Read Online Hoop Crazy by Eric Walters - Free Book Online

pretty light, and sort of bouncy,” he said, moving up on his tiptoes and rocking up and down.
    â€œThey’re designed to be that way. Let’s go outside and check them out.”
    Ned practically ran down the hall and out the door. We trailed after him. He was already on the driveway and he was bouncing up and down.
    â€œThese are amazing!” he yelled as he continued to jump around.
    I couldn’t help but laugh. It was funny watching him, sort of like watching a puppy dog prancing around and chasing after a butterfly — maybe a monarch butterfly.
    â€œSo what do you think, Kia?”
    She put a hand under her chin and studied him from top to bottom, nodding her head.
    â€œHe does look like a player … except for the glasses.”
    She had a point. They didn’t fit the image.
    â€œNed!” Kia called out. “Do you need those glasses?”
    â€œI can’t read without them.”
    â€œBut can you see without them?” she asked.
    â€œSome things, but I can’t see up close without them.”
    â€œTake them off,” she said.
    He pulled them off his face.
    â€œCan you see the net?” she asked.
    He looked over, turned back and nodded his head.
    â€œClearly?”
    â€œPretty clear.”
    â€œHow about us?” Kia asked.
    â€œA little blurry, but pretty good.”
    Kia bent down and picked up the ball.
    â€œCatch!” she yelled.
    Ned was still holding his glasses with one hand, but managed to grab the ball with the other. That impressed me.
    â€œObviously you saw the ball coming, okay.”
    He nodded.
    â€œIn that case I want you to lose the glasses.”
    â€œLose them? My mother will kill me if I lose another pair of glasses!”
    â€œNo, no, you don’t understand,” she said. “I don’t want you to
lose
them, I want you to
lose
them.”
    â€œShe means she wants you not to wear your glasses while you’re on the court,” I explained.
    â€œOkay,” he said.
    Kia took the glasses from him and put them down on the table.
    â€œ
Now
he looks like a ball player,” she said, and she was right.

Chapter Ten

    â€œNick, are you awake?” Ned asked.
    I turned over in bed. “I was just drifting off.”
    â€œI’m too nervous to sleep. Are you nervous?”
    â€œNope,” I said, and I wasn’t, which was surprising.
    â€œI guess you get used to it when you play all the time,” Ned said.
    â€œI guess,” I said. Actually I was always nervous before a game, and
had
been really worried about this contest. Now there was nothing to be nervous about. We had no chance. We were just going down to have some fun.
    â€œI was just thinking. What if we get to the finals and I screw up?” Ned asked.
    I wanted to say something about us having nochance of getting that far but didn’t — what was the point of taking that away from him.
    â€œYou won’t screw up,” I finally said.
    â€œThanks … but I could.”
    â€œWe won’t let you screw up,” I said.
    â€œThanks.”
    â€œWe’ve worked hard the past few days. You’ve worked hard.”
    â€œThanks. And I have gotten better … right?”
    â€œA lot better. You’re a lot better than I was after only playing for four days.”
    â€œReally?” he asked.
    â€œReally. Of course I was only about five years old, but you’ve learned quickly.”
    I rolled over and looked at Ned. He was lying on the little cot, his feet hanging over the edge, his arms folded under his head. Right beside the bed were his new shoes. His mother had gone out and bought them for him. They were his first pair of basketball shoes. It had been almost funny going with them to the store and helping to pick them out. It wasn’t just Ned who didn’t know anything about basketball.
    â€œMy mom said she was going to get my dad to build me a net when we get home,” Ned