The Dog in the Freezer Read Online Free

flowers,” Ernie leered. “Go for it, Tina.”
    â€œShut up,” Ron said, and kicked him in the butt.
    Tina stroked Gregory’s neck. “Imagine calling you a mutt. You’re a brilliant scientist, aren’t you, Einstein?” She kissed him on top of his head. Gregory looked soulfully at her. “You have the most beautiful eyes,” she said, and gave him another kiss.
    â€œShe’s kissing a dog,” Ernie yelled. “Look at her, Ron.”
    Ron was a rat, but Ernie was a complete idiot.
    12 ■ There was team practice that afternoon. Gregory was on the sidelines and did his best to help me. I bounced the ball too hard at first and sent it flying up to the beams. Gregory barked at me sharply and ran out on the court and got yelled at. But then I got the hang of it, running with the ball and dribbling it. Maybe the moves were in my body—I mean, Gregory’s body—because it wasn’t that hard. But then dogs are naturally athletic.
    Coach blew his whistle, and we started passing the ball. When I got it, I didn’t want to give it up. I guess you could say my dog instincts took over. I took it to the basket. “Pass the ball, Oshun,” Coach yelled.
    My other weakness was my eyesight. Dogs can smell ten thousand different things, but they’re not known for their great eyesight. I could see the hoop, but it was a little fuzzy, and at first my shots were either too short or too long.
    â€œStay with it,” Coach said. “Don’t lose your confidence.”
    The first time I sent the ball through the hoop, I got so excited I leaped up and barked, “Go! Go! Go!”
    â€œWay to go! Keep it up, Oshun!” Coach yelled. He took me aside later and said, “You’re doing great. I’m going to be looking to you for outside shooting tonight.”
    On the way home, Gregory ran ahead, then looked back and barked. He wanted me to hurry up. I was too slow for him. He was acting more like me, and I was acting more like him. At the house he got the ball from the garage and nosed it out into the driveway, where we had a basketball hoop set up. “I’m tired,” I said, sounding just like him. “Coach wants me to rest up.”
    Gregory made me stay out there and shoot baskets. A set of ten from the foul line. “Okay?” I said. Gregory nosed the ball to another position, and I had to shoot ten more.
    He was in charge, herding me around, barking at me.
    When we finally went in, I collapsed on the rug in front of the TV and fell asleep. I didn’t wake up till Mom and Dad came home. The TV was on and Gregory waslying against me with the remote under his paw.
    â€œLook how relaxed that boy is,” Dad said. “That’s the mark of a big talent!”
    â€œWhat’s Einstein doing with the remote control?” Mom said.
    I tweaked his ears. Gregory was surfing channels, the way he always did.
    13 ■ The gym was packed that night. The yellow and black Stephens Academy buses were lined up outside. They’d come out in force. Everyone from our school was there, too. It was standing room only. When our team came out on the court, a big cheer went up from our side of the gym. Tina was leading the cheers. Dad and Mom were sitting in the front row. Gregory was with them. Ron and Ernie were there, too, behind the team bench.
    In the opening huddle, Coach said the Stephens team was taller and heavier, but we were more agile and faster. He wanted us to move the ball. “Don’t let them trap you. Pass, pass, pass. Don’t force the shots. If you see an opening, take a shot.”
    When the game started, I was on the bench. Dreyfus made a couple of quick outside baskets for us, and we went ahead. Those first scores sent a roar through the gym. Then Stephens evened things, and their side roared. When they went ahead, there wasn’t a sound from our side. For a while they seemed to get every rebound and