Karate Kick Read Online Free

problem.
    Steer clear of Darren,
he’d said.
    Cole wiped a circle in the fog from the bathroom mirror and stared at his reflection.
    Well, that’s just what I’m going to do! It shouldn’t be too difficult. After all, he’s gotta be in high school. What’re the
     chances that we’ll meet?
    He slicked his hair down with a few swipes of his comb. Then he put on a change of clothes and opened the bathroom door. Delicious
     food smells wafted in, mingling with the last of the steam from his shower.
    Sniffing the air appreciatively, Cole hurried downstairs to eat. By the time he reached the kitchen, he was determined to
     put Darren out of his mind for good.
    I have more important things to worry about,
he thought as he poured himself a tall glass of cold milk,
like practicing for my green belt test and making up a kata!

8
    Y ou did
what?
” Cole stared at Marty, horrified. It was the next morning and he had just run into his friend in the hallway at school. He
     was usually happy to see Marty. But right now, he wanted to strangle him.
    That’s because Marty had just informed him that he had invited Monique to practice karate with them that afternoon.
    “How could you do that to me?” Cole fumed. “You know she drives me crazy!”
    Marty held up his hands. “Before you freak out completely, just listen to why I asked her to join us!”
    Cole blew out a long breath. “This should be good,” he muttered, crossing his arms over his chest and fixing Marty with a
     glare.
    “Number one,” Marty said, “she became a green belt before we did —”
    “As she loves to point out whenever she can!” Cole interrupted.
    Marty lifted his eyebrows. “Will you let me finish, please?”
    “Okay, okay,” Cole growled.
    “Since she’s already a green belt, she knows what that test will be like. I thought maybe she could give you some pointers.”
    Cole snorted. “Please tell me that’s not the only reason you’re forcing her on me!”
    “No! She’s really good at performing katas, too. I figured with her help our katas for the contest might stand a better chance
     of winning!”
    Cole narrowed his eyes. “What makes you think she won’t give us lousy advice? I mean, come on, what’s in it for her if she
     helps us with our katas? Or me with my belt test, for that matter?”
    Marty sighed. “Those questions bring me to the third reason I invited her.”
    “Which is…?”
    “It’s going to sound lame.”
    “Just tell me!”
    Marty hung his head and shuffled his feet. “I feel sorry for her, all right? Yeah, she can be a royal pain, and yeah, she’s
     a total karate know-it-all.” He looked searchingly at Cole. “But I remember how we all used to be friends. Don’t you?”
    Cole stared at Marty for a long moment. Then he unfolded his arms. “I guess I do. But I still wish you had waited to be her
     friend again until
after
the kata contest and my test — or at least asked me before you invited her to join us!”
    Marty laughed. “Don’t worry. It’ll be fine. You’ll see!”
    “Maybe,” Cole grumbled.
    After school, Cole strapped his duffel bag of karate gear to his bike rack and rode to Marty’s house. He wasn’t sure if he’d
     need his stuff, but he figured it was better to have it than not.
    After he arrived, he and Marty went downstairs to the basement and pushed the furniture to the walls so they would have enough
     room to move freely.
    Monique showed up ten minutes later. “Hi,” she said, shooting Cole a tentative smile as she stowed her own bag of karate equipment
     next to the sofa. “I hope you don’t mind my being here, too.”
    Marty gave Cole a look. “Be nice!” the look warned.
    “The more the merrier,” Cole said. He took off his socks, balled them up, and threw them onto an easy chair. Then he sat on
     the floor and started to stretch. The others followed his example, and for the next ten minutes the only sound in the basement
     was their breathing. When their muscles