Bound for Danger Read Online Free PDF Page A

seating area, and on the ground by my feet were four large pizza boxes. The kid turned and ripped off Joe’s bag.
    â€œSeriously?” he said, as he pulled out a pocketknife and sliced the duct tape around our wrists and ankles. “This is, like, the third time this month! Don’t you guys have anything better to do than play stupid practical jokes on one another?”
    I looked at Joe. “We most certainly do. Thanks for the rescue.”
    We walked over to our car, which was thankfully still parked where we’d left it at 6:28. That felt like days ago, but when Joe turned on the car, the digital clock read 8:24.
    We looked at each other. “Let’s get home,” I said. “It’s been a very long day.”

4
GAME ON
JOE
    O H, HEY THERE, JASON, FANCY meeting you here!” I said, sliding a book titled Trial by Fire: Hazing and You across the circulation desk to our friendly school library volunteer. I’d chosen the book as a not-so-subtle signal, because it was clear to us after what happened last night that the basketball team had a problem with hazing: harassing or ridiculing certain members to make them do what team members wanted. College fraternities and sororities are notorious for hazing, but it happens sometimes on sports teams too. Since the basketball team was school-sponsored, hazing was definitely against the rules and could get whoever was doing it in serious trouble. The question was, who was doing it?
    Jason Bound looked up with a nonplussed expression. Heglanced from me to Frank, who stood just behind me. We’d used our sleuthing capabilities (and Marianne’s role as first-period office aide) to deduce that Jason helped out in the library during our lunch break.
    We figured it was the safest place to ask him what the heck?? Surely he wouldn’t want to make a scene in such a quiet place, with a bunch of students and the real librarian around.
    He scanned the book’s bar code and sneered at us. “Fancy meeting you two here,” he said. “Student ID?”
    I handed mine over, and he scanned it. I’d just been trying to make a point with the book, but it looked like I was checking it out now.
    Jason pushed the book at me, looking up at us with an unimpressed expression. “Did you two have fun last night?”
    I glared at him. I couldn’t believe he was being so open about this. “Of course we didn’t.”
    Jason shrugged. “Well, maybe next time you’ll take my invitation seriously.”
    â€œWe took everything you said seriously,” Frank said, eyebrows raised with meaning. “Though it’s a lot easier to see your face now.”
    Jason looked at Frank like he’d lost his mind. “You couldn’t see my face in the parking lot?” he asked.
    â€œUh, no ,” I said, surprised that he’d admitted it so quickly. “There was the small matter of the bag on my head.”
    â€œWhat are you talking about?” Jason asked. “You had a bag on your head in the school parking lot yesterday?”
    Iglanced at Frank, confused, then turned back to Jason. “What are you talking about?” I asked.
    Jason frowned now. “I’m talking about when I made a point to track you down yesterday and invite you to meet us for pizza,” he said very slowly, like he was talking to a small child. “Then you never showed up.”
    I stared at him. “Wait, you mean . . . you guys really went to Paco’s?”
    Jason glared at me. “ Of course we did,” he said. “Did you think it was tentative or something? Did you get a better offer?”
    â€œNo, we showed up!” Frank said defensively.
    Jason scowled at him. “When?” he demanded. “I was there the whole time, and we were right by the door. It’s not that big of a place.”
    â€œHow long were you there?” I asked.
    Jason shrugged. “A couple hours. We had a good