Front Court Hex by Matt Christopher Read Free Book Online

knows?

    Maybe some day
you
may be asked to help a warlock relative yourself!”
    “Don’t count on it,” muttered Jerry.
    A buzzer rang.
    “See you at the next game, Jerry,” Danny said. “And please be there.” He left.
    “Warlocks,” Jerry mumbled as he headed for his classroom. “I still don’t know whether to believe that baloney or not. I don’t
feel
related to a warlock. Isn’t it supposed to make you feel differently?”
    Jerry ignored Danny’s advice. Oh, he wasn’t going to do anything wild or far out to purposely prove that what Danny said was
     hogwash; he was just going to live his life normally, that’s all. Any other way would mean that he was taking Danny seriously.
     And he wouldn’t do that for all the nickels in the world.
    “A warlock!” Jerry said again, disgustedly. “What does he take me for? A nut?”
    There were several incidents that came up before the next game that gave Jerry an opportunity to prove that Danny was just
     a fraud. He didn’t get up in the morning when his mother first called him, and he
borrowed
a bright blue felt-tipped pen from a girl’s desk with no intention of returning it. He took it for three reasons: one, he
     liked its looks; two, he didn’t have one himself; and three, the girl could always buy another one.
    He also tore two pictures out of a library book on antique and classic cars to add to his collection, telling himself that
     nobody would miss them. See if warlock Danny Weatherspoon would find out about
that!
    He thought of excuses to avoid helpinghis mother do the supper dishes, lied that he had a headache when she asked him to go to the store, and spent two hours at
     Ronnie’s house one evening, coming home too late to write an essay on pollution which had to be turned in the next day.
    Although he knew that every one of those deeds was a violation of what Danny called decent living, Jerry didn’t think that
     any of them would hurt anybody. He, himself, felt guilty about them — but not too guilty. He was just following the whims
     of his nature, he told himself, hoping that his excuse was logical.
    He could hardly wait for the next game. It was on Tuesday, December 21, against the Skylarks. He hadn’t touched a basketball
     since last Tuesday when the Chariots had played an intrasquad game.
    A large crowd filled the bleachers, including Jerry’s mother and father. While warming up before the game Jerry looked for
     and saw Danny Weatherspoon on the top row of the bleachers. He tried to catch Danny’s attention, but the little guy was busy
     talking with the boy beside him.
    At last the referee blew his whistle, announcing the start of the game. But Jerry didn’t start. Manny Lucas played in his
     place.
    The Skylarks’ tall, dark-haired center, Stretch Peters, outjumped Freddie, and in no time the ball was at the Skylarks’ end
     of the court. Quick passes, evasive action, and a hook shot resulted in the Skylarks drawing first blood.
    Manny took the ball out-of-bounds, tossed it in to Ronnie, and the forwardmoved the ball upcourt. He passed to Freddie, who tried a long shot and missed. Freddie ran in, nabbed the rebound and went
     up with it. This time the ball dropped through the net.
    The Skylarks scored again, and drew a one-shot foul as Manny recklessly charged a Skylark taking the lay-up shot that went
     in. The three points put the Skylarks in front, 5 – 2.
    They gained nine more within the next five minutes against the Chariots’ four, and five of those were sunk by Manny’s man.
    “Take Manny’s place, Jerry,” Coach Stull said. “Stop that Skylark or he’ll sink us alone.”
    Jerry reported to the scorekeeper, then went in when the Chariots called time. “Sorry, Manny,” Jerry said.
    “Oh, not you again,” said Freddie. “What does Coach Stull expect you to do? Fire us up?”
    “He wants me to stop that Skylark from getting more baskets,” Jerry said softly.
    “Isn’t that nice? That Skylark’s name is