Summer Reading Excerpt #6

In The Great Bike Race, the second in a 3-book series of summer adventures…

… “Hey, Matt!” Lennox laid some rubber in front of the ice cream store. “Look at this new baseball I just got.” He thrust it into Matt’s hand. “Wanna go try it out?”

Matt crammed the last of his cone into his mouth. He fingered the ball’s red stitching and sniffed its smooth, white leather. “That’s a beaut, Lennox.” He handed the ball to David to admire.

Lennox snatched it back. To Matt he said, “Are you planning to hang around with this geek all summer?”

“He’s not that bad, Lennox. Can’t you just give him a chance?”

“Are you kidding? I’ve seen this guy throw a ball,” Lennox sneered. “Never seen him catch one, though.”

“But you should see him — ”

David interrupted. “Forget it, Matt.” He flipped the empty end of his cone into the garbage basket. “What makes you think I want to hang around with this goof anyway?”

Matt felt the sweet ice cream he had just eaten turning sour in his stomach.

“You going to let that stupid brainer call me names?” Lennox waved his baseball in Matt’s face. “I thought we were supposed to be friends.”

“We are. Of course we are. But like it or lump it — ” Matt shoved aside the ball and stared straight into Lennox’s eyes. “David is my friend now, too.”

Lennox kicked his bike pedal into place. “Well, I don’t hang around with geeks!” He shoved off down Stony Road. “So, you’d better decide,” he hollered, “are you going to be friends with David, or are you going to be friends with me?!”