Jinxed! by Kurtis Scaletta, Eric Wight Read Free Book Online

batboy!” Mike called.
    â€œWhat a great play!” I told him.
    â€œThe little porcupine gave me this.” He pulled the card out. “It came with a note that said, ‘This is from Chad the batboy.’”
    â€œYeah, I thought it might help break the jinx.”
    â€œIt sure did!” said Mike. “Can I keep it? I mean, now I’m scared
not
to have it—you know?”
    â€œUh . . . sure,” I answered. It was hard to give up the card, but that was better than rejinxing a guy.
    â€œI’ll get you a new card,” Mike said. “Tell you what, you can keep the ball.” He was still holding the baseball he’d turned the triple play with.

    Â 
    â€œWow! Thanks.”
    â€œThis ball has to be good luck,” Mike added.
    â€œNot for us,” said Brian Somerset.
    â€œCan you sign it for me?” I asked Mike.
    â€œOf course.”
    I tossed him a pen. I made a terrible throw, but he caught it anyway.
    â€¢ • •
    I helped the Humdingers put their things away for the night. When I went back onto the field, there was still a long, ragged line of kids waiting to run the bases. A couple of the kids were talking about Mike’s play and acting it out.
    â€œWasn’t that awesome?”
    â€œYeah,” Dylan replied.
    â€œFirst unassisted triple play in Prairie League history!” I heard one of them say.
    Spike pointed at each kid when it was his or her turn to run the bases. He—I mean, she—waved at me as I passed.
    â€œI can’t talk right now!” Abby said. “I’m in costume!”
    â€œThat’s all right. Neither can I.”
    â€œI gave that guy the card, though!” she said.
    â€œI know. Thanks!”
    The Porcupines’ locker room was practically empty. Dylan was playing with the rabbit. The locker room was in good shape, so at least he had finished his duties before taking a bunny break.
    â€œIs Mike still around?” I asked.
    â€œI don’t think so. All the guys wanted to take him out to celebrate his big play.”
    â€œMust have been fun to be in the dugout when it happened,” I said.
    â€œIt was.”
    Dylan should have been a lot more excited.I still planned on turning him into a big-time baseball fan. Good thing I had all summer to do it.
    â€œLooks like Mike left his rabbit behind,” I said.
    â€œIt’s my rabbit now,” said Dylan. “Mike said I could keep him because we hit it off so well.”
    â€œDo your parents know you’re coming home with a rabbit?”
    â€œSure they do. They’re coming to pick us up. We have two rabbits already, so he’ll fit right in.”
    â€œHe’s cute,” I said. “Have you named him yet?”
    â€œI’m still thinking about it,” he said. “Any ideas?”
    â€œHow about . . . Jinx?”
    â€œI like that! I like it a lot!”
    â€œThanks. It just kind of came to me.”

Kurtis Scaletta’s previous books include
Mudville
, which
Booklist
called “a gift from the baseball gods” and named one of their 2009 Top 10 Sports Books for Youth. Kurtis lives in Minneapolis with his wife and son and some cats. He roots for the Minnesota Twins and the Saint Paul Saints. Find out more about him at www.kurtisscaletta.com .

Eric Wight was an animator for Disney, Warner Bros., and Cartoon Network before creating the critically acclaimed
Frankie Pickle
graphic novel series. He lives in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, and is a diehard fan of the Philadelphia Phillies and the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs. You can check out all the fun he is having at www.ericwight.com .