Split Decision Read Online Free Page A

“Look, here comes someone. Maybe we should ask.” She pointed to a light-blue truck driving down the street.
    â€œNo way. I’m not talking to some stranger.I’ve got this,” Alex assured her. The truck slowed in front of the house and began to turn up the driveway. “They must live here. Hide!”
    â€œWhat? Why?” Ava asked, bewildered.
    â€œQuick!” Alex pulled her and Moxy behind the tall hedge.
    â€œThis is silly. We can run across the lawn. They won’t see us. And if they do, they don’t know us.” Ava pointed out the path they would take. The truck had pulled to the top of the driveway. Only the hedge separated them. “Ready? Okay—” Then she spotted the man stepping out of the driver’s side. Ava stared in disbelief. It was Mr. Kelly! He walked around the back of the truck. She knew the Kellys lived in their neighborhood, but how was it possible that she and Alex had ended up at their house?
    â€œWait!” She grabbed Alex’s arm to stop her. Ava squeezed her other hand around Moxy’s snout to keep the dog quiet.
    Mr. Kelly would surely recognize the Sackett twins. How would they explain why they were in his backyard? He hated Coach already and loved making trouble for their family. It was less risky to hide behind the thick leaves until he went inside.
    She caught Alex’s eye. Ava could tell her twin knew exactly what she was thinking.
    Ava held Moxy tightly and watched through gaps in the leaves as Mr. Kelly opened the passenger door. PJ Kelly hobbled out. Ava held back her gasp. Coach’s star quarterback was injured! PJ’s left knee was cased in a big black brace, and he leaned heavily on crutches. Dried mud covered his track pants and arms. A large bruise bloomed on his left cheek. Even from where she hid, Ava could see him cringe in pain.
    Alex nudged her and raised her eyebrows in alarm. “What happened?” she mouthed silently.
    Ava raised her eyebrows back. She remembered that Tommy said PJ hadn’t been at practice today. And he hadn’t been at her basketball practice either. So what had happened? Did Coach know?
    â€œI didn’t like that doctor,” PJ said to his dad. “Dr. Rodriguez is much nicer.”
    â€œDo you think I wanted to take off work and drive you five towns away to Hellman? You’re lucky I got Dr. Chang to see you at all. And that he promised to keep his mouth shut,” Mr. Kelly grumbled. “Dr. Rodriguez’s office is crawling with folks from Ashland. Coach Sackett wouldalready know what you’ve been up to if I were stupid enough to take you to him.”
    Mr. Kelly moved around to the back of the pickup. “Speaking of stupid . . .” Mr. Kelly lifted a mangled dirt bike from the truck’s bed. “What would possibly possess you to go dirt biking by that quarry?”
    â€œYou said you wanted me to bond with the guys from Saint Francis,” PJ replied.
    â€œBond, yeah. Have a burger. Watch some movies. Not twist your knee so you’re benched from football!” Mr. Kelly yelled.
    â€œI wasn’t trying to do that,” PJ shot back. “We’d had a great practice, and they were all going, so it seemed like the right thing.”
    â€œYou’re just not getting it. They want your skill and talent. That’s why they invited you to their football practice. Their quarterback is graduating,” Mr. Kelly said. “They need you. You have nothing to prove to them.”
    PJ leaned against the truck. “I don’t get why leaving Ashland High is a good thing. It feels wrong. I mean, we just won state.”
    â€œLook at the big picture, son. Saint Francis is a private school with a lot of money to spend on football. They are putting together a superteam of the best players in the state, and you will be the face of that team. The men behind this team—the men with money and power—will get you