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.
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(About Phillip Home) (Last) (Next)
An Awkward Celebration
"So what's with you and your dad?" asked Dan quietly.
Phillip wanted any reason to change the subject. "Nothing important."
"I don’t believe you."
Phillip slumped in his seat, trying to hide. His eyes darted around the crowded Diary Queen. He fidgeted with his shirt. He was cornered, like a hamster that got out of its cage only to discover the family cat.
Dan, Peter and Phillip shared a table. The place was crowded. Ancient Beatles music blared from pink speakers hanging from the purple ceiling. Phillip formulated an answer. He glanced at the exit and swirled his remaining sundae with a pink plastic spoon. He wanted to be home in front of his beloved computer instead of in the company of two certified jocks with whom he felt no real kinship. But Dan and Peter had rescued him from his dad. There was no way out.
Phillip mustered some strength. "We don’t get along. That’s all. I told him not to come. I was nervous enough already."
"Nervous!" exclaimed Dan. "You looked scared to death! I don’t know him except as the scoutmaster but he seems like a nice guy. Sort of by-the-book, though. Not someone to cross."
Phillip pushed his glasses up to see Dan properly and brushed his hair out of his eyes. He wondered why none of the real jocks wore glasses. He looked at Peter. He looked back at Dan.
"Dad always talks about winning," continued Phillip. "I came in second in my heat and fourth overall."
Dan was exasperated. "Phillip, we covered this already. This was your first meet. You beat several seniors!"
Phillip allowed himself a smile but only his ice cream saw it. He raised his gaze to meet Dan’s.
"He’s gonna be all over me tonight about not competing hard enough. I didn’t join track to win, just to run. I mean, yeah, I love to run, but I run by myself just to think, you know."
Peter sat back. "We were next to your dad during the meet. He didn’t say anything negative. Really, he didn’t say anything at all. He just seemed puzzled you’d go out for track."
Phillip was warming up. "Yeah, puzzled. That’s a good word for it. He doesn’t think I can do it. Says it’s not really in me, y’know. He actually said that this morning! Then he gave me a big pep talk about how I need a winning attitude. That’s what he always says. ‘Winning attitude!’ And then the next part of the lecture always has to do with computers, like they’re diseased or something."
"What’s wrong with a winning attitude?" It came from Peter, but Phillip could see the same question in Dan’s eyes.
They’re jocks, thought Phillip, they don’t understand. He plunged on. "My father thinks track is just a passing fancy and I’ll give up on it and go back to my morning runs ‘all by myself’ and my computers ‘all by myself’ and get bad grades and then he can go back to saying wonderful things about my brothers and look on poor Phillip as some sort of embarrassment because he’s not a real jock and he’s not a big deal scholar and never gets his name in the paper and just doesn’t amount to anything and he’ll never learn to drive because he doesn’t want to but needs to and frankly I don’t want to. He keeps hoping I’ll be like Richard. That’s my older brother. He was the Park quarterback a couple years ago."
Peter was taken aback. "What’s wrong with learning to drive? You’re almost sixteen."
Phillip sat up. "Do you know how much it really costs to drive a private vehicle? I mean, counting the hidden costs. It’s not only the money but also the environmental damage caused by…"
"Wait, wait, wait!" said Dan, laughing and waving his hands. "Peter, don’t get him started. Let’s get back to the question. Look, I don’t have any brothers or sisters. Peter doesn’t either, so I guess we don’t know about sibling rivalry."
Phillip slumped, his chance for speechmaking snatched away. "It’s not really sibling rivalry," he said. "I like my brothers. Richard’s a lot older than me, y’know." He looked at Dan. "But Martin’s only a year younger. He’s a freshman. He’s pretty cool, really…." His voice trailed off.
Peter looked confused. "So what’s your problem again?"
Phillip gave him the look he reserved for those too dense to understand. "It’s not the way I relate to my brothers. It’s the way my father relates to my brothers. Richard’s a saint because he’s on a mission for the church in Russia and can do no wrong. He writes these wonderful e-mails and my mother always swoons over them." He made a swooning motion with both his hands in front of him. "And Martin always gets good grades without even trying." He slumped again. "I’m the hopeless one. According to my father. Just ask him. He’ll tell you. He tells everyone."
Dan spoke first. "Look. I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking of quitting track just because of your father."
Phillip was startled. He wasn’t thinking any such thing.
Dan didn’t notice Phillip’s surprise. "So here’s the deal," he continued. " You’re gonna stay on the track team. Period. End of story. Being on the track team has nothing to do with whether your father comes or not."
Phillip looked down and swirled the last of his ice cream with his pink plastic spoon.
"Phillip, young man," said Peter, his nose in the air, "you need to get used to the new reality. Now that you’ve participated in your very first official Park High School track meet, you are a certified jock. You’d better prepare for your celebrity status. Now, stop making soup out of your ice cream and finish up. I presume you’re going to your autograph signing party?"
Phillip recoiled; Peter was making fun of him. He hastily wiped his face and stood up. Peter and Dan unfolded themselves from the booth. Each stood a head taller than Phillip.
"Uh, Dan," stammered Phillip after an awkward pause. "Can you give me a ride to work? The next bus doesn’t come for fifteen minutes and I’ll be late."
"Hey, the holy one stoops to ride in a car!" chided Peter.
"You’re working the same day as a meet?" asked Dan.
"Uh, yeah. In fact, I’m gonna be late. I work at the Boulder Valley Pet Store, you know, over on 28th."
"Lion tamer?" asked Peter.
"Uh. What? No. I mean, no, I’m a, you know, I do everything. I even fix their computer."
He had once fixed Dan’s modem when no one else could help. Of course, that was the encounter that enabled Dan and Peter to badger him into joining the Park track team. They’d told him that small, skinny kids who liked to run could do well at long-distance track.
"Come along, young man," commanded Peter. "We shall deliver you safely." He strode confidently out the door, Dan at his side. At the thought of riding in Dan’s car with Peter beside him, Phillip shuddered and ran after them, glancing around to see if anyone was looking at him.