Read Online Bases Loaded by Mike Knudson - Free Book Online Page A

wasn’t the home run I’d wanted, but I made it to first without getting out. Graham stayed on third. With the bases loaded, Luke stepped up to the plate and smacked a grand slam. Our entire team came out of the dugout and cheered Luke as he made it across home plate.
    The rest of the game went well. After bunting when he was supposed to swing hard and not swinging at all when he was supposed to bunt, Graham finally figured out the signals. We didn’t score any more runs, but we still won 4–2, thanks to Luke’s grand slam homer.
    I wondered if the nickname Luke the Puke would change now that he’d hit a grand slam and was the hero of the game. Unfortunately, the next morning at school he was still “the Puke” like always. I don’t think anyone really meant anything mean by it—everyone had called him that for so long, it just seemed like his real name. Even his friends were saying things like “Great game, Puke Man!” and “Long live the Puke!” He didn’t seem to mind it too much. Maybe he was as used to it as everyone else was.
    Then at recess I saw Graham talking to Kelly and showing her all our signals. I couldn’t believe it.
    â€œGraham, can I talk to you?” I said, pulling him away from Kelly. She smiled and walked away quickly.
    â€œHey, what are you doing? Couldn’t you see I was talking with Kelly?” he said.
    â€œYeah, I saw you. You were showing her our baseball signals. What if David saw you?”
    â€œWait a minute, hermano ,” Graham said, smiling. “I didn’t show her our team signals. Those were my own signals.”
    â€œWhat are you talking about? I saw you give the ‘don’t swing’ signal,” I said.
    â€œWell, I’m using the same signals, but they mean different things,” he explained. “Since I didn’t get to sit by her this week, I gave her some signals so I can talk to her from across the room. Like when I give the ‘don’t swing’ signal, it means, ‘Hi, Kelly, how’s it going?’ and the ‘swing’ signal means, ‘What are you doing at recess?’ ”
    â€œAre you serious?” I said. “That seems a little complicated.”
    â€œNo way, it’s going to be great,” Graham said. “Just watch.”
    That afternoon in class I saw Graham giving Kelly signals from his desk. Kelly looked at him like he was crazy. My mom even asked him if he was all right.

    Graham seemed sad after school as we walked down the school steps. “What’s wrong?” I finally asked.
    â€œWell, I was giving signals to Kelly all afternoon,” Graham said.
    â€œYeah, I saw you. We all saw you,” I said.
    â€œWell, everyone but Kelly,” he answered. “She didn’t respond to any of them.”
    â€œWhat do you mean? How was she supposed to respond?”
    Graham’s eyebrows got all scrunched up, and he thought for a minute. “Hmm, you’re right,” he said. “I didn’t give her any signals to answer me. She probably wanted to say something, but just didn’t know how. I’ll have to come up with some and show her tomorrow.”
    Graham smiled. “Thanks, hermano ,” he said to me. “You always know how to cheer me up.” I smiled back and didn’t say anything.

10
    The Last Surprise
    WHEN FRIDAY MORNING came, I was feeling great. It was finally the last day with my mom in class. I had made it through the first four days. Surely I could handle one more. But when I was brushing my teeth, my mom said something that scared me to death.
    â€œSweetie, I have to leave a little early today, so I can’t drive you to school. But I do have one more surprise for you.” My heart stopped. I couldn’t handle another surprise from my mom—not after her last one.
    â€œWhat is it?” I asked. I had to know. If I needed to prepare for this, I wanted to