Road Trip Read Online Free Page A

my room. Any questions?”
    â€œNone,” Tristan said, holding up his hands.
    â€œSounds okay to me,” Jamie agreed. “Then let’s drop our bags and meet with the coach,” my father said.
    â€œSounds good,” Kia agreed. “The sooner we start the meeting, the sooner we end the meeting, and the sooner we can get into the pool!”
    I went back into the first room along with Kia and my father. I dropped my bag at the foot of one of the beds.
    â€œNot that one,” my father said. “The one closest to the door.”
    â€œBut this one’s closer to the TV!” I protested.
    â€œYou can see the TV just fine from this one. I have to be by the door to better watch things,” he said.
    â€œWhat do you think we’re going to do, make a break for it when you’re sleeping?” I demanded.
    â€œI don’t think you’re going to do anything. My job is to take care of things and this is the best place to keep my eye on everything. Any more questions and you’ll be sleeping in the closet.”
    â€œFine… whatever,” I mumbled as I moved my bag over. There was no sense in arguing.
    â€œHurry up, guys!” my father yelled through the door into the other room. He then opened the door to the hall in time to see the last of the others heading into the room directly across the hall.
    Everybody scrambled to the door after him and we rushed through, following right behind the rest of the team into their rooms across the hall.
    â€œFour of you drop your bags in the other room,” Coach bellowed. “Two of you get one of the beds in this room, and I get my own bed.”
    Quickly they all sorted themselves out, and everybody assembled in the one room.
    â€œNow that we’re here let’s get a few things straight,” Coach said. “First thing, did anybody come here, drive all that way, because they wanted to lose?”
    â€œI don’t ever want to lose nothing,” Tristan said.
    There was no arguing that. Tristan was a great guy, but he played every game – and every practice – like his life depended on it. That was great during the games when he was on our side, but if you were playing against him in practice, he brought new meaning to the term “hard foul.”
    â€œIs Tristan the only one?” Coach demanded.
    â€œNo, of course not!” Kia argued. “We came to win!”
    â€œAll of us,” Jamie agreed.
    â€œNo losers here,” I added.
    Coach nodded. “Good… that’s the place to start. If you think the drive here was long, think about how much longer it’ll be if we go homewithout playing to our potential.”
    If we didn’t do well, I was going to make super sure that I wasn’t sharing the ride with the coach – or, for that matter, sitting up front beside my father. Back corner, farthest from either driver, would be the prime piece of real estate.
    â€œI want you all to remember that winning or losing doesn’t start on the court with the jump ball. It starts right now. Do you know what lots of the other teams are going to be doing tonight?”
    â€œSleeping?” Kia questioned.
    â€œThe smart ones. Other teams are going to be out playing miniature golf, or rock climbing, or eating big meals or doing other foolish things.”
    â€œLike swimming?” Kia asked hesitantly.
    â€œYeah, like swimming,” Coach agreed. “Do you know that swimming takes away muscle strength and makes you sluggish? Swimming is the last thing in the world that any of us are going to be doing.”
    â€œYou mean we can’t swim at all?” Kia asked.
    â€œNo swimming.”
    â€œNot at all?” David asked. “Even a little?”
    â€œWell… maybe if there’s enough time between games you can all go into the pool to cool off, but nobody swims.”
    â€œWhat are we supposed to do in a pool if we can’t swim?”