I can’t help myself. I start chanting as well, cheering for my school, cheering for my team, and most of all, cheering for Kurt. I’m hollering so loud I almost don’t hear the phone chirping in my pocket. I recognize the number, answer it.

“You pulled it off!” I shout into the phone above the chanting.

“I told you girls are way craftier than boys,” Tina says back.

“Why didn’t you tell us the whole plan?” I ask.

“And take a chance you two would screw it up somehow? Or you’d think about it too much and chicken out?” she asks me. Through the phone, I can hear her giggling. “I’ve found with boys, the less said, the better. The only guy conniving enough to trust is Fisher.”

“Fisher?” I ask “Are you kidding me?”

“How do you think I was able to run Kurt’s helmet cam live the whole halftime?”

“So the crowd saw everything?!”

“Everything!” she confirms. “This stadium heard every word and saw everything going on in that locker room. No way I’d be able to broadcast the whole thing live without old man Walt out of the booth. So Fisher came in at halftime, told him his car was on fire, and then locked the door when he left. It’s only me and Fish in here at the moment and now Walt’s pounding on the door to get back in. He’ll have to wait. Fish’s helping me run the sound-board now.”

“You are amazing!!!” I whoop.

“I know,” she says. “Watch this!”

The Jumbotron starts flashing.

WE ♥ KURT!!!

“Okay, that’s a little much,” I tell her.

“Danny!” a voice shouts, and I turn to find Coach Nelson and Bruce walking toward me.

“Gotta go,” I tell Tina, and hang up.

Coach Nelson’s face hasn’t changed since I escaped him earlier. He looks angry. Bruce looks tired.

“I’m not too pleased, you running off on me,” Coach starts, “but I guess you had more important matters to attend to.”

I glance from Coach to Bruce, trying to read either of them, trying to figure out what I’m supposed to say.

“Why didn’t you boys ... I wish you’d told me, told somebody sooner. There’s no excuse for what they did, you hear me?” Coach Nelson says. Bruce hangs his head like this is his second scolding. “No excuse. They’re going to be in a world of hurt. And so is that dipshit dad of Tom’s. I’ll make sure of that. Of course, I’ll have to get in line, judging from the looks of things.”

I jam my hands into my coat pockets, wish I’d spoken sooner, but know that at the time it felt impossible, felt like speaking was a death sentence.

“Danny.” Coach Nelson steps closer and puts his arm around my neck, headlocking me in a hug. “What you did tonight, what you faced down in that locker room, took more courage than most people ever muster. Being a hero usually isn’t much fun. It’s terrifying, most of the time, right up until the point you make it out safe. It’s being scared to do the right thing and doing it anyway. You remember that next time you’re frightened.”

Coach Nelson lets me out of the headlock and I step back, embarrassed but not really minding the hug. “Now I need you to do one more thing,” Coach says, and this time he grabs Bruce’s neck and pulls him closer so the three of us make our own little huddle. “I need you both to come back to the gym—no more missing practice. You lead by example. Face whatever demons you’ve got about coming into that place and start working hard again.”

Coach reaches up and grabs my neck, bending down so he can look both of us in the eye.

“Deal?” Coach asks. I glance at Bruce, who nods his head.

“Deal,” Bruce says.

“Deal,” I agree.