Sasquatch in the Paint Read Online Free Page A

Sasquatch in the Paint
Book: Sasquatch in the Paint Read Online Free
Author: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Tags: middle grade
Pages:
Go to
not to say ‘shut up’?”
    â€œMy mom’s dead.” Theo hadn’t meant to say that. There was something about her that made him just blurt things out. She’d make a good cop.
    She shrugged as if his mom dying was no big deal, as if he’d told her he’d stubbed his toe. “So, what happened?” she asked. “You go through some growth spurt over the summer and they dragged you onto the team? You’re some kind of nerd and you saw this as a chance to have everyone see you differently? Win the big game, get the hot cheerleader?”
    Theo sighed. There was no point in faking it with this girl. “Pretty much.”
    â€œNow you know, height’s not the main thing in roundball. What you need is some sort of Karate Kid –Miyagi guru who’ll lay down all that wax-on-wax-off stuff. Only about basketball.”
    â€œI suppose that would be you,” Theo said with a snort.
    She laughed. “Me? No way, dude. I don’t have the patience. And the poor dope who teaches you is going to need a lot of patience. But I know someone who might help.”
    â€œFor a fee?” Theo said smugly.
    â€œThat’s between you and him.”
    A scam. He should have guessed.
    â€œNo thanks. I already got a coach.”
    She shrugged. “Suit yourself.”
    Just then, a motorcycle revved loudly nearby. Her head jerked up at the sound. Theo noticed a shift in her expression. Not scared exactly, but something close. Like someone bracing to take a charge from a much bigger player.
    The biker was parked on the jogging path, which had signs forbidding skates, skateboards, and bicycles. He was dressed all in black leather and wore a shiny black helmet with red flames on the side and a dark visor.
    Theo couldn’t see his face, but he seemed to be looking straight at the girl.
    â€œDo you know him?” Theo asked.
    But she was already walking up the slope to meet Motorcycle Guy. He whipped off his helmet. He looked like he was about eighteen, with crow-black hair and dark skin. Not as dark as Theo’s, but definitely surfer tan.
    The biker immediately started talking to her in a foreign language Theo didn’t understand. It seemed kind of Russian, the way he sounded like he was chewing tough meat while talking.
    She answered in English with, “I don’t care.”
    The reply seemed to anger the biker even more. He stomped on the kickstand so the bike wouldn’t fall, and jumped off with an athletic grace that Theo admired. He marched up to the girl, grabbed her by the shoulders, and hollered in her face, “This is your last chance!”
    She shook her head and hollered back, “Leave me alone!”
    He shouted something in that foreign language.
    She jerked free from his grip and said, “Mind your own business.”
    He slapped her across the face so hard she fell to the ground. Her basketball slipped from under her arm and rolled away. Theo wasn’t sure what shocked him more, the sudden slap, or the fact that she went down. He’d imagined her too tough to be knocked down by anything less than a truck.
    The girl—Theo realized that he didn’t know her name—stood up, rubbed her face where she’d been smacked, and kicked Motorcycle Guy hard in the shin. He groaned at the contact and hobbled back a few steps from the pain. He shouted some words in that foreign language and raised his hand high as if to slap her again, harder.
    â€œHey!” Theo heard himself shout. Then he realized his feet were running up the slope toward Motorcycle Guy. He didn’t remember telling his feet to do that. In fact, he wasn’t at all happy about the direction they were heading. Because there was no way he could beat up Motorcycle Guy. Yet he was still running up that slope, still yelling things like “Leave her alone!” and holding up his cell phone: “I’ve already called 911!” Actually, that would have
Go to

Readers choose

Beverly Havlir

Colleen Craig

Shannan Albright

Michael Gruber

E.K. Blair

Debbie Macomber

Maureen Lang