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over at me. “Jesus Christ, Boomer, just play the game. We’re not a lynch mob.”
    Boomer stood and stared at him for a second. “You heard what Coach said. Maybe you’re a nigger lover, too.”
    Carter stood his ground. “Maybe I am.”
    For the past year or so Boomer hasn’t been sure he could take Carter, and he wasn’t about to try unless he knew. Carter understood what that was about and used it all the way. And even if Boomer could take him, he’d get hurt doing it.
    “Well, screw you, too, Sampson,” Boomer said finally, and picked up his towel.
    Carter went over to the corner and picked up myteeth, which were miraculously in one piece. “Keep these in your mouth,” he said, handing them over. “You’re ugly without them.”
     
    When I got home for dinner, I was cooled down, but I still couldn’t get the whole deal with Washington off my mind. Lednecky had come into the lockers just after Boomer and I got into it to remind us that what he’d said was not to leave that room, and that included our parents; but I didn’t pay any attention to that because when I have a problem, I take it home or I take it to Dakota. I mean, I’m not a goody-goody or anything, but the whole thing was ruining my idea of what sports were supposed to be about.
    I got out of the pickup to see my sister, Tracy, sitting on the porch steps.
    “Your night to do the dishes,” she said. Tracy’s nine. Usually that means she’s good for a bribe. I went for sympathy first.
    “Come on, Trace. I’m a football hero. Football heroes don’t do dishes. They get battered and sore, and they need their rest. Usually their sisters do the dishes for them.”
    “Fat chance,” she said. “I’ll bet Carter does the dishes.”
    “You know,” I said, “we were just talking about that today, as it happens. He says he never does the dishes. Messes up his hands for handling the ball.”
    “Let’s call and ask,” she said. She’s always had a crush on Carter and would do anything to get to talk to him.
    “Okay,” I said. “Carter does dishes. How much?”
    “Fifty cents.”
    I fished out two quarters and flipped them to her. She caught them and stuck them in her pocket. “Should have held out,” she said. “I would have done it for twenty-five.” She went inside.
    Norm was already eating, and Brenda was putting mine on. I pecked her on the cheek as I went through to wash my hands. Norm looked up from the paper and nodded.
    “So how’s it going?” he said when I sat down at the table.
    “Okay, I guess.” Then I told about Lednecky’s plan and my run-in with Boomer.
    Norm smiled and shook his head. “Boomer,” he said. “I hope that boy makes it in football. Vietnam ended too soon for him to be a productive citizen there.” He put the paper aside. “I wouldn’t worry about Lednecky. He gets pretty excited sometimes. I think thiswill blow over before Friday.”
    “That’s what Carter says,” I said, “but I don’t know. You should have heard him. It’s like it’s part of the game plan. I’m really having a hard time with it. I mean, maybe I should quit.”
    Norm looked up and frowned. “You serious?”
    “I don’t know.”
    “Well,” he said, “do what you have to, but I wouldn’t overreact if I were you. You’ve worked pretty hard for this season. I’d let it sit for a couple of days.”
    That’s the way Norm is. He’s always counseling me to look things over before I do some knee-jerk thing I’ll be sorry for. There’s nothing wrong with making a mistake as long as you think about it first, but it’s stupid to make mistakes by closing your eyes and gritting your teeth. Makes sense.
    I did let it sit, and nothing more was said through the week, at least not by Lednecky. We had a lot of hard contact on Tuesday and Wednesday and worked like crazy on our defense. Thursday, as usual, we went without pads and ran plays against dummies. Boomer brought Washington up a few times, usually right after