Deadline

By Chris Crutcher

Ben Wolf has big plans for his senior year. They just don’t include getting a fatal disease and dying. If he can keep it a secret, perhaps he can pull off some of the things he wants to do, perhaps he can cram a lifetime of living into one year. He’s always wanted to play football, even though he’s kind of small. Now, with his diagnosis, he doesn’t have to worry about getting killed, and right now he feels good enough to play. And then there’s Dallas Suzuki, the goddess of his dreams. What’s he got to lose? Keeping this kind of secret isn’t easy though, and is it fair to those who will be left behind?