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 Phillip. Be sure to check out About Dan here.
Phillip is a computer nerd who suddenly discovers a liking for track. Everything would be fine except for his father.
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.
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
(About Phillip Home) (Last) (Next)
Phillip's Sympathetic Audience, Mostly
Since Phillip had a sympathetic audience, at least in Carmen, he did exactly that. He started at the beginning, back in the locker room, putting on his jersey—a Park jersey, mind you, not just any jersey, a Park jersey, number 17—and how he nearly got lost finding the starting place and how he worked on his pace and how exciting it was to cross the finish line. He described Dan and Peter’s reaction and how they took him for ice cream. He waved his dinner roll around like a magic wand and splattered gravy on Martin’s textbook.
Carmen was enthralled. Margo watched him carefully. Martin was bored. Lance showed polite interest. Wolfgang looked for crumbs.
"Oh, Phillip, this is simply fascinating! You must be very excited," gushed Carmen.
Phillip grinned and kept eating.
Lance cleared his throat. "I was there to support him."
"Now, Phillip," said his mother, a frown on her face and in her voice. "Are you going to stick with this one? I mean, you know, you’ve been equally excited about astronomy, ham radio, radio controlled airplanes…"
"Mom!" objected Phillip. "I’ve been going to practices for two months now! It’s not like I just picked this up yesterday. And you know I love to run."
"Yes, honey. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you. It’s just, well, you like to run by yourself. You like to tinker with your computer by yourself. It’s just, well, whenever you do something that…uh…involves other people, you kind of peter out."
Lance looked closely at Phillip. Phillip looked down at the table; then he looked up at his mother. But before he could say anything, his grandmother jumped in.
"Margo, stop that! The boy just had a wonderful day. Don’t kill his enthusiasm so quickly!"
Lance stared at his mother-in-law. He decided to stay out of it.
But Carmen wasn’t done. "You’re starting to sound like your husband, Margo. This young man," she said, pointing at Phillip as though he were an artifact in a museum, "is quite impressionable and needs your support. And so what if he decides to quit? It’s all about getting young people to exercise and Phillip runs every day like clockwork, even when he’s just absolutely crazy to go out in the bad weather." She paused for a breath and adjusted the oxygen tube under her nose. "I think you should just let this boy be himself!" she said with finality.
"Mother! I’m not saying that. I just hope he keeps going. I want him to," said Margo contritely.
Lance looked at nothing in particular. Phillip glanced at Martin, who grinned back. Martin flipped pages back and forth, pretended to busy himself with his homework. Phillip rolled his eyes and worked on dinner. Lance saw Phillip sneak Wolfgang something under the table. Normally he’d remind Phillip not to do that, but with Carmen and Margo arguing, now was not the time. Phillip ate in silence, not that he could have been part of the conversation if he’d wanted to. Finally, he pushed his chair back.
"Anyway," he announced to the whole group as he headed into the kitchen, a glass in one hand and his plate in the other, "I’m not quitting the team anytime soon. I did a lot better today than I thought I would. Dan and Peter would never let me quit. And it’s something I know how to do. So there." He disappeared into the kitchen.
Lance grinned, turning his face away so Carmen couldn’t see.
Phillip came back into the dining room. Margo bit her lip.
"Ok, honey, sorry," she said. "I just want you to do something you can enjoy for a long time."
"Well, that would be computers, of course."
Phillip smiled. Carmen beamed back. Margo shook her head. Lance’s face fell. Martin pretended to do homework.
Lance stood up, clearing his throat. "I think it’s time for the sports news," he said. He headed for the living room. Glancing behind him, he saw Margo giving Phillip a hug. Phillip said something that made her grin.
Within a few moments, the TV was on Channel 9, Carmen was back in her rocker and Margo was on the couch. Lance closed the door to the dining room so the boys could do their homework; Lance preferred they do their homework on the dining room table so he could supervise. Lance was settling next to Margo when Carmen began.
"Now, Lance, you really should let that boy…"
Lance cut her off. "They’re talking about the Broncos. Just a minute."
Carmen shook her head, placed her hands in her lap and settled back. In a moment telltale snores indicated she’d fallen asleep, her head askew against the rocker’s tall back.
"I saw Bill Banks this evening," said Lance.
"Your accountant, right?"
"Yes. I need your advice."