A Promotion to Present Tense

The week with Lucas started out as awkwardly as he'd expected, but it quickly was superceded by what became known as the "bus episode". That Wednesday, the entire first string and second strings of the varsity team decided to take a school bus for a joy ride after a win and almost crashed into a train. The police pulled them over, but rather than try to figure out who had actually been driving, they simply arrested any student with a driver's license. And suddenly, there were a lot of openings on the varsity squad.

"Carver! Jagielski! Front and center!" Whitey was making a rare appearance at JV practice, usually handled by Mr. Stempek, the bio teacher.

"Yeah, coach?" Jake Jagielski was a good guy. He'd been one of the first people to be nice to Nathan, and didn't give a flying fig what the rest of the school thought, yet he seemed to actually be pretty popular. Nathan had known guys like him in Vegas. Heck, he'd been guys like him in Vegas. Before a wired bankrobber had suffered a severe disappointment and his whole world had gone to hell. But, that was then. As Dan had said, past tense.

"It seems Dan is going to get his wish, Nathan. How do you two feel about moving up to varsity?"

"Uh, Whitey..." Nathan started to say.

"I know there's some trouble with you and Lucas, but I need you on the team. I'm down 6 players. And as much as I hate to say Dan's right, b-ball does seem to be genetic in your family. Just give it a shot. I'll make it work with Lucas."

Nathan considered, and then shrugged. Mrs. Plumber. Making an effort. And being on varsity was important to Dan. "I'll give it a shot, Coach."

"Good. What about you, Jaglieski?"

Jake looked scared for a moment, and then pulled Whitey to the side. They had a quick, whispered conversation, at the end of which Whitey put his hand on Jake's shoulder, and then left the gym. Nathan went over the Jake. "What was that about? Are you going to do it?"

"Um, yeah, I think so. I just have to talk to my parents. I have a lot of obligations to my family-I can't let playing varsity get in the way of them."

"Yeah, well, I think I may have just fulfilled my biggest obligation, to Dan anyway. Practically the first thing he ever said to me was 'we'll get you in shape and onto varsity.' I thought he was insane."

"Well, he is, a little. But he's like a god to these people. The great Dan Scott, all time scoring champ of the Tree Hill Ravens, who would have gotten us a state championship if he hadn't been benched. Lucas has been dealing with that since the day he started junior leagues. Now I guess it's your turn. You watch, by tomorrow the entire town will know that Dan Scott's younger son made varsity."

Nathan wasn't so much worried about the entire town as one person in particular. And sure enough, that night at dinner, Lucas was the one to bring it up. "So, Dad, your fondest dream has come true. Little bro there made varsity today. The Scott boys are on the team together. Well, one Scott boy and one not-so-Scott boy," he snarked.

Dan missed that last part. "You... congratulations! Why didn't you tell me? We'll have to up your practice sessions."

Nathan winced. He was still feeling pain in muscles he'd never known he had from the training Dan insisted on now. "I'm going to be, like, last string, Dan. I'll probably play less than I do now."

"Not for long. I'll talk to Whitey and get you moved up. You're a Scott. I knew you had it in you."

Nathan refrained from pointing out that Keith was a Scott, and by his own admission a pretty lousy ball player.

"Wow. This calls for a celebration. Who wants a beer?" Nathan started at Dan's question. His mom would have no sooner offered him a beer than she would have offered him a hooker. And here was Dan offering two 15 year old boys beer like it was completely okay. He was at the point of refusing when Lucas said "I'll have one" and smirked at him, daring.

"Yeah, me too."