Hoop Crazy by Eric Walters Read Free Book Online Page B

if you
could
play,” I snapped.
    â€œNicholas!” my mother said sternly.
    â€œCould I be excused,” I said. “I’m not hungry.”
    â€œI think you should be excused. Please go to your room,” my mother said.
    As I walked out of the room I heard my mother apologizing for me. It wasn’t me who needed to be apologized for.

Chapter Eight

    I woke up. What was that sound? I looked over at the other bed. Ned wasn’t there. Maybe he couldn’t sleep. Served him right. Then I heard it again. What was it? It sounded like a basketball being bounced. I went to the window. It was slightly open, a cool breeze blowing in. The ‘pinging’ of a basketball floated in on the wind. Somebody was bouncing a ball. I looked around as best I could but couldn’t see anybody. My room was right over the garage, which stuck out and blocked my view. I glanced at the clock. It was almost two in the morning. Who would be bouncing a ball in the middle of the night? That was just so strange … strange … was it Ned?
    Quietly I slipped out of my room. Passing myparents’ bedroom I could hear my father. He called it ‘breathing loudly.’ My mother called it snoring. There was a little night light on in the upstairs bathroom. The door was open and gave off enough light for me to clearly see my way along the hall and down the stairs. I moved to the front door. It was open. Ned’s shoes were no place to be seen in the entranceway, and it was hard to miss things that were that big. He must be wearing them and that meant he must be out there.
    I slipped on my shoes. I opened up the door and went outside. The air felt cool and moist and good. I padded down the front path and came around the side of the garage. The ball ‘pinged’ against the asphalt just as I rounded the corner and saw Ned. His back was to me. He was holding the ball high over his head and put up an awkward shot that clanked off the backboard and bounced away. He scrambled after it, catching the ball before it rolled onto the road.
    He turned back around and saw me looking at him. He stopped. He looked surprised. Actually he looked surprised most of the time.
    â€œI couldn’t sleep,” he said.
    â€œI was doing fine until I was woken up by the sound of somebody bouncing a basketball.”
    â€œI’m sorry … I didn’t mean to wake anybody up.”
    â€œEverybody else is still asleep. At least in our house.”
    â€œWhat do you … oh you mean neighbors,” he said, nodding his head.
    â€œYou’re lucky somebody hasn’t phoned the police on you.”
    â€œWould they do that?” he asked.
    â€œThey could. There are laws against disturbing the peace in the middle of the night.”
    â€œI just didn’t think about it. I’m not used to having neighbors.”
    â€œYou’re not used to a lot of things,” I said pointedly.
    Ned didn’t answer, but even in the dim light thrown by the streetlight I could tell my jab had hit.
    â€œI just wanted to play a little,” Ned said. “I really like the sound the ball makes when it hits the pavement.”
    â€œMe too, I’ve always …,” I stopped myself. The sound of the ball bouncing and sneakers squeaking were two of my favorite sounds in the world. “It’s okay.”
    â€œI just thought I’d come out and practice a little. I guess nobody would argue about me needing to practice.”
    â€œNobody sane.”
    â€œIt’s just nice to be out here without all the people around,” Ned said.
    â€œAll what people?”
    â€œAll everybody. Don’t you find it bothers you thateverywhere you look there are people and noises? How do you think with everything going on around you?”
    â€œThis isn’t busy. This is the suburbs.”
    â€œIt’s just nice to have silence sometimes,” Ned said.
    â€œIt would be quieter if you didn’t