Read Online The Limit by Kristen Landon - Free Book Online
Authors: Kristen Landon
Tags: Fiction, General, Science-Fiction, All Ages, Children's Books, Action & Adventure, Family, Juvenile Fiction, Action & Adventure - General, Ages 9-12 Fiction, Conspiracies, Children: Grades 4-6, Mysteries & Detective Stories, Family - General, Mysteries; Espionage; & Detective Stories
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Another door stood within a couple of yards of the pool-room door. Honey Lady yanked this one open too. “Aha! I knew it.”
Two boys were running around in the large gym. They held rackets and were taking turns hitting a ball attached to a long bungee cord that snapped the ball off in wild directions. I should say only one boy—the taller boy, with blond, shaggy hair—hit the ball. He hit it a lot. The other boy—much shorter, with straightdark hair and almond eyes behind thin glasses—ducked every time the ball came near him. He swung a couple of times but didn’t connect.
“Boys! Stop and come over here,” said Honey Lady. The short boy did, but the tall blond boy got in a few more whacks before he finally lowered his racket. Honey Lady pointed to him as he ran over. “This is Henry.” The shorter boy shuffled up alongside him. “And this is Jeffery.”
“Hey,” said the tall boy, nodding his chin at me. He turned a wicked grin toward Honey Lady and rubbed his hands together. “You’ve finally brought us a new Top Floor to torture.”
“Very amusing,” said Honey Lady without cracking a smile. “This is Matt.” She pushed me forward a few inches with her hand on my shoulder. “I need to get back downstairs. Please show him around and fill him in on how things work around here.”
“Hey, wait—” Before I could remember Honey Lady’s real name and call her back to make her answer the dozens of questions I couldn’t even begin to put into words, she’d click-clicked right out the door. I turned to the guys.
The tall one held up his racket, moving it in small circles. “Jeffery, you go in on the left, and I’ll attack from the right. Ready?”
What the heck?
Ducking, I shuffled back a few quicksteps while lifting both arms to shield my head. Talk about bullies and cruel initiation rites.
Jeffery swung his racket up over his shoulder, holding it tight with both hands and advancing fast on me.
“Whoa, Jeffery, hold up, man.” The tall guy, Henry, stretched out one arm to block him. “I was just messing with the new boy’s brain.” He gave me a soft punch to the shoulder. “No lie, dude, I’m glad you’re here. Now I’m not the newest newbie on the floor. You’ll be even more clueless than me.” He gave his head a cocky little shake. “Make me look good.”
Frowning, Jeffery reluctantly lowered his racket.
I gulped, trying to hide the fact that I was still breathing hard. “N-no problem.” I stood up straighter and shook out my arms. “How long have you guys been here?”
“Going on two months,” Henry said. “Jeffery’s been here about twice that long. Don’t worry. I’ve got the system down. I’ll let you in on all the insider secrets.”
“You’re so clueless you don’t even know if there
are
any secrets,” Jeffery said.
Henry waved him off. “You play paddle-wall-ball?” he asked me. “Jeffery here doesn’t put up much of a challenge. I’ve gotta find me a worthy opponent.”
Jeffery pushed his glasses up his nose. “I’m getting better.”
“I’ve never played.” I’d seen paddle-wall-ballon TV. It’s a cross between racquetball and a giant paddleball. I think the courts cost a ton. There weren’t a lot of them around. “Looks fun.”
“Cool. Go change and we’ll play.”
“Change?”
“Your clothes, dude!”
I stared down at my jeans and T-shirt.
“He just got here,” said Jeffery. “Obviously he’s ignorant about the procedure to order clothes.”
“No, I’m not. I just haven’t had the time to do much of it yet.” Hitching my thumb, I turned my head toward the door. “Should I go use one of those cubicle computers?”
“Whoa, man, you can’t just use any computer out there. You’ve gotta stick with your own—it’s sort of an unwritten rule, like sticking with your own toothbrush. Use your own cubie comp or use the one in your room.”
“I have a computer in my room, too?” Cool.
“He doesn’t know
Two boys were running around in the large gym. They held rackets and were taking turns hitting a ball attached to a long bungee cord that snapped the ball off in wild directions. I should say only one boy—the taller boy, with blond, shaggy hair—hit the ball. He hit it a lot. The other boy—much shorter, with straightdark hair and almond eyes behind thin glasses—ducked every time the ball came near him. He swung a couple of times but didn’t connect.
“Boys! Stop and come over here,” said Honey Lady. The short boy did, but the tall blond boy got in a few more whacks before he finally lowered his racket. Honey Lady pointed to him as he ran over. “This is Henry.” The shorter boy shuffled up alongside him. “And this is Jeffery.”
“Hey,” said the tall boy, nodding his chin at me. He turned a wicked grin toward Honey Lady and rubbed his hands together. “You’ve finally brought us a new Top Floor to torture.”
“Very amusing,” said Honey Lady without cracking a smile. “This is Matt.” She pushed me forward a few inches with her hand on my shoulder. “I need to get back downstairs. Please show him around and fill him in on how things work around here.”
“Hey, wait—” Before I could remember Honey Lady’s real name and call her back to make her answer the dozens of questions I couldn’t even begin to put into words, she’d click-clicked right out the door. I turned to the guys.
The tall one held up his racket, moving it in small circles. “Jeffery, you go in on the left, and I’ll attack from the right. Ready?”
What the heck?
Ducking, I shuffled back a few quicksteps while lifting both arms to shield my head. Talk about bullies and cruel initiation rites.
Jeffery swung his racket up over his shoulder, holding it tight with both hands and advancing fast on me.
“Whoa, Jeffery, hold up, man.” The tall guy, Henry, stretched out one arm to block him. “I was just messing with the new boy’s brain.” He gave me a soft punch to the shoulder. “No lie, dude, I’m glad you’re here. Now I’m not the newest newbie on the floor. You’ll be even more clueless than me.” He gave his head a cocky little shake. “Make me look good.”
Frowning, Jeffery reluctantly lowered his racket.
I gulped, trying to hide the fact that I was still breathing hard. “N-no problem.” I stood up straighter and shook out my arms. “How long have you guys been here?”
“Going on two months,” Henry said. “Jeffery’s been here about twice that long. Don’t worry. I’ve got the system down. I’ll let you in on all the insider secrets.”
“You’re so clueless you don’t even know if there
are
any secrets,” Jeffery said.
Henry waved him off. “You play paddle-wall-ball?” he asked me. “Jeffery here doesn’t put up much of a challenge. I’ve gotta find me a worthy opponent.”
Jeffery pushed his glasses up his nose. “I’m getting better.”
“I’ve never played.” I’d seen paddle-wall-ballon TV. It’s a cross between racquetball and a giant paddleball. I think the courts cost a ton. There weren’t a lot of them around. “Looks fun.”
“Cool. Go change and we’ll play.”
“Change?”
“Your clothes, dude!”
I stared down at my jeans and T-shirt.
“He just got here,” said Jeffery. “Obviously he’s ignorant about the procedure to order clothes.”
“No, I’m not. I just haven’t had the time to do much of it yet.” Hitching my thumb, I turned my head toward the door. “Should I go use one of those cubicle computers?”
“Whoa, man, you can’t just use any computer out there. You’ve gotta stick with your own—it’s sort of an unwritten rule, like sticking with your own toothbrush. Use your own cubie comp or use the one in your room.”
“I have a computer in my room, too?” Cool.
“He doesn’t know
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