Hot Shot Read Online Free Page B

they sounded like an off-beat percussion
     section in a band—clack-clack-squeak, clack-clack-squeak.
    Then they reached Julian’s new classroom and the rhythm stopped. “Here we are, Julian.” Mrs. Oliver swept open the door and
     stepped aside so he could walk in.
    Julian had promised himself that he wouldn’t be nervous. But the moment he entered the room, his heart began to hammer in
     his chest. There were only twenty-one kids in the class, but it seemed like hundreds!
    “Ms. Pierce, this is the boy I was telling you about,” Mrs. Oliver said. “Julian Pryce, this is Ms. Pierce, your teacher.”
    Ms. Pierce looked as sharp as her name—needlenosed, with bony arms and long, skinny fingers. But when she spoke, her voice
     was soft and soothing. “Good morning, Julian,” she said. “Welcome to my class.”
    Mrs. Oliver nodded and left. Julian stood awkwardly, unsure of what he should do next. To his relief, Ms. Pierce came to his
     rescue.
    “Take that empty desk,” she said, pointing toward a seat near the windows, “and stow your gear on the floor. I’ll find you
     a locker later.”
    Julian did as instructed. Then came the request he’d been dreading.
    “Why don’t you tell us a little bit about yourself?” Ms. Pierce suggested.
    Twenty-one pairs of eyes turned to look at him.
    Julian shifted in his seat. “Um, well, my name’s Julian. But I guess you know that already.”
    He heard a few titters from the back of the class. Ms. Pierce frowned and the sound stopped.
    “I’m thirteen,” Julian continued. “We moved here because my dad got a new job.”
    He paused, unsure of what to say next.
    “Do you have any hobbies, or play any sports?” Ms. Pierce prodded.
    “I play basketball. I was my team’s starting center. We were called the Tornadoes. Maybe you heard of us? We went undefeated
     last year.”
    He looked around hopefully. Nobody responded. “Well, anyway, we were looking good this year too.” Thinking of his old team
     made Julian’s throat close up. He stopped talking.
    A tall boy in the back of the class cleared his throat. “You plan to play here?”
    “I’ll be playing on a team called the Warriors.”
    “Then you should know something.” The boy leaned forward, narrowed his eyes, and jabbed a finger at his chest. “
I’m
the starting center for the Warriors.”
    “
Paul
,” Ms. Pierce admonished. “Please.”
    Paul sat back but didn’t take his eyes off of Julian. Julian looked away.
    Great,
he thought.
I’ve been here for all of five minutes and already I’ve made an enemy. And wouldn’t you know it’s a guy on my new team!
    He made a silent vow to steer clear of Paul if he could. And he made good on that vow for the rest of the day—a day that passed
     in a blur of changing classes, finding his locker and forgetting his lock combination, and sitting by himself during lunch.
     He’d never been happier to hear the final bell ring.
    Mrs. Pryce picked him and Megan up after school. Megan chatted gaily about the new friends she had made. Mrs. Pryce told them
     that she’d made good progress in unpacking more of their belongings.
    Julian barely listened. He was too busy worrying about what was to happen one hour from now: his first practice with the Warriors.
    So much for avoiding Paul,
he thought.
    When he got home, he had a quick snack and changed into his basketball clothes. Then he set off for the town’s community center.
     The center had a basketball court, weight rooms, batting cages, and an Olympicsize pool. The complex was only a few blocks
     from his house. Still, Julian walked briskly. He didn’t want to be late and give Paul reason to come down on him.
    Another team was just finishing its turn on the court when he arrived. Julian sat down to watch them.
    They were high school players by the looks of them. One player in particular caught Julian’s eye, for two reasons. First,
     he looked so much like Paul that at first, Julian thought it
was
Paul. But