Chapter One - Going Anyway

Alex stood by the front door with the football tucked under his arm.

He looked at it again.

Yesterday, taking only the football had seemed simple. Today, with his hand on the door handle, it didn't.

Is this enough? Then another thought arrived. What if Sam doesn't want to play football?

Alex glanced towards the cupboard where the games were kept.

He could take one. Just one. He took a step towards the cupboard.

"Alex?" Dad called. "We need to go soon."

Alex stopped.

He looked at the cupboard, then at the football.

Sam had invited him. He'd been to Sam's house before. They'd played football together.

But Alex didn't know what they were going to do today.

That was the part his mind didn't like.

He imagined taking a game. Then another. Soon he'd be carrying half the cupboard to Sam's house.

Alex almost smiled.

He looked at the football again. He had chosen it. He didn't know if it was the right thing to bring.

"Alex?"

"Coming."

Dad was waiting in the hallway.

Alex squeezed the football. "I don't know," he whispered.

His mind wanted something definite.

Yes. It's the right thing.

Or:

No. Go and get a game.

But there was no answer.

Just:

I don't know.

Alex looked towards the cupboard one last time.

He could still go back. He didn't. He turned towards the door.

Dad opened it.

Cool morning air touched Alex's face.

Alex stepped outside. The door clicked shut behind him. For a moment, he stood on the path with the football pressed against his side.

What if Sam wanted to do something else?

Alex looked back at the closed door. The cupboard was only a few steps away. So was the road.

He turned towards the road.

One step.

Then another.

The pavement was damp from the night before. Alex knew this road well. He passed the wall, turned at the corner and followed the familiar path towards Sam's house.

I could have brought a game.

Alex looked down at the football. He hadn't.

He kept walking. The question hadn't disappeared. But there was nothing he needed to do about it now.

He was already going.

When Alex reached Sam's house, his stomach gave a small nervous flip.

He slowed down. No game. Just him, the football and a visit he'd already said yes to.

Alex took a breath and walked up the path.

The front door opened before he could knock.

Sam stood there, already smiling. "Alex! Hello, Mr Carter."

Alex smiled back. "Hi."

Then he realised what Sam had said.

Dad was standing beside him. Alex had forgotten he was even there.

"Hi, Sam. Thank you for inviting Alex over. I'll pick him up later. Have a good time."

"Thank you. Have a good afternoon, Mr Carter."

Sam stepped aside. "Come in, Alex!"

Alex crossed the doorway.

He still didn't know what would happen next. He hadn't brought a game. He wasn't sure the football was the right thing.

But he was here.

Chapter Two - First Things First

Sam's mum called from the kitchen. "Have fun, boys."

"Thanks."

Sam's dad appeared in the hallway. "Morning, Alex."

"Morning."

His brother waved from the stairs before disappearing upstairs again.

Then Sam turned to Alex. "Come on."

Alex followed him upstairs. He knew the house well—the stairs, the hallway, the little mark on the wall near the corner.

Sam stopped beside a table and picked up a pile of paper. "I thought we could make paper aeroplanes first."

Alex looked at the paper.

Then at Sam. "First?"

"Yeah. Then football."

Alex glanced down at the football. But we were going to play football.

Sam was already pulling out a chair. "I've got loads of paper."

Alex sat down. "Okay."

Sam folded his paper in half. "Like this."

Alex copied him. He folded the corner, pressed it flat and held up his plane.

Sam looked at it. "That's... interesting."

Alex laughed. "It is not."

"It is." Sam's plane looked much neater. "Mine's better."

"We haven't thrown them yet."

They carried the planes into the garden.

"Ready?"

Alex held his carefully. "Ready."

They threw them.

Sam's flew straight ahead.

Alex's dipped immediately and landed upside down in the grass.

Sam laughed.

Alex laughed too. "That was terrible."

"It went backwards," Sam said.

"I saw."

They changed the folds and tried again.

This time Alex's plane stayed in the air, gliding further across the garden. "Yes!"

Sam pointed. "Again."

They tried different shapes. One plane clipped the fence. Another landed with a wing bent underneath it.

Alex picked it up. "How do we fix this?"

Sam showed him.

Alex copied the fold.

"Try it now."

Alex threw.

The plane curved across the garden and landed beside the flowerpot.

Alex stared. "Did you see that?"

Sam grinned. "Again."

Alex picked it up before Sam could. He changed one of the folds. "Try this."

Sam threw it.

The plane swooped upwards, turned sideways and dropped into the grass.

They both burst out laughing.

Alex was already folding another sheet. "Again?"

"Obviously."

This time Sam changed the wings on his plane. "Mine's going further."

"Not for long." Alex laughed.

They ran after the planes and picked them up.

Sam's plane flew towards the garden door.

Alex watched it glide, then looked down. The football was lying beside the door. He'd forgotten about it.

"Look!" Sam shouted.

Alex looked up.

Sam's plane dipped towards the grass.

"How did you do that?"

"I changed this bit."

"Show me."

Sam handed him the plane.

Alex examined the fold. "Can we make it turn the other way?"

Sam grinned. "Probably."

They bent the wings together and tried again. The plane curved left. Then right.

Sam glanced towards the garden door. "We'll play football after."

Alex looked at the ball. "Okay."

He turned back to the plane. "Try this."

They threw it again.

Then Sam picked up the football. "Football now?"

Alex's stomach gave a little jump. Finally.

He followed Sam towards the garden gate. For a second, he could almost feel the ball at his feet. Then Sam stopped.

Alex nearly walked into him. "What?"

Sam pointed upwards.

Rain tapped against Alex's arm.

Another drop landed on the football.

Alex looked at the clouds. "We can't play football in this."

Sam shrugged. "We can do something else."

Alex looked at the football. Then at the paper aeroplanes lying in the grass. What else?

He waited.

Sam was already looking around. "I've got an idea."

Alex picked up one of the paper aeroplanes. "What's next?"

Sam grinned.

Alex followed him back towards the house.

Chapter Three - The Flowerpot Challenge

Rain tapped against the windows.

Alex looked out at the garden.

The football was still by the door. The grass was wet, and rain dotted the glass.

"Maybe it'll stop," Alex said.

Sam looked outside. "Maybe."

He picked up one of the paper aeroplanes. "We could have another go."

Alex looked at the plane. "Flowerpot?"

Sam nodded. "We're still trying."

Alex smiled. "Okay."

They carried the planes into the kitchen. Sam placed the flowerpot at the far end of the room.

"First one to get close."

"Close doesn't count."

"It does if I say it does."

Alex laughed.

Sam threw his plane.

It flew straight past the flowerpot and bumped into the wall.

"My turn." Alex threw his.

It dipped, turned sideways and landed underneath the table.

Sam grinned. "Very close."

"It wasn't."

"It was nearly under the flowerpot."

Alex crawled underneath the table and retrieved it. "Again?"

This time Alex changed the fold before throwing.

The plane flew further.

It clipped the edge of the flowerpot.

"Yes!"

Sam pointed. "That was nearly in."

"Nearly counts."

"No, it doesn't."

Alex laughed.

They tried again.

Sam's plane landed on the sofa. Alex's flew back towards them.

Sam caught it. "That was definitely not supposed to happen."

Alex took the plane. "What if we bend this bit?"

Sam watched as Alex folded the wing. "Try it."

Alex threw.

The plane curved across the room and landed beside the flowerpot.

They both cheered. "Again!"

Sam changed one wing on his plane and threw it again.

"Try to beat that."

Alex narrowed his eyes. "I will."

They threw their planes together.

Sam's skimmed past the flowerpot.

Alex's clipped the rim and dropped to the floor.

"Mine was closer," Sam said.

"Only because yours went past."

"Past is still closer."

Alex laughed.

They tried from different places. Alex changed the folds. Sam changed the wings.

One plane landed beside the flowerpot. Another spun in a circle and dropped almost where it had started.

Alex laughed. "That one was terrible."

Sam picked it up. "Again."

Alex took another sheet of paper.

This time he folded the nose differently.

Sam watched. "What's that supposed to do?"

"Make it go straight."

Alex threw it.

The plane flew straight across the room and landed beside the flowerpot.

Sam pointed. "That's better."

Alex grinned. "I know."

They tried again.

The rain was still falling outside. Alex glanced towards the window. He had stopped wondering when it would end.

He was watching the planes. He was changing the folds. He was trying to beat Sam.

"Try this," Alex said.

Sam took the plane.

He folded one corner and pressed it carefully with his thumbnail.

Alex waited. "Sam?"

Sam didn't look up.

Alex waited a moment. "Sam?"

Nothing.

Sam kept working.

Alex looked at him. He was still carefully folding the paper.

Alex glanced towards the window. The rain continued against the glass. Then he looked back at Sam.

Sam was still working on the plane.

Alex waited.

Chapter Four - The Misunderstanding

The rain continued against the windows.

Alex held his paper aeroplane and watched Sam work. Sam pressed the fold flat with his thumbnail.

Alex waited. "Sam?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you think mine will go further?"

Sam glanced at the plane. "Maybe."

He looked back down and folded another corner.

Alex watched him. Maybe he's bored.

The thought arrived quietly. Sam hadn't said he was bored. He hadn't complained. He was still working on the plane.

Alex looked at the fold in Sam's hands.

Sam was concentrating so hard that his tongue poked slightly against the corner of his mouth.

Alex frowned. If Sam was bored, why was he trying so hard to get the fold right? Maybe he doesn't like this anymore.

Alex looked towards the garden. Rain still covered the grass. The football was by the door.

He could see it through the glass. They couldn't play outside.

Alex looked back at Sam.

Sam folded one side, unfolded it, then folded it again.

Maybe he wanted to do something else.

Alex remembered how they'd laughed earlier. The planes had flown into walls, under tables and almost into the flowerpot. They'd been having fun.

At least, Alex thought they had.

He looked at Sam again.

Sam didn't look up.

Maybe he doesn't like being here. The thought made Alex's stomach feel tight.

He picked up his plane. "Do you want to do something else?"

Sam didn't answer.

Alex waited.

Sam folded another corner.

"Sam?"

Nothing.

Alex watched him press the fold flat.

He could keep guessing. Or he could ask. But he'd already asked.

Alex looked down at his plane. Maybe Sam wanted to stop. Maybe he was only making the plane because there wasn't anything else to do.

Alex didn't like that thought.

He looked at the football again. It was still by the door. He couldn't make the rain stop. He couldn't make Sam want to play.

He didn't know what Sam was thinking.

Alex took a breath. "Sam?"

Sam finally looked up. "Hmm?"

"Do you want to do something else?"

Sam stared at him for a moment. Then he looked down at the plane in his hands.

Alex waited.

Sam turned the plane over. "I just want to get this bit right."

Alex blinked. He looked at the fold. Then at Sam. "Oh."

Sam smiled a little. "It's nearly working."

Alex looked at his own plane. "Can I see?"

Sam handed it over.

Alex examined the fold. "What if you bend this bit?"

Sam looked at it. "Maybe."

Alex smiled.

They bent the fold together.

Then Sam threw the plane. It flew across the room and landed beside the flowerpot.

Sam grinned. "That worked."

Alex laughed. "Again."

Sam picked up the plane. Alex picked up his own. The rain continued against the windows.

Neither boy looked towards it.

Chapter Five - The Truth About Sam

"Bored?"

Alex nodded. "Yeah."

Sam blinked. "I thought you meant the plane."

Alex frowned. "I did."

Sam looked down at the paper in his hands. "I'm not bored."

Alex stared at him. "You're not?"

Sam shook his head. "No. I'm trying to get this right." He held up the plane.

Alex looked at it.

The wings were narrower than before. One side was slightly higher than the other.

"I want it to turn and then land in the flowerpot."

Alex looked towards the flowerpot. "You've been trying to do that?"

"Yeah." Sam threw the plane. It curved left, bounced off the wall and landed on the floor. He groaned. "Still wrong."

Alex laughed. "That was closer."

"Was it?"

"Definitely."

Sam picked up the plane and straightened one of the wings.

Alex watched.

All those careful creases. The repeated throws. The way Sam kept trying when the plane didn't do what he wanted.

He had seen it. He just hadn't known what it meant.

Alex looked at Sam. "You weren't answering me."

"I know. Sorry."

"I said your name twice."

"I heard you."

Alex blinked. "You did?"

Sam nodded. "I was concentrating."

Alex looked at the plane again. "I thought you wanted to do something else."

Sam shook his head. "I want to make this work first." He held out the plane. "Can you see what's wrong with it?"

Alex took it. He looked closely. "This side is higher."

Sam checked. "It is."

Alex smiled. "Try making it lower."

Sam adjusted the wing. "Like that?"

"A little more."

Sam changed it again.

Alex nodded. "Now try."

Sam threw the plane.

It curved across the room, skimmed the edge of the flowerpot and landed beside the table.

They both stared at it.

"That was close," Alex said.

Sam grinned. "Very close."

Alex laughed.

Sam picked up the plane.

"What are you trying to make it do?"

"Turn left."

"Why?"

"Because I want it to land in the flowerpot."

Alex nodded. "Show me."

Sam folded another sheet of paper.

Alex leaned closer.

Sam handed him the paper. "You do this side."

Alex folded it. "Like this?"

"Yeah."

They worked together.

Alex looked at Sam. This time, he knew why Sam was so quiet.

Sam looked at the plane. "Football can wait."

Alex glanced at the ball by the door. "Yeah."

Sam picked up the plane. "Again?"

Alex grinned. "Again."

Sam threw it.

The plane flew straight past the flowerpot and landed on the sofa.

Alex burst out laughing. "That was terrible. Mine was better."

"It was not."

"It definitely was."

Sam picked up another sheet of paper. "One more?"

Alex reached for it. "One more."

Sam smiled. "Okay."

Chapter Six - Just Playing

They folded their planes side by side.

Alex bent one wing, looked at Sam's, then changed his own.

"What if we make them turn?"

Sam looked up. "Turn where?"

"Towards the sofa."

Sam grinned. "That's harder."

"Good."

They stood at opposite ends of the room.

"Ready?"

"Ready."

"Three. Two. One!"

Both planes flew.

Sam's curved neatly towards the sofa.

Alex's flew straight into the cushion.

Sam laughed. "That wasn't turning."

"It was thinking about turning."

"That's not the same thing."

Alex picked up his plane. "Again."

They changed the folds.

Alex made one wing smaller. Sam made the nose sharper. They threw them again.

This time Alex's plane curved towards the sofa, dipped and landed on the edge.

Sam stared at it. "That was good."

Alex grinned. "I know."

They tried again. One plane landed on the floor. The other flew underneath the table.

Alex crawled after it. "I've got it."

Sam laughed. "How did it get under there?"

"I think it wanted to hide."

"From us?"

"Probably."

Alex pulled it out.

They stood together and threw their planes at the same time.

"Three. Two. One!"

The planes crossed in the middle.

They bumped into each other and dropped to the floor.

Sam burst out laughing.

Alex laughed too. "Again."

They tried.

The next time, the planes crossed without touching.

"Did you see that?"

"Yeah!"

Alex ran to collect his. "Let's do it again."

Sam nodded. "After this, we could build something."

Alex looked at him. "Like what?"

"I don't know yet."

Alex shrugged. "Maybe."

He turned back to his plane. The thought came quietly. What are we doing after this?

Alex looked at the plane in his hands. He pressed one of the folds flat.

"Make yours really wide."

"Why?"

"Maybe it'll stay up longer."

Sam widened the wings.

They threw the planes again. Sam's floated slowly across the room. Alex's dropped almost immediately.

"Mine needs work," Alex said.

"Definitely."

Alex laughed. He picked up his plane and changed the fold. "Again?"

"Again."

They threw them together.

Sam's plane drifted towards the sofa.

Alex's curved the other way and landed beside his foot. Neither of them moved for a second. Then they both laughed.

Alex picked up his plane. "One more."

Sam grinned. "One more."

Chapter Seven - The Afternoon Unfolds

After lunch, Sam carried the paper planes back upstairs.

"What should we do now?" Alex asked.

Sam looked at the planes. "We could make a target."

"A target for what?"

"The planes."

Alex grinned. "Okay."

Sam found a piece of cardboard and propped it against the wall. "Three points if you hit the middle."

"Five if you hit the flowerpot."

"There isn't a flowerpot."

Alex looked around. "Then we need a harder target."

Sam laughed.

They drew circles on the cardboard.

Alex took the first plane. "Mine's going in the middle."

"It won't."

"Watch." He threw it.

The plane curved too early and dropped onto the carpet.

Sam laughed. "Brilliant."

"That wasn't my real throw."

"Of course not."

Alex picked it up. "Move the target closer."

"That makes it easier."

"Exactly."

Sam shook his head. "Fine."

They moved the cardboard.

Alex threw again.

The plane hit the edge and spun onto the floor.

"Two points," Sam said.

"Two?"

"It touched the target."

Alex nodded. "I'll take two."

They tried again.

Sam's plane flew backwards and landed on his head.

Alex laughed so hard he had to sit down. "That one gets ten points."

"Ten?"

"It hit you."

Sam pulled the plane from his hair.

He threw it back. Alex ducked. The plane sailed over his head and landed behind him.

"See?"

Sam grinned. "Ten points."

Alex picked up another sheet of paper.

"What if we make the wings smaller?"

Sam looked at him. "Why?"

"It might turn later."

"Let's try."

They folded new planes and threw them together.

Sam's curved neatly towards the target.

Alex's curved the other way and landed beside the door.

"Mine needs work," Alex said.

"Definitely."

Alex laughed and picked it up.

They tried again.

This time Alex's plane curved towards the target and landed inside the outer circle.

"Three points!"

Sam pointed. "You only hit the outside."

"Three points."

"Fine."

Alex grinned.

They kept going.

Sometimes a plane hit the target. Sometimes it missed completely. Once, Sam's plane landed upside down on the cardboard.

They both stared at it.

"Does that count?"

Sam considered it. "No."

Alex laughed. "Why not?"

"Because I said so."

Alex shook his head.

They tried again. Sam's plane clipped the cardboard and spun to the floor. Alex picked it up.

"Your turn again."

Sam took it. "Again?"

"Again."

They threw together.

Alex's plane flew wide and landed near the window.

Sam's hit the outer circle.

"One point," Alex said.

"Three."

"One."

"Two?"

Alex nodded. "Deal."

The afternoon light had shifted across the floor.

Alex glanced at the clock. He hadn't noticed how much time had passed. Already.

Sam looked up. "What?"

Alex pointed at the clock.

Sam stared. "Oh."

The planes were scattered across the room. The cardboard target leaned against the wall.

Near the door, the football was still where they'd left it. Alex looked at it for a moment. Then he picked up another sheet of paper.

"One more."

Sam smiled.

"One more."

Chapter Eight - Going Home

Sam's dad called from downstairs. "Alex! Your dad's here."

"Already?" Alex called back.

Sam laughed. "That's what you said before lunch."

"I know."

Alex looked around the room.

Paper planes covered the table and floor. The cardboard target leaned against the wall. A few sheets of paper were still waiting to be folded.

Near the door was the football.

Alex picked it up.

For a moment, he remembered standing at home that morning, holding it and wondering if it was enough.

He looked at the planes. Then at Sam. "That was a good afternoon."

Sam smiled. "Yeah."

Alex looked around the room one more time.

There were planes on the floor, planes on the table and one balanced awkwardly against the cardboard target.

"We made a lot."

Sam laughed. "We did."

They went downstairs.

Sam's mum was waiting by the front door. "Ready to go, Alex?"

"Yep."

Alex pulled on his shoes.

His dad was waiting by the car. "Have a good time?"

"Yeah."

"Good."

Sam stood beside Alex. "See you at school."

"Definitely."

Alex stepped outside.

Cool air touched his face. He walked down the path with the football tucked under his arm. Sam came with him.

They reached the end of the drive.

Dad waited beside the car.

Alex waved. "Bye!"

"Bye!" Sam waved back.

Alex turned towards the car.

Then he stopped.

"Wait!"

Sam looked surprised.

Alex grinned and ran.

He ran down the drive towards Dad's car, the football tucked against his side. For a moment, he remembered Sam doing the same thing when he'd left Alex's house. Now Alex was the one running to the car.

He reached it and pulled open the door.

Dad laughed. "Someone's in a hurry."

Alex climbed in. "I've had a really good day."

Dad started the engine.

As they pulled away, Alex looked through the window. Sam was still standing by the gate.

Alex waved.

Sam waved back.

The car turned the corner. Alex settled into his seat. The football rested beside him.

He remembered the morning. Standing by the door. Wondering if he'd brought the right thing.

He looked at the football again. It had stayed with him all day, even when they hadn't used it.

Then he pictured the paper planes scattered across Sam's room.

He pictured the flowerpot. The cardboard target. The planes flying across the room.

A smile crept across his face.

The day hadn't gone the way he'd imagined. But it had been great.

Alex looked out at the rain-darkened road. He didn't need to decide what the next visit would be like.

There would be time for that when he got there.

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