The Zucchini Warriors Read Free

pretty good, you’ve seen the killers that play on high school and college teams. They’re fantastic!”
    “But we won’t be going against high school and college killers. We’ll be playing against guys at our
level
. I want to see
everybody
at those tryouts tomorrow.”
    “Not me,” mumbled big Wilbur from behind a mountain of mashed potatoes. “I’m not getting out on the field with a bunch of huge monster gorillas.”
    “You’re a huge monster gorilla,” pointed out Larry Wilson, his roommate.
    “Tell all the guys,” said Bruno. “I want to see every gram of talent we’ve got out on that field tomorrow.”
    * * *
    It was after three in the morning when Boots was awakened by a loud noise at the window of room 306 in Dormitory 3. He sat up in bed and looked over at Bruno, who was fast asleep, snoring full tilt.
    Crack!
    A rock the size of a hardball came sailing out of nowhere and hit the window loudly. Boots scrambled out of bed and looked outside, but could see nothing except two sizable cracks in the glass. Suddenly a familiar head bobbed into view. Boots opened the latch and helped in Cathy Burton and Diane Grant, old friends from Miss Scrimmage’s Finishing School for Young Ladies, located directly across the highway from Macdonald Hall.
    After greetings were exchanged, Cathy examined her surroundings. “Same old room.” She motioned toward the snoring Bruno. “Same old buzz saw.” Casually she switched on the portable radio next to Bruno’s bed and turned the volume up to full.
    Bruno shot bolt upright. “What? What?”
    Boots dove for the off switch. “Cathy, are you crazy?” he hissed. “Do you want Mr. Fudge on our necks?”
    In the hall, they heard the Housemaster’s door open, followed by Mr. Fudge’s footsteps. He paused and, finding all quiet, returned to his room.
    “Sorry,” grinned Cathy. “I just figured you guys needed some liveliness around here. You know, we were expecting you to stop by tonight.”
    Bruno shook his head. “We’re in training.”
    “For what?” asked Diane.
    “Football!” declared Bruno, as though the new Macdonald Hall team had been announced on
World News Tonight
and everyone should know about it.
    “But you don’t have a football team,” Diane pointed out.
    “Sure, not today. But tomorrow we will. I can hardly wait to get out there with the old hog’s hide.”
    “Pigskin,” Cathy corrected.
    “Whatever,” said Bruno. “Listen. Here’s the story.” He outlined the history of Mr. Carson’s endowment to the school and his promise regarding the rec hall.
    “You’re planning to have a winning team in your first year?” Cathy asked incredulously.
    “We’ve got one thing on our side,” said Boots sarcastically. “The pushiest guy in Ontario.” He pointed to Bruno.
    “Cathy used to play a lot of football,” put in Diane. “With her three brothers. Right, Cathy?”
    “Well,” Bruno chuckled, “football is really a man’s game — no offence, girls. You can be, you know, cheerleaders or something.”
    Cathy wound up and swatted him on the side of the head.
    “Hey!” bawled Bruno. “What was that for?”
    “Come on, Diane,” said Cathy, opening the window. “Let’s get out of here.” The two girls exited in a huff.
    “What’s eating them?” mused Boots.
    Bruno shrugged. “That was weird.” He climbed back into bed, and was snoring again in seconds.
    Brow knit, Boots lay down. It took him over an hour to get back to sleep.

Chapter 2
An Endangered Species
    On a flat section of roof atop Miss Scrimmage’s Finishing School for Young Ladies perched Cathy Burton and Diane Grant. Cathy was gazing through a pair of high-powered field binoculars, watching the Macdonald Hall football tryouts with great interest.
    “Cathy, are you sure Miss Scrimmage didn’t see us sneak out of her ‘manners’ lecture?”
    Cathy didn’t hear her. “They stink!” she exclaimed in disgust. “These guys know nothing about football!