“Are you all right?”
“Yeah, I’m fine,” he lied.
“Did the cops snag Grant for slashing your wheels?” Kevin asked.
Kevin took off his letter jacket, and shoved it into his locker along with his book bag. He exchanged them for his wrestling singlet and mouth guard. The school day had just ended and the hallway was thinning out. The students were buzzing about the weekend and anxious to get out of school. Jim and Andrea had joined Kevin and Josh at their lockers to chat for a few minutes before practice started.
“No,” Josh told his friends. “They said they couldn’t prove it was him.”
“Do you really think it was Bryan?” Andrea asked.
Jim shut his locker. “Who else could have done it? Elena? She wouldn’t have risked breaking a nail.”
“No, it had to be Bryan,” Josh said. “He must have done it while we were in the showers.”
Josh was still furious about his car. Not only had all four tires been slashed wide open, someone had also keyed the entire left hand side and shredded the soft top. It was going to be in the shop for days waiting for a new paint job and parts. Fortunately, his father let him borrow his Mercedes, so at least Josh still had transportation. Bryan Grant was going to pay. One way or another, Josh was going to get him back for what he had done. But it would have to wait, at least until the school hallway stopped spinning in circles.
“Josh?” Kevin called, just as Josh grabbed the door of his locker to steady himself. “Earth to Josh!”
“Huh,” Josh muttered. He took a deep breath to try to slow his racing heartbeat.
“We have to get to practice,” Jim told him. “Are you ready?”
Josh grimaced at the thought of rolling around on the mats. “I think I’m going to skip it today.”
Kevin shook his head in disapproval. “Coach won’t be too happy about that. We need all the practice we can get.”
“Well, he’ll have to get over it,” Josh said, annoyed. Who did Kevin think he was, preaching to him? Who was the captain anyway? Josh slammed his locker shut, and immediately regretted it. The clanging metal was like a sledgehammer against his skull.
“Whatever.” Kevin sneered, and shook his head. “But don’t expect us to make excuses for you.”
Kevin stalked off down the hallway without a backward glance. Jim shrugged his shoulders and gave Andrea a quick peck on the lips before jogging after him. Josh immediately regretted his harshness. Kevin was right. He really shouldn’t be blowing off practice, especially not the second practice of the year. Normally he wouldn’t even consider it, but he felt so sick. He planned on calling the coach to explain, but if he had told Kevin the reason he was skipping, he would have harassed Josh even more. The last thing he needed to deal with was taunting and name-calling.
“Are you sure you’re all right?” Andrea asked, giving him a suspicious look as she tossed her book bag over her shoulder. “It’s not like you to skip practice.”
“I don’t feel so hot, Andy,” Josh admitted. “I’ve felt like crap for a few days now.”
Andrea reached out and put her hand on his forehead. “You don’t have a fever,” she said with a concerned frown. “But you’re pale as a ghost. Are you still going to go out with Rosa tonight?”
Rosa! Just the thought of her made Josh feel a little bit better. There was no way he was going to miss this date. Not after he had literally begged her to go out with him. If he cancelled, Rosa would never believe it was because he was sick. She would think he had found someone more interesting and she would probably never trust him again. It wasn’t a risk Josh was willing to take.
“I’ll be okay,” Josh assured her, and forced a smile. “I’d show up with an IV in my arm if that’s what it took.”
Andrea snickered. “How romantic.”
Josh chuckled a little too, but it was cut short when a particularly sharp pain cut through his stomach. His doubled
“Yeah, I’m fine,” he lied.
“Did the cops snag Grant for slashing your wheels?” Kevin asked.
Kevin took off his letter jacket, and shoved it into his locker along with his book bag. He exchanged them for his wrestling singlet and mouth guard. The school day had just ended and the hallway was thinning out. The students were buzzing about the weekend and anxious to get out of school. Jim and Andrea had joined Kevin and Josh at their lockers to chat for a few minutes before practice started.
“No,” Josh told his friends. “They said they couldn’t prove it was him.”
“Do you really think it was Bryan?” Andrea asked.
Jim shut his locker. “Who else could have done it? Elena? She wouldn’t have risked breaking a nail.”
“No, it had to be Bryan,” Josh said. “He must have done it while we were in the showers.”
Josh was still furious about his car. Not only had all four tires been slashed wide open, someone had also keyed the entire left hand side and shredded the soft top. It was going to be in the shop for days waiting for a new paint job and parts. Fortunately, his father let him borrow his Mercedes, so at least Josh still had transportation. Bryan Grant was going to pay. One way or another, Josh was going to get him back for what he had done. But it would have to wait, at least until the school hallway stopped spinning in circles.
“Josh?” Kevin called, just as Josh grabbed the door of his locker to steady himself. “Earth to Josh!”
“Huh,” Josh muttered. He took a deep breath to try to slow his racing heartbeat.
“We have to get to practice,” Jim told him. “Are you ready?”
Josh grimaced at the thought of rolling around on the mats. “I think I’m going to skip it today.”
Kevin shook his head in disapproval. “Coach won’t be too happy about that. We need all the practice we can get.”
“Well, he’ll have to get over it,” Josh said, annoyed. Who did Kevin think he was, preaching to him? Who was the captain anyway? Josh slammed his locker shut, and immediately regretted it. The clanging metal was like a sledgehammer against his skull.
“Whatever.” Kevin sneered, and shook his head. “But don’t expect us to make excuses for you.”
Kevin stalked off down the hallway without a backward glance. Jim shrugged his shoulders and gave Andrea a quick peck on the lips before jogging after him. Josh immediately regretted his harshness. Kevin was right. He really shouldn’t be blowing off practice, especially not the second practice of the year. Normally he wouldn’t even consider it, but he felt so sick. He planned on calling the coach to explain, but if he had told Kevin the reason he was skipping, he would have harassed Josh even more. The last thing he needed to deal with was taunting and name-calling.
“Are you sure you’re all right?” Andrea asked, giving him a suspicious look as she tossed her book bag over her shoulder. “It’s not like you to skip practice.”
“I don’t feel so hot, Andy,” Josh admitted. “I’ve felt like crap for a few days now.”
Andrea reached out and put her hand on his forehead. “You don’t have a fever,” she said with a concerned frown. “But you’re pale as a ghost. Are you still going to go out with Rosa tonight?”
Rosa! Just the thought of her made Josh feel a little bit better. There was no way he was going to miss this date. Not after he had literally begged her to go out with him. If he cancelled, Rosa would never believe it was because he was sick. She would think he had found someone more interesting and she would probably never trust him again. It wasn’t a risk Josh was willing to take.
“I’ll be okay,” Josh assured her, and forced a smile. “I’d show up with an IV in my arm if that’s what it took.”
Andrea snickered. “How romantic.”
Josh chuckled a little too, but it was cut short when a particularly sharp pain cut through his stomach. His doubled
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