Roller Hockey Radicals by Matt Christopher Read Free Book Online Page A

been laid out. There was a blue line across the center,
     and a pair of two-foot-wide faceoff circles had been drawn in either zone. There was also a faceoff circle in the middle of
     the rink.
    Kirby was surprised at how many weeds were growing out of the cracked pavement. They ought to at least make it look nice,
     he thought. No wonder no one had bought the property. Of course, the boarded-up factory next door didn’t help either. Oh,
     well. At least someone had swept away whatever broken glass had been there.
    The Bates Avenue Bad Boys were skating around, slapping shots at their goalie and slamming each other into the fence just
     for fun. Some of their parents were standing on the sidelines, talking to each other and totally ignoring their kids. Kirby
     shook his head, picturing his momthrowing a fit if he ever fooled around like that on skates.
    “Are those the boys you’re playing against?” his mother asked anxiously.
    “Yup,” Kirby answered. “Don’t worry, Mom — they’re just trying to look tough to psych us out.”
    “Well, I hope you’re not all going to go out there and do the same!” she said in a huff.
    Kirby just laughed, and skated over to where the E Street Skates were huddled. All of his pals shouted a greeting and clapped
     him on the back.
    “Boy, are we glad to see you!” Nick said. “Those guys seem to get bigger every time we play them.”
    “Don’t worry about them,” Trevor said. “Marty and I can skate rings around them!”
    “Not if they deck you,” Nick shot back.
    “If they shoot past me, I’m ducking,” Jamal said. “I’m not going to block it. They shoot too hard.”
    “Don’t worry about it, they’re not going to score off me,” Lainie said. “I hate those guys. They’re always giving me a hard
     time because I’m a girl playing with the boys.”
    Just then, one of the Bad Boys skated up to them. “Just want you to know, you guys are lucky,” he said, staring straight at
     Marty. “We would have laid you flat on your backs if there weren’t so many parents here watching. Next time, you’d better
     watch out. Pump some iron, wimps.” He skated off again.
    “Jerk,” Trevor said under his breath. “I should have busted him one.”
    “Why, so you could be more like him?” Marty asked sarcastically. “I don’t think so. Why be stupid?”
    “Really,” Nick agreed. “The caveman days are over.”
    “C’mon,” Lainie said. “It’s time to meet and beat the competition.”
    As they skated over to the Bad Boys, Kirby glanced back at where he’d left his parents.They were standing with the Bledsoes, who were introducing them to the other parents. Some had brought folding chairs to sit
     on as they watched the action — from a safe distance, of course, since a flying puck can be dangerous and spectators don’t
     wear protective gear.
    The Bad Boys, in their black uniforms with silver numbers, gathered together while Marty went over the rules of play.
    “Out of bounds is a frozen puck,” he said. “We’ll have two twenty-two-minute halves, and the clock never stops. Five minutes
     between halves. No checking with the stick or the body, understood? Okay. Now for the coin toss. Who’s got a coin?”
    Jamal pulled a quarter from his pocket. Killer stepped forward to represent the Bad Boys. Marty reached to shake Killer’s
     outstretched hand, but at the last minute, Killer jerked his hand back, sneering. Marty dropped his hand but didn’t say anything.
    “Okay, call it in the air.” Jamal flipped the coin.
    “Tails!” Marty said. The coin dropped to the ground.
    “Yes, tails it is,” Jamal said. “Which goal are we going to defend?”
    This, it turned out, was an important choice. The lot sloped slightly downhill, and there were more cracks near the downhill
     goal. Marty pointed uphill. “We’ll take that one.”
    “Figures. Let’s play,” Killer growled as he skated off to his position.
    All the parents started cheering their