Grind by Eric Walters Read Free Book Online

back.
    â€œI didn’t know you’d filmed that!” I exclaimed.
    â€œI kept going. But wait, watch, the best part is still to come!”
    As I skated away, the door of the car popped open and the security guard jumped out and started to run—wait, the guard had a pig’s head! And as he ran after me, little cartoon balloons came out of his mouth saying “oink,” and the whole computer started making pig sounds!
    Wally and Lisa and I all exploded into laughter.
    â€œNevin, you are a genius!” Wally yelled, slapping him on the back.
    â€œThis was nothing. I could teach a monkey how to do that. So, do you like it?”
    â€œIt’s amazing,” Lisa said.
    â€œCan we go into our pages and look at the skating now?” I asked.
    â€œDefinitely,” Nevin agreed. “And after that we only have two things to do.”
    â€œWhat two things?” I asked.
    â€œThe first one’s easy,” he said. “I’m going to register the site on all the major search engines so they can start directing people to our page.”
    â€œAnd the second thing?” I asked.
    â€œThis one is a little more time consuming, but it could be fun. We’re going to go to a few dozen skater sites and chat rooms and talk to people about this incredible new web site we just saw—our web site.” He paused. “Of course we’re not going to use our names or tell them it’s our web site.”
    â€œNevin, that is really, truly, sneaky and devious,” I said.
    â€œThank you,” he said.
    â€œThat’s some compliment,” Lisa said, “when you consider that you’re talking to a person who’s an expert on sneaky and devious.”
    â€œSo how do we get started?” Wally said, jumping in to break the tension.
    â€œI’ve already set the lab computers up so they’re connected to the different sites and chat rooms.”
    â€œWhich computers?” I asked.
    â€œAll the computers,” Nevin said, gesturing around the room.
    â€œThere have to be a hundred computers in here,” I said.
    â€œEighty-seven that work, so that’s how many I’ve connected.”
    â€œYou want us to visit eighty-seven sites?” I questioned.
    â€œNo, I want you to visit one fourth of the sites. If you want to attract sponsors you have to get hits,” Nevin said. “I’ve put a counter on the very bottom of our page.”
    He scrolled down again. There was a little wheel that read 1234 visitors.
    â€œWe’ve had that many visitors already?” I asked.
    Nevin laughed. “Of course not. I just didn’t want anybody to think that nobody had visited. Everybody wants to go to a site that’s popular.”
    â€œMakes sense,” Wally agreed.
    â€œAnd I’ve added a place where they post comments and talk to us,” Nevin said. “Sort of like an interactive guest book.”
    â€œExcellent. This looks like it could be fun. Let’s hit the chat rooms and get some interest started,” Wally said.
    â€œFirst things first. Let’s explore the site fully to see your tricks,” Nevin said. “Then we’ll start spreading the word…around the whole world.”

Chapter Ten
    â€œPhillip, get up.”
    I rolled over. It was my mother, standing in the doorway. It was dark.
    â€œWally’s on the phone for you,” she said.
    â€œWally? Why is he calling…what time is it?”
    â€œIt’s six in the morning and I have no idea why he’s calling so early. Pick up the phone and ask him yourself.”
    I rolled over and grabbed the phone from the night table. “Hello.”
    â€œPhil, have you seen it?” he asked excitedly.
    â€œI was sleeping. All I’ve been seeing is the inside of my eyelids.”
    â€œThe web site! You have to log on to our site!”
    â€œI saw it yesterday. I don’t think it’s changed much