The Losers Club

Nina, breathless, comes to the Losers Club table. She’s proud of her last kick, having kicked the ball very far. Alec is happy for her, but he asks why Mrs. Case didn’t make her return to her assigned club. Nina explains she spoke to Mrs. Case before Extended Day began, saying she wanted to experiment with Active Games, as she was considering switching. Nina is not really considering switching—that was just her cover story.

Really, Nina made a bet with Kent. He bet her an ice cream sandwich that she couldn’t make three good kicks in a row, and Nina just won the bet. Alec is relieved to hear she’s not trying to switch to Active Games. However, he’s concerned with how much fun she had hanging out with Kent. Nina says Kent will be delivering her ice cream sandwich at lunch tomorrow. He’s also supposed to come over tonight to show her how to shoot layups. Alec tries to be happy for her.

Nina asks what Alec is reading. Alec explains it’s a Ray Bradbury short story collection. Nina expresses that it’s really old and indicates she has a hard time enjoying books that aren’t modern. She’s also not a big fan of science fiction. Seeing his opportunity, Alec bets Nina an ice cream sandwich that he can show her a story she’ll enjoy. Nina takes the bet. Alec has her read “All Summer in a Day.” By the time Nina finishes reading, she’s clearly emotional. She wants to borrow the story collection when Alec is finished. Alec has won the bet. They agree to split Nina’s ice cream sandwich from Kent tomorrow at lunch.

Alec wants to discuss the story with Nina to get her thoughts on what happened next, on the characters and the plot, but he acknowledges that he intentionally chose not to have the Losers Club be that kind of book club. As they read quietly, Alec catches himself looking at Nina too often. It’s scary to him that he likes her so much.

On Tuesday afternoon, the kickball flies at the Losers Club table. When Alec and Nina look up, they see Kent is the one who kicked it. Nina comments on how powerful the kick must have been. Dave retrieves the ball.

Alec tries to return to his book. He’s rereading the book of Bradbury stories, having finished it last night. He loves the final story, “A Sound of Thunder,” which is about big-game-hunting dinosaurs. The ball flies at them again, and once again, Nina comments on how much power it takes to get the ball so far. Dave retrieves the ball again. Fifteen minutes later, the ball flies at them a third time. This time Nina is unimpressed. She acknowledges that Kent is doing this on purpose to bother them.

Alec knows she’s right. Earlier at lunch, when Kent brought Nina her ice cream sandwich, he’d brought a second one for himself. However, when he gave Nina her ice cream sandwich, she thanked him and walked straight to Alec. They split the ice cream sandwich and enjoyed it together. Kent watched the whole thing as Alec and Nina laughed and talked over their sandwich. This is exactly what Alec had hoped would happen when he made the second bet with Nina on Monday. Alec wants to tell Nina how Kent is upset over the ice cream sandwich stuff, but that gets him dangerously close to admitting his feelings for her if he has to explain why he’s competing with Kent, so he stays quiet.

Nina asks Alec for a pencil, but Alec only has a tiny one he’s kept since third grade. Lily gives Nina a freshly sharpened, brand-new pencil. Nina holds onto it. The ball soars at their table several more times as Extended Day goes on. It’s particularly annoying because the balls are spaced out just enough for Alec to get back into his book before he’s interrupted once again. Finally, a ball flies toward their table and Nina thrusts her pencil into the air, catching the ball with the point of it and popping it.

Alec is impressed by Nina. He likens Nina to a warrior princess who’s slain a dragon. Nina apologizes in an overly sweet voice when Dave retrieves the ball this time. Everyone laughs, knowing Nina isn’t sorry. When Alec looks over at Kent, Kent gives Nina a thumbs up and a fist pump. Nina waves back. No other kickballs fly at their table for the rest of the afternoon.

On Wednesday, before first period, Kent accosts Alec in the hall. He calls Alec a loser, but his tone is much friendlier. Kent pays Alec a backhanded compliment, saying he’s fast for a small guy. Alec is suspicious because Kent is being mostly nice. Kent comments on Nina’s trick with the pencil the previous afternoon. Alec agrees that it was impressive, calling Nina a “warrior princess” with a pencil sword. Kent likes this name for Nina. He says he hopes he didn’t bother them too much with his crazy kicks. Alec says it’s no problem, but he’s wondering what Kent wants from this conversation.

Kent nervously asks Alec if he and Nina are together. Alec denies it. Kent is relieved and indicates he’s interested in Nina and wants to make a move. Alec doesn’t respond, but internally he hates the idea of Kent making a move on Nina.

In art class, while working on paper mâché, Alec replays the conversation. He works on a mask inspired by Treasure Island, and he wishes he could grab a cutlass and challenge Kent to a duel. He stops that train of thought, however, acknowledging that Nina is not a prize to be won, and he wouldn’t stand a chance fighting Kent anyway.

When Alec gets to the Losers Club table that afternoon, he is calmer. He appreciates that Nina’s presence in the Losers Club has softened Kent’s attitude toward him. He also acknowledges that Kent wouldn’t have spoken to him this morning if Kent didn’t think Alec was a rival of some sort. That makes Alec feel good.

Kent approaches Nina as she makes her way to the table, and Alec watches as they talk. Lily asks Alec about one of the books he’s brought, Holes. Alec gives her a short answer despite being able to tell she wants to talk more. He’s too focused on Kent and Nina. As Nina walks away from Kent, Kent spots Alec and gives him a double thumbs up. Alec realizes Kent believes Alec is his accomplice in winning over Nina.

Alec and Nina share Alec’s snacks. Nina tells Alec about her conversation with Kent, who wanted to know why Nina avoided him all day. Nina says she was retaliating for Kent’s fly balls the previous day. She even avoided Kent when he came to her house the previous night to play basketball with her brother. Nina told Kent these reasons. She says Kent replied that he wasn’t mad about the ball she popped, and he called her a warrior princess with a pencil for a sword. Nina thinks this is hilarious, but Alec is mad that Kent stole that from him. He thinks “warrior princess” is a title of respect and shouldn’t be used for flirting.

Nina turns to watch Kent as he kicks the ball and rounds the bases. She’s smiling, but Alec is not.

On Friday night, while his family watches a movie, Alec struggles to focus on reading. He decides to take his bike out around the neighborhood to try to find Nina’s house. He knows where Kent’s house is and Nina said she lives close by. He’s not sure what will happen when he gets there.

Earlier in the day, Alec overheard Nina and Kent talking. Kent is planning to go to Nina’s house this evening for basketball with Richie and some other friends. He wants to hang around after to show Nina some more shooting techniques. Nina sounded enthusiastic about this idea. For the rest of the day, Alec hasn’t been able to shake the image of the two of them shooting hoops by moonlight.

Alec realized while he was reading that his books feature people being heroic and taking action. He wasn’t taking any action by keeping his nose in his book, so he got on his bike. He figured if Kent can drop by whenever, so can he.

Alec finds the house by following the sounds of basketball. Nina’s parents have installed floodlights to keep the driveway, complete with painted basketball lines, well-lit late into the evening. When Alec pulls up, four boys are playing basketball. He knows Kent and he can tell which boy is Richie by his resemblance to Nina, whom Alec has stared at enough to know her facial features. Alec watches the boys for a while. Kent is the youngest of them, but he fits in with the other boys’ athleticism.

When the ball rolls down the driveway, Kent chases it and nearly runs into Alec on his bike. Kent grabs Alec’s handlebars and drags Alec’s bike up the driveway into the light, with Alec hobbling along. Kent makes loud comments about Alec being a bookworm and needing his mom’s permission to come play, obviously trying to look cool in front of his older friends. When Alec dismounts his bike, Kent throws it to the ground. Alec clenches his fists. He’s prepared to fight Kent. Kent seems a little intimidated at first.

A car pulls into the driveway, stopping before it reaches the boys. Nina and her parents get out. Nina greets Alec, happy to see him. Richie also approaches and introduces himself to Alec, having heard about the Losers Club from Nina. Nina asks if Alec is there to play basketball. Kent suggests they play “Horse” or their own version, “Bookworm,” so Alec has more chances to succeed. Alec ignores Kent. He tells Nina that he was just riding by and stopped to say hello. Nina seems disappointed.

When Alec returns home, he thinks about how his bike ride is like a scene in a novel and how vivid his anger was when Kent threw his bike down. Though the bike ride started out feeling like fiction, all the moments that are now memories for Alec are real. Instead of reading, he lies on his bed and thinks about his life.