Read Online Jump Shot by Paul Mantell Ronde Barber Tiki Barber - Free Book Online

said, “but then, get this—just when I think I’m getting under his skin, you know? Like we’re starting to relate like we’re friends? That’s when he spots his mom in the parking lot—and suddenly, he froze. It was like I wasn’t even there—or worse, like he wished I wasn’t.”
    â€œWeird,” Tiki said. “Maybe he and his mom were having a fight or something.”
    â€œIf they were, it must be pretty bad,” said Ronde. “He left her there with the car, and took the bus home.”
    â€œWhoa,” said Tiki as the bus pulled up to their stop and they got on board. From there all the way to school, they were busy fooling around with their friends, telling jokes and trading gossip.
    Sugar Morton was nowhere to be seen, Tiki noticed.Maybe he and his mom had made up, and she was driving him to school like she used to.
    Tiki thought about the advice column he’d written. It was in his book bag, in a sealed envelope, with “for Laura Sommer” written on it.
    He’d been pretty harsh on Sugar in his response, he knew. And now he was beginning to regret it. What if Sugar had bigger problems than Tiki knew about? After all, that’s what had happened at Landzberg’s, where that kid Ralphie had played hooky from work, and everyone was mad at him until Mr. L. sent Ronde to investigate.
    Tiki wondered if something similar might be going on in the Morton household. Maybe I shouldn’t print my column, he thought. Maybe I should write a new one, with a gentler tone. . . .
    No, there’s no time for that, he realized, beginning to panic. Laura would be waiting for him in the entry hall, right by the main office, just like they’d arranged. He couldn’t tell her to wait till he’d rewritten the letter. He’d put her off way too long already. Why, oh why, had he ever gotten himself into this mess?
    Then he reminded himself of his reason for making up the letter—he wanted Sean Morton to read it, and recognize himself in it! That way, maybe things on the basketball team could begin to change for the better.
    Tiki sure hoped it worked. He especially hoped that, whatever happened to the team, his actions wouldn’t cause more hurt than people were already feeling.
    â€¢Â Â â€¢Â Â â€¢
    Laura had had the column for two days already, and Tiki had heard nothing from her. Then, finally, as he was headed for work after Friday classes, he heard her familiar, penetrating voice calling his name from down the hallway.
    â€œTii-kiii!”
    â€œOh, hey,” he said, waving as she came jogging over to him.
    â€œ Loved the column!” she gushed. “You are so good at this!”
    â€œUh, thanks . . . I guess,” Tiki said, pleased but embarrassed.
    â€œAnd I hope he gets the message,” she went on.
    Tiki flinched. “Huh?” He looked around, panicked. Then, satisfied that Sugar was nowhere nearby (of course he wasn’t—there was a practice underway in the gym), he turned back to Laura. “Who do you mean?”
    â€œWhomever you’re talking about,” she said. “Oh, come on, you can tell me. My lips are sealed!”
    That was a laugh—Laura’s lips were never sealed. She was the editor of the school paper, so she always knew whatever was going on. And her job was to print it—or, if she couldn’t print it because it was unprintable,to talk about it with everyone she ran into—which was everyone in the school, come to think of it!
    â€œHow should I know who the writer was talking about?” Tiki said with a shrug.
    â€œAre you kidding?” she snorted. “I know you wrote that letter!”
    â€œWhat?!”
    â€œI knew right away—did you think I wouldn’t notice? You hand me a letter ‘to Tiki’ that’s written in your own handwriting. Then you turn in your column about it. So I ask myself,