Dave Casler
PO Box 98
Ridgway, Colorado 81432
Young Adult Novels by Dave Casler...
I've been told by publisher after publisher that there's no market for Young Adult novels. I think they're wrong! So I'm putting my novels on-line for you. Forget the publisher! Read to your heart's content--it's free! And, I'd like to hear from you, too! Contact Page.
You're reading About Dan. Be sure to check out About Phillip here.
Dan is a normal kid who loves his soccer. Except everything goes wrong. Everything.
About Series Home
About the About Series
Index to All Chapters
Here are all the chapters, disguised as asterisks. Hover your mouse over an asterisk to see the title of the chapter. Click on the asterisk to go straight to that chapter.
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(About Dan Home) (Last) (Next)
Pushed Around
The rush between classes at Park is a giant whirl of activity: wall-to-wall people, every one of them going in a different direction, their backpacks swinging wildly, everyone shouting to be heard. Peter pushed Dan down the hall through this mad mess; Dan’s worst fear was that someone would slam into his leg.
"Dan! Peter! How are my two favorite juniors?"
Cheryl, a short, plump senior, clumped her way in Dan and Peter’s direction through the rush. A more or less permanent brace encased one leg. Her aluminum crutches had cups around the elbows.
Here comes Cheerful Cheryl to console me, thought Dan.
"I heard you played a magnificent game," she continued. "The team just isn't the same without you."
"Peter says they're better without me." He looked behind him.
"True, true, every word," said Peter.
Cheryl laughed. Dan liked her easy, unforced laugh.
"I just may come and watch to see if that's true. You guys have a great day!" She beamed at both of them and was on her way.
How is she so cheerful all the time?
"What, can't hear you," yelled Peter against the rush of students.
"Nothing," said Dan. Am I thinking out loud?
Peter parked Dan next to a table in the cafeteria and went to buy lunch. Dan looked to see what his mother made for him.
"They have a deep bench," Peter was saying. "Even without that Ernesto guy you stabbed—and you did a great public service there, you know—they still keep winning."
Dan remembered Ernesto’s hospital visit. He winced.
Peter continued, pretending not to notice. "Anyway, he was supposed to have been one of their best players. Now if you can fix the rest of them. Let's see, you could use your arms, and you have one leg left…"
"How about you? Couldn't you volunteer some of your bones?"
"Hey, I hear Lisa already asked you to go to the Fall Festival."
"Yeah. She's acting kind of funny, though," said Dan.
"What do you mean, oh one-who-has-Lisa- wrapped-around-his-little-finger?" asked Peter. "By the way, where is she?"
"Don't know. I think she's freaked by the whole accident. She keeps acting like it didn't happen. Doesn't want to talk about my leg or the wheelchair or anything. Look!" Dan pointed across the cafeteria. "There she is. She doesn’t notice me. It's not like I'm hiding or anything."
"Maybe she hasn't seen you yet," countered Peter.
"I saw her look over here and look away."
"Maybe she stubbed her toe," needled Peter.
"Thanks for the sympathy. No, I noticed it at church. Then on Monday in biology she was all over me, but on Tuesday she only spent part of the lab with me, and yesterday hardly any at all. And, this morning, she said hello sweetly and then went to work with one of her girlfriends." Dan's voice trailed off. "Kind of weird," he said. He looked directly at Lisa, who was talking to someone with her back toward him.
"She’ll come back." Peter paused. "If that's what you want."
Dan looked out the window. "What d’ya mean?"
"You want someone who will stay by you through thick and thin, right?"
"She's just having some trouble adjusting, that's all," said Dan angrily. "She'll come around."
"Just checking the commitment level, my dear midfielder. Keep your head on," said Peter.
Dan looked out the window and then back at Lisa. She looked in his direction, caught his eye and waved happily. But she allowed herself to be swept out of the cafeteria with her girlfriends.
"See, Peter. She waved at me," stated Dan triumphantly.
"Why aren't you eating your lunch?"
"Oh, yeah, lunch. Here, take the orange. I hate oranges. I don't know why Mum keeps giving me oranges," said Dan.
"What was the big argument about with your Mom?"
"She's having trouble with her business. Says she's frightened. Always tired and touchy lately. It's like she's been taking grouch pills."
"Ah," said Peter wisely.
"Ah, what?" asked Peter.
"Ah don't know," said Peter. " Sorry to hear about the argument. Not fun."