A Boy
Page 133-135
Story
Chapter 33
Page 133
Bradley was terrible (糟糕的)!
He dribbled (運球)
with two hands.
He passed the ball
to people
who weren’t on
his team.
But, worst (最糟的)
of all,
whenever anyone
passed the ball
to him,
he said
“thank you.”
He never shot
at the basket.
He didn’t dare (敢).
Finally, after his team
was losing 28
to 6 anyway,
everyone told him
to try a shot.
He looked around
for someone
to pass to.
Jeff sat down
so Bradley wouldn’t
pass it
to him.
“Just shoot,”
he said.
The rest of his team
sat down too.
“Shoot it!”
they said.
Everybody on the other team
sat down too.
“Shoot the ball!”
Bradley faced
the basket.
His tongue slipped
out the corner
of his mouth
as he carefully
aimed (瞄準),
then threw the ball
high in the air.
It hit the back
of the rim (籃框),
bounced (彈跳) against the
backboard,
then dropped through
the net.
“Great shot!”
said Jeff.
“Way to go,”
said Andy,
patting (拍) him
on the back.
At first he couldn’t
believe it,
but then he saw
Carla’s book,
lying on the ground
at the base (底部)
of the basket.
Page 134
No wonder,
he realized (意識到).
Everyone headed
for the water fountain.
Bradley went along,
too,
even though he wasn’t
thirsty.
But then,
once he got there,
he realized
he was thirsty.
He just hadn’t
noticed.
“Good game, Bradley,”
said Brian.
“You just have to
stop passing
to people
who aren’t on
your team!”
said Dan.
“Maybe you should
give the rest
of us
on your team
black eyes too,”
said Robbie.
“Then you’ll know
who to pass to.”
Everyone laughed,
even Bradley.
He and Jeff
were the last two
left at the water fountain.
Everyone else
had already started
back to class.
As they drank,
their eyes met
and they broke up
laughing.
“How did you get
the black eye?”
Bradley asked
after he stopped
laughing.
“Melinda,”
said Jeff.
Bradley nodded.
“She’s strong,”
he said.
“Oh boy,
you can say that
again,”
said Jeff.
They laughed
again.
“My book!”
Bradley suddenly
exclaimed (驚呼).
He ran back
to the basketball court
where he’d left it.
Jeff shook his head
as he watched
Bradley run away.
Life’s weird (怪異的),
he thought.
He walked into
the boys’ bathroom
and splashed (潑灑)
his sweaty (滿是汗的) face
with cold water.
He had to hold
the faucet (水龍頭) down
with one hand
and splash his face
with the other.
Page 135
Colleen Verigold
walked in.
He stared
at her.
She looked around,
then screamed (尖叫)
and ran outside.
Jeff watched the door
swing shut (砰地關上)
behind her.
The End