard business,” Samson joked And Drew actually managed a laugh as they jumped into the 1187fracas “You two ready to this?” Coach Davidson asked as he, Drew, and Samson stood outside the locker room that afternoon, loaded down with boxes On the other side of the gym, they could hear hundreds of buzzing voices as the student body made its way to the bleachers “Just waiting for one last thing,” Drew said, glancing over his shoulder toward the gym entrance “What you have up your sleeve, Benson?” Coach asked Just then, outside the glass door, Jason appeared, making his way slowly up the steps on his crutches His mother ran forward to open the door for him, and Jason edged his way through His brow was sweating, but he grinned when he saw Drew and the others “Hey, man! Glad you could make it!” Drew dropped his box on the ground and went over to slap Jason’s hand “Dude! It’s good to see you,” Samson added, joining them “I thought you were just 1188malingering.” Jason laughed “Well, maybe I was A little.” “He figured out if he whined enough I’d make him just about anything to eat,” Mrs Szonyi said, rolling her eyes “I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s already packed on five pounds on ice cream alone.” “Better 1189truncate that habit if you want to be back in form for basketball season,” Coach Davidson said, slapping him on the back so hard 1186 rescind · withdraw 1187 fracas · brawl (noisy fight in a crowd) 1188 malingering · exaggerating an illness 1189 truncate · cut 187 Sacked by Emma Harrison he almost fell forward “You got it, Coach,” Jason said with a laugh “So…are we going in there or what?” he asked, glancing at the locker room door Drew took a deep breath This was it The moment of truth He turned and picked up his box with both hands “Let’s go.” Coach Davidson opened the door for him, and Drew led his little band of followers into the locker room The mood inside was not exactly positive There were no cheers or pep talks or shouts going on, only the muttering of 1190 malcontents Drew walked over to the first bench, which Clay and Dirk were 1191straddling, and dropped his box onto it with a thud The two guys got up to greet Jason, and some of the other Washingtonville guys gathered around him as well “Varsity!” Drew shouted at the top of his lungs “1192Huddle up!” His heart pounded as the kids around him eyed the boxes quizzically It seemed to take forever for the 1194petulant team to gather together in this, the largest open area of the locker room Once they were all gathered around the walls and benches, fifty of the biggest, most 1195 opinionated guys in the school, Drew’s heart really started to pound For the first time, he thought they might actually shoot him down, but if that were the case, he wasn’t going down without a fight He took one look at Samson for a final 1196bolster and then 1197launched into his speech 1193 “All right, everyone As you all know, the school board met this week to decide the fate of our team, and as I’m sure you’ve heard by now, they’ve decided to give us one last chance to show them that we can actually be a 1190 malcontents · unhappy people 1191 straddling · sitting astride (with one 1192 huddle crowd or draw together 1193 quizzically · curiously 1194 petulant · irritable 1195 opinionated · narrow-minded 1196 bolster suport and strength 1197 launch get going leg on each side) 188 Sacked by Emma Harrison team,” Drew began “But to be honest, we don’t think that can happen.” There was some grumbling at this announcement “At least, we don’t think that can happen if we keep going on the way we’ve been going,” Samson added, cutting them off “So Drew came up with a plan.” “What kind of plan?” Adam asked loudly Drew smirked He knew Adam just wanted to be the center of attention, as always “Well, I’m glad you asked that, Adam,” he said “We’ve all been talking a lot about how we have to check our egos, accept what’s happened to us, and move on But it’s become clear that, as long as we identify ourselves either with the Washingtonville Eagles or the Corinth Lions, we’re never going to be able to that.” He was pleased to see some of the guys nodding in agreement “We have to face it,” Drew continued “We’re never going to be able to replicate what we had with our old teams, but who knows? Maybe we can have something even better But I realize that we need something 1199tangible to help us move on To help us feel truly united.” 1198 “We have to drop all 1200vestiges of our old teams, fellas,” Samson said, crossing his arms over his chest “We have to quit being so damn 1201 solipsistic and realize that there are other people on this team who are counting on us—and that we can rely on them.” “And we believe that we can that, if we give ourselves the chance, but that means being willing to change,” Drew added Slowly, he opened the first two flaps on the box in front of him “That’s why, last week, Samson and I went in front of the school board to 1202lobby them for that chance And 1198 replicate · copy 1199 tangible · concrete 1200 vestiges · remnants (pieces 1201 solipsistic · self-centered 1202 lobby · try to influence of clothes that is left over after the rest has been used or sold) 189 Sacked by Emma Harrison after much condition.” 1203 deliberation, they decided to give it to us Under one “That we move on and get over ourselves,” Samson said, leveling the team with an 1204admonishing stare “But luckily, we think we know just how we can that.” His pulse pounding in his ears, Drew reached into the box and pulled out a brand new purple jersey with white and gold lettering His number nine was on the back with his last name spelled out in block letters across the shoulders “Gentlemen, you are all now members of the Washingtonville High School Gryphons football team,” he announced His words were met with dead silence Tank stared at the jersey as if it was a 1205mirage For a long, dreadful moment, Drew was sure he was in for a total 1206renunciation of his whole plan “What the hell’s a gryphon?” Tank asked finally, earning chuckles from a few of the guys “It’s a 1207mythical creature,” Jason answered “Half eagle, half lion.” Drew turned the jersey around to show them the growling gryphon on the front “Shut up.” Tank was incredulous More laughter “Damn, man That’s sweet,” Dirk said He reached over and took the jersey right out of Drew’s hands, whistling long and low as he inspected it Then, just like that, the entire team was pressing forward, 1203 deliberation · mulling(thinking deeply) things over 1204 admonishing · disapproving 1205 mirage · hallucination 1206 renunciation · rejection 1207 mythical · imaginary 1208 jostling · vying (seek or strive for the same thing as 190 someone else) 1208 jostling Sacked by Emma Harrison for the box, 1209liberating all the jerseys from inside and pawing through to find their names Drew’s happiness and pride were 1210overpowering as he watched the guys who had been so 1211recalcitrant and angry the day before, helping one another locate their names and ripping their old jerseys off to replace them with the new “Wow This is high-quality gear,” Lance said when he found his jersey “They weren’t 1212penurious with these.” the “You can thank Coach for that,” Drew told him, grinning “He signed requisition form.” 1213 “Thanks, Coach,” Adam said, coming up behind Lance “And thanks, you guys,” he said, looking at Drew and Samson “This was a killer idea.” Drew knew how much pride the guy had to swallow to say that, and he reached out to slap his hand “It was all Drew,” Samson said modestly “Yeah, but you came up with the colors,” Drew reminded him “Aw, you guys are so cute!” Clay said, coming over in his new jersey to pinch their cheeks “Are you going to prom together too?” Everyone cracked up laughing as Drew shoved Clay off of him There was a quick, good-natured 1214scuffle, and then Clay raised his hands and the guys, for the most part, quieted down “No, but really, you guys This was a good compromise,” he said “I would never have thought this team could 1215reconcile, but you guys were 1216 persistent You refused to give up And I think this is a good start.” The 1209 liberating · freeing 1210 overpowering · overwhelming 1211 recalcitrant · headstrong (disobedient) 1212 penurious · stingy 1213 requisition · request 1214 scuffle disorderly fighting 1215 reconcile · make one’s peace 1216 persistent · unrelenting 191 Sacked by Emma Harrison team cheered and voiced their agreement “To the captains!” Everyone cheered like mad, slapping Drew and Samson on the back and shaking their hands Then Drew grabbed his new jersey and yanked it on over his head “To the Gryphons!” he shouted, thrusting his arms in the air This time, the cheer was deafening, and Drew led the team out to the lobby, where they would wait to be introduced to the crowd All that remained now was to present the new mascot and colors to the rest of the school and just hope that they would be as open to change as the team had proven to be Drew peeked through the slim glass windows into the gym as Coach Davidson stepped up to the microphone As predicted, the crowd in the stands opposite the door was completely 1217variegated, all blue on one side, all red on the other Everything that had happened in the last few weeks had completely 1218polarized the student body Drew had to wonder if a mere color change and a new mascot would really be enough to fix all that “What’s going on in there?” Samson asked nervously “There’s a 1219legion of people,” Drew said, turning away from the window “Even the kids that usually cut out of pep rallies showed up I guess everyone wants to see a fight.” “Well, they’re not gonna get one,” Lance said, rounding his shoulders “At least not from us.” “Can I have your attention please?” Coach Davidson shouted into the mic There was an 1220instantaneous peal of feedback that deafened everyone in the gym and brought the 1221strident noise level down to a low murmur “Welcome, everyone, to this year’s first Washingtonville High School 1217 variegated · multicolored 1218 polarized · forced apart 1219 legion · crowd 1220 instantaneous · instant 1221 strident · loud 192 Sacked by Emma Harrison football pep rally!” There was a respectable number of cheers, but all from the Washingtonville side of the gym The 1222pessimism on the Corinth side 1223 persevered “As you all know, tomorrow is our first game of the season, against a worthy opponent, the Johnstown High Panthers,” Coach continued gamely “This game is going to be special for 1224innumerable reasons, not the least of which is our newly integrated team.” There was some irritated muttering in the crowd, and Drew could only imagine what people were thinking Some still hated the very idea that the schools had been forced to combine Some, after hearing all that had gone on at practices, thought the team was full of 1225thugs and should just be 1226 disbanded Still others probably just thought 1227jocks were annoying— full stop And many were, he was sure, 1228restive—dying for the team to join them so they could get on with whatever drama was going to unfold “I know that you’ve all heard a lot of negative stories about this year’s football team, but I’m here to tell you that all of that is going to change These guys have been working their butts off for you, and after what I’ve just seen in the locker room, I can honestly tell you’ve I’ve never been more proud of a group of players in my life,” Coach 1229rhapsodized “But I know you didn’t all come here to hear me talk You want to see your team Are you ready?” “Yeah!” about half the gym cheered “All right, you guys, this is it,” Drew said “Bring it in.” 1222 pessimism · negativity 1223 persevered · was maintained 1224 innumerable · countless 1225 thugs aggressive and violent young criminals 1226 disbanded caused to break up or cease to function 1227 jocks people trained to compete in sports 1228 restive · fidgety 1229 rhapsodized · spoke of emotionally 193 Sacked by Emma Harrison The team gathered around him, placing their hands in the center of the circle “I said, are you ready?” Coach shouted The cheers were a bit louder this time “To the 1230seminal season of the Washingtonville Gryphons,” Drew said, looking around at his teammates “Gryphons on three,” Samson said “One! Two! Three! Gryphons!” They all clapped and cheered as they parted, and inside the gym Coach finally announced them: “Students of Washingtonville High, I give you your mighty, fighting Gryphons!” Drew flung open the door of the gym and led the team in, running toward the center of the basketball court, clapping and shouting and cheering The kids in the stands instantly fell silent They stared down at the team as if they were wondering if this were some kind of prank Even the cheerleaders, who had yet to hold new tryouts and were still wearing the red and white along the front of the stands, were stunned Drew glanced at Tamara, who was gaping right at him, and shrugged his apology He supposed now, in 1231hindsight, that he might have been 1232 negligent by not including the cheerleaders in their plan “And now, your captains!” Coach Davidson continued, as if nothing were amiss “Quarterback Samson Hill and tight end Drew Benson!” 1233 A few people clapped, but most were still shocked silent “Tight end?” someone in the stands blurted as Samson and Drew walked over to the microphone Drew took the mic from Coach “That’s right, tight end,” he said into it “There’s been a lot of change lately And in order to honor that, we’ve 1230 seminal · determining 1231 hindsight · retrospect 1232 negligent · lax (lacking 1233 amiss · wrong in rigor and strictness) 194 Sacked by Emma Harrison decided to 1234meld our two mascots.” “What you get when you combine an eagle and a lion?” Samson asked, leaning into the microphone They both stepped back and whipped the sheet off of the 1235easel behind them On it was Lily’s perfect 1236rendition of a growling Gryphon “The Gryphon!” Drew and Samson said in unison There were a few cheers as people started to grasp what they were going for, but most of the crowd remained 1237inflexible Drew started to feel sick to his stomach He glanced at Lily, who was sitting in the front row, far away from the rest of the seniors, and she shot him a helpless look “And what you get when you combine red and blue?” Samson added, forging ahead “Purple!” “So we expect all of you to go out and buy up all the purple gear you can find, because you’re gonna need it,” Drew joked Nothing No response Drew covered the microphone with his hand “Okay We need to something,” he said to Samson, feeling an 1238inordinate amount of 1239wrath 1240 undulating toward him from the crowd Apparently they were not quite as 1241 tractable as he’d hoped “I got it,” Samson said Then he cupped his hands over his mouth and started to chant, walking toward the stands “Gryphons!” he clapped twice “Gryphons!” Two claps “Gryphons!” he shouted, glaring over his shoulder at Drew 1234 meld · mix together 1235 easel an upright tripod for displaying something (usually an artist's canvas) 1236 rendition an act of interpreting something as expressed in an artistic 1237 inflexible · unmoved 1238 inordinate · excessive 1239 wrath · anger 1240 undulating · rolling 1241 tractable · controllable 195 Sacked by Emma Harrison Drew cleared his throat and joined in “Gryphons!” Two claps “Gryphons!” He looked at Tamara, who caught his plea and jumped up to face the crowd, dragging Marisa and another few girls with her “Gryphons!” she shouted, pumping her pom-pom in the air “Gryphons!” Ever so gradually, the cheers started to revive the crowd A bunch of seniors from both sides of the gym roused themselves from their seats and chanted along “Gryphons!” they shouted, “Gryphons!” 1242 spontaneously stomping their feet Before Drew knew it, the whole crowd was on its feet, 1243inundating the team with cheers and chants and hollers Drew grinned and looked around at his teammates in triumph At that moment, Dirk and Adam raced forward, jumping up and down Soon the whole team was gathered in a huddle, jumping on each other’s backs and raising their fists in the air This time, the pile-on was a good thing It was full of laughter and hope and cheers Drew laughed as he went down under the weight of Tank Langford, and the whole crowd went wild For the first time all year, Drew was no longer 1244nostalgic for the past, or for the daydreams he’d cherished since childhood He was looking only toward the future 1242 spontaneously · without planning 1243 inundating · overwhelming 1244 nostalgic · wistful (showing pensive or deeply sadness) 196 ... dominate · prevail plunder take possession by force whacking hitting hard hulking great size and bulk jeered · heckled – challenge agressively Sacked by Emma Harrison This must be what Trey felt... school is no longer our own.” 46ruse · trick Sacked by Emma Harrison Chapter Two The morning of the Washingtonville Eagles’ first summer practice was marked by a blue sky and a brilliant sun It was... self-satisfied 141 snagged get by acting quickly 142 favorable · agreeable 143 apparently · seemingly 144 obliterated · destroyed and smartly 22 Sacked by Emma Harrison Coach Davidson 145roamed