Grind Read Free Page A

pop-ups?”
    I nodded. I didn’t know about his site, but there were ads on almost every site.
    â€œThose people pay me money in exchange for me putting their ad on my site. The more people who visit — the more hits — the more they pay me.”
    â€œI’ll go there every day… a few times a day if you want!” Wally offered enthusiastically.
    â€œThat’s what I like to hear.”
    â€œSpeaking of web sites,” his camera guy said, “what would you two think about being on Bam Bam’s site?”
    â€œYou want
us
on his site?” Wally asked. He sounded as astonished as I felt.
    â€œWhat trick do you want us to do?” I questioned.
    â€œNot a trick,” the camera guy said.
    â€œYeah, I’m the only one who skates on my web page,” Bam Bam said.
    â€œThen what do you want?” I asked.
    â€œI shot the two of you reacting when you met Bam Bam,” the camera guy said.
    Unless my expression was different than Wally’s, he wanted shots of us looking like a couple of idiots.
    â€œThat would be incredible!” Wally exclaimed. “Incredible!” He paused. “How much do we have to pay you to be on the page?”
    Both the camera guy and Bam Bam burst into laughter.
    â€œYou don’t have to pay anything,” Bam Bam said.
    â€œBut I thought that people had to pay to be on your page,” Wally said, sounding confused.
    â€œSponsors do. You two aren’t sponsors. All I need is your permission, in writing, to put your photos up.”
    â€œYou got it! Just show me where to sign!” Wally said excitedly.
    The camera guy whipped out a couple of pieces of paper from his camera bag. “First I need to get your names.”
    â€œI’m Wally … Walter Waltniski.”
    â€œWow, your parents thought the name was so nice that they named you twice,” Bam Bam joked. “Just like me.”
    The camera guy asked Wally how to spell his name and then wrote it down and held out the form. Wally signed it without looking. He could have been signing away his soul.
    â€œAnd you?” the camera guy asked.
    â€œI’m Phillip Falcone.”
    â€œFalcone? How do you spell that?”
    â€œLike the bird, Falcon, with an extra e at the end.”
    â€œFalcon,” Bam Bam said. “That is so cool. Just like Tony Hawk, except isn’t a falcon stronger?”
    â€œI don’t know about stronger, but a falcon is the fastest thing in the world,” I said.
    â€œCool. Now if you two don’t mind, I’ve got to get to work. We need to keep updating our web site. If people know there’s newmaterial they’re more likely to visit every day… just like Wally here is going to do from now on.”
    Bam Bam skated off while his camera guy finished getting my signature — at least I read the form — and then moved into position to start filming. Wally and I stood off to the side.
    â€œWonder what he’s going to do?” Wally asked.
    â€œHe does so many tricks, it could be anything.”
    â€œWhatever it is, I know it’s going to be good,” Wally said. “He’s just about the best.”
    Almost on cue, Bam Bam pumped to gain enough power to climb the bank. He did another revert — perfect like all the rest — charged down the hill and ollied up and onto the rail. He tail slid along the rail and then he kicked it out, landing heavily on his side, the board flying off, skittering across the pavement toward us. I bent down and grabbed the board as it rolled by.
    â€œDo you think he’s hurt?” Wally asked.
    â€œIt’s not him that’s going to get hurt,” I said.
    â€œWhat do you mean?”
    I held up the board. “Bam, bam, bam.”
    Bam Bam slowly got to his feet. He had a scowl on his face as he came walking toward us. I looked at his board. It was beautiful, almost new, hardly a scuff mark on it, expensive trucks