Three On Three Read Free Page B

whistled a chest pass so strong I stumbled backwards as I caught it. Kids all around chuckled.
    â€œOkay,” Roy demanded, “let’s see your stuff, you little geek.”
    I squeezed the ball tightly in my hands. Whether I got a basket or not, I knew I was going to lose. Roy scowled at me angrily and the kids behind me began to jeer. I took a deep breath and bounced the ball nervously. Roy lunged forward. Instinctively I fed the ball through my legs and cut around him to the left, leaving him grabbing for air. I broke for the basket, but I was hit hard from behind. The ball squirted loose.
    â€œFoul!” Marcus cried.
    â€œFoul? I hardly touched him!” Roy screamed and walked right up to Marcus. Marcus was big, but Roy was even bigger. They stood eyeball to eyeball.
    â€œOkay, it wasn’t a foul,” Marcus said.
    â€œThat’s right, no foul,” Roy chuckled.
    â€œBut it was out off of you. It’s Nick’s ball.”
    I don’t know what surprised me more, the fact that it was my ball or that Marcus knew my name. Somebody handed Marcus the ball and he lobbed it gently to me.
    â€œTake it out again from the top of the key,” he said.
    I slowly walked back. The crowd surrounding the court was now much, much bigger. It looked like most of the grade fives, as well as lots of kids from the other grades, were crowding in on all sides. It reminded me of the way people gathered whenever a fight started. Oh, great.
    â€œCome on, Nick, you can take him!” called out a voice.
    I smiled weakly. What I
didn’t
need was kids taunting Roy and getting him even madder. He gave me a look which could only be described as scary. The crowd pushed in from behind. Roy stood in front of me. There was no way out and — even worse, no way to win.
    I began dribbling the ball. This time he didn’tcharge forward. He stood there, crouched over, and glared at me. I faked in and back out, and he reached forward. He missed the ball but slapped me in the arm.
    â€œThat was no foul!” Roy screamed.
    I switched the ball to my left hand and turned my body to protect it. This way there was less chance of him taking a swipe at the ball and hitting me instead. Maybe if I just kept on dribbling, I could wait him out and the bell would ring.
    Smack!
    My arm stung where he’d slapped me again. This time he didn’t even bother to say anything. He smirked and then jumped forward. I spun to my right, swerved by him, bounced the ball through my legs to the right hand and drove for the open basket.
    â€œUgggh!” I grunted as I was driven into the pavement. He’d tackled me and his arms were wrapped around my legs.
    â€œStupid little …,” he began.
    â€œWhat’s going on here?” called out an adult voice. Ms. Carberry pushed through the crowd.
    Roy let go of my legs and quickly got to his feet.
    â€œWhat’s going on here?” the teacher demanded again.
    â€œNothing,” Roy blurted out. “Nothing at all. We were playing basketball and this kid fell over his own feet. That’s all.”
    Ms. Carberry looked at Roy suspiciously and then at me. “Is that what happened Nick?”
    I didn’t answer.
    â€œIs it?”
    Nothing was worse than a snitch. Especially a dead snitch. I nodded my head. I struggled to my feet and my knee hurt. I looked down. My pants were ripped and blood was coming out of the tear.
    Ms. Carberry frowned. “Nick, you’re hurt! Go to the office and get it looked at. Kia, you go with him … and Marcus you go along too.”
    â€œMe?” Marcus asked in surprise. “I didn’t do anything!”
    â€œI didn’t say you did, but you’re in grade five and should be responsible for helpingthe younger children.”
    â€œBut the bell is going to ring in a few minutes and we still have to figure out who’s going to … ”
    â€œDon’t argue. Just go!” Ms.