Two Strikes on Johnny Read Online Free Page B

The bases were empty now. Maybe he'd get a hit.
    The first pitch was a ball. The next was over the inside corner. Johnny swung at the third pitch. Missed! He heard the team
     talking to him from the bench. He heard Michael, too. Michael knew Johnny was batting.
    Then, crack! Johnny dropped the bat, started running for first. The ball was a hot grounder to short. Johnny ran hard. The
     shortstop caught the ball on a hop, threw it to first. Johnny was out.
    It made no difference, men on bases or not. He could not hit, anyway.
    Mickey walked, starting a rally. By the time the inning ended, they had pushed across three runs.
    Score: Cardinals — 6, Rangers — 4.
    The Rangers came to bat in the last half of the fifth and scored one run. The game was over. The Cardinals won, 6 to 5.
    Johnny walked home with Michael and Sand and some of the other players. The other players talked about the game. Johnny hardly
     said a word. He was thinking a lot about Michael.
    Finally they reached the walk that led across the lawn to their house. The other fellows said good-by and went on their way.
     Johnny, Michael, and Sand started up the walk.
    Suddenly Johnny tugged on Michael's hand. He stepped in front of Michael and looked directly into his eyes.
    “Michael, I — I must tell you something,” he cried. He clamped his lips together and held his breath for a second.
    “What?” asked Michael.

    “I've been lying to you! I've been lying to you all along!”
    Michael's jaws dropped. His face paled. “What do you mean, Johnny?”
    “Those stories I've been telling you about me. I never made those home runs and triples and doubles like I said. I made it
     up. I made it all up!”
    “You — you mean you don't hit? But that can't be true! I heard the team yelling your name. Every time you batted they cheered
     you. And when you caught a fly ball —”
    “They just did that on purpose.” Johnny choked. “Oh, Michael, don't you understand? They knew I told you stories to make you
     believe I was good. So they did that for
you
.”
    Michael blinked. “Then all that — allthose stories you told me — they weren't true?”
    “That's right, Michael. None of them were true. I — I'm sorry. Honest I am.”
    A tear dropped on Michael's cheek.
    Johnny took Michael's arm. “I told you I'm sorry, Michael. You believe me, don't you? Don't you, Michael?”
    “I guess so,” Michael said softly. He turned away. “Come on, Sand. Let's — let's go up to the house.”

7
    J OHNNY did not go to the game against the Tiger Cats after supper Friday. He stayed home and mowed the lawn until he was all tired
     out. He didn't see Michael around and thought that he must be inside listening to television.
    Johnny rested under the linden tree with his hands folded behind his head and his right leg crossed over his left. The day
     was sunny, just nifty for baseball. The large green leaves were moving like a million fans in the breeze. A red-winged blackbird
     flew onto a limb. It rocked backand forth on its skinny legs, sang its song, then flew away again.
    Johnny heard his mother and father come out on the porch. He heard the glider squeak as they sat down on it. Then they rocked
     to and fro and began talking about the floods in Pennsylvania and Massachusetts. Johnny listened awhile.
    He tried not to think of the Cardinals, but Marty and Freddie and all the others came hopping into his mind like rabbits.
     He tried not to think of baseball, but he couldn't help it.
    He thought about Michael again and his heart ached. Michael had not been his usual self since that last game. He would speak,
     but he never once mentioned a thing about baseball. He didn't ask when Johnny was going to play again.
    Johnny felt awful. He didn't know whatto do except not to play ball any more. He was sorry, sure. He had told Michael he was sorry. But just telling Michael he
     was sorry did not solve the problem. Michael was still hurt because all along Johnny had been telling