Read Online The Yo-Yo Prophet by Karen Krossing - Free Book Online

heavy,” Annette whines.
    â€œYeah, we’re both skinny,” Sasha adds, and I know she’s implying that Rozelle isn’t.
    â€œThis’ll help you bulk up.” Rozelle hurls the words at Sasha, her jaw muscles clenching and unclenching. Then she links arms with me like she owns me. “You gotta earn your way, just like Yo-Yo and me.”
    My arm is burning where it touches hers, but I wait till we head out to pull free. Rozelle waves goodbye to Angelo, whose eye is still twitching like crazy. Now that I know him a bit, it doesn’t bother me as much. Marshall leaves his coffee behind; he’s still scribbling notes.
    As we walk the one block to the subway, Sasha and Annette lag behind, struggling with the stereo. When Marshall hangs back to ask them a question, I whisper to Rozelle. “Are you sure this is a good idea? The blog, I mean?”
    â€œâ€™Course it is. We gotta get the word out ’bout you.”
    â€œBut no one at school knows that I do yo-yo tricks. Except you. And them.” I stab a finger toward Sasha and Annette.
    â€œSoon they’ll all know, Yo-Yo.”
    â€œThat’s what I’m afraid of.”
    â€œYou worry too much.” She elbows me in the ribs.
    I wince. Then I notice Marshall has caught up to us, and he’s listening to every word.
    I shut up. It’s bad enough that he’s blogging about my yo-yoing. He doesn’t need to blog about my fears too.
    On the subway, Marshall sits on the bench opposite me. Rozelle sits beside me, and Sasha and Annette are one seat over. As the subway rocks, Rozelle knocks against me, but I can’t move away since I’m already jammed against the edge of the seat. Marshall asks questions nonstop. What tricks can I do? How did I start yo-yoing? I try to answer well, even though my heart is racing and my face feels hot. Marshall writes everything down.
    He asks, “What type of yo-yos do you use?”
    Rozelle hovers over my shoulder like she’s afraid I’m going to make a mistake.
    â€œUh, any kind. I’ve got about eight different ones so far.”
    â€œDo you use them all in your show?”
    â€œNo, just this one.” I pull my favorite neon yo-yo out of my backpack. “It’s a…uh…modified yo-yo—good for string and looping tricks.”
    Marshall glances up from his scribbling. He nods.
    â€œAnd I just got two new yo-yos in the mail. I’ve been… uh…trying some two-handed tricks.” Should I have said that?
    â€œTwo-handed tricks?” Rozelle interrupts. “Why didn’t I hear ’bout this?”
    â€œI didn’t know it mattered to you.” I sink lower in my seat.
    â€œEverythin’ you do matters to me, Yo-Yo.”
    I frown.
    â€œWill you be using those today?” Marshall asks.
    â€œNot yet. I’ve got to practice with them a bit more.” A lot more.
    â€œYou should go for it today,” Rozelle says. “Take it up a notch.”
    â€œNo.” I fiddle with my yo-yo, wishing I could break into a few tricks. “I didn’t even bring them.”
    Rozelle crosses her arms, muscles tight. “Next time.”
    â€œIf I’m ready.”
    â€œHow often do you practice?” Marshall’s still writing.
    â€œAll the time.” I don’t tell him it’s what I do to relax.
    It sounds like I have no life.
    â€œAnd what about those predictions?” Marshall flips back through his notebook, scans a page. “You predicted a robbery and…a job offer?”
    It sounds lame when he says it. “I guess.” I shrug.
    Rozelle leans in. “The predictions came true.”
    â€œBut I don’t know if it’ll happen again,” I add. In fact, I’m pretty sure I’ll never do it again, no matter what Rozelle wants.
    â€œIt will.” Rozelle tosses me a frustrated look. “It happens when he doesn’t expect it. He’ll be