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push it along. ‘This is going to be the closest. It looks as if it’s going to get only centimetres away from it!’ he grinned confidently.
    Then, as if it had taken on a life of its own, and aided by an unexpected gust of wind, the ball floated through the open window and into the building.
    The boys’ jaws dropped.
    ‘They stared at the window, nervously smiling, not sure what to do next. Moments later there came from inside a spine chilling crash! Then a number of screams, followed by complete silence and then…‘ S I M O N!!!’
    The boys turned to each other, the same horrified expression on both their faces.
    ‘That was the window to the gallery,’ gasped Specky.

9 THE TRUTH
    Specky’s first reaction was to run. If he could’ve fled the country that very minute, he would have. But instead he decided to face the consequences. He and Greg reluctantly made their way back inside the building. As they entered the gallery, all heads turned directly to them. Specky caught sight of Alice and his mum first. Their faces were frozen in utter disbelief, like everyone else’s. He looked towards the other end of the room to see that there, spread out on the floor, lay two very smashed sculptures, and in the middle of it all was the football he had accidentally just kicked through the open window. Thousands of tiny eggshell pieces were scattered all over the place.
    Specky gulped as he then saw Vladimir Belsky sobbing on the floor while trying to pick up the remains of the sculpture called ‘The Nose’.
    ‘Come with me!’ said Specky’s father, grabbing him by the scruff of the neck and dragging him into his office.
    ‘Dad, I didn’t mean to…’
    ‘Don’t you dare say a single word,’ he hissed through clenched teeth. Mr Magee slammed the office door shut behind him, leaving Specky to sit alone in the office for the rest of the launch.
    By 7.00 p.m. the party was over—it really ended after the accident, as no one had been in the mood to celebrate since then.
    Specky didn’t move an inch or say a single word as he and his father drove home. He would’ve preferred to have got a lift back with his mum and Alice, but Specky’s dad insisted that Specky go with him. Which only suggested to Specky that he was going to get an earbashing.
    ‘That was supposed to be one of the biggest nights of my career and you ruined it! All I wanted was for my family to support me, to be there for me—even if it wasn’t their thing…’
    That’s what I should be saying to you, thought Specky.
    ‘…But no, my own son had to sabotage the whole event with his ridiculous obsession with football.’
    ‘It’s not ridiculous!’ Specky answered back.
    ‘Yes it is. I should ground you from playing footy for the rest of the year!’
    ‘You can’t do that! That’s not fair! I didn’t mean to break those sculptures…’ Specky felt his entire face heat up and his eyes well with tears. ‘Footy’s my life, Dad, whether you like it or not. It’s as important to me as art is to you. And you couldn’t even make it to the barbecue today, at least I made an appearance at your stupid exhibition!’
    ‘Don’t you raise your voice at me, young man. Me not going to your football function is not the issue here!’
    ‘Yes, it is! My real dad wouldn’t have missed it!’
    Specky’s father slammed on the brakes, and the car screeched to a halt on the side of the road. Then he slowly turned to face Specky. ‘What did you say?’ he said firmly.
    Specky softly repeated himself, briefly regretting what he had just said. ‘I said, my real dad wouldn’t have missed the barbecue today.’
    Specky’s dad continued to stare at him in shock. After what seemed like a lifetime, he coldly turned back to the steering wheel and started the car.
    Specky’s heart was beating so fast, he felt as if he’d just sprinted the entire length of a football oval. Why wasn’t his father saying anything? Part of Specky desperately wanted his father