Disruption Read Online Free PDF Page B

said.
    “Team Arctic Fox will be led by . . .” Mr. Smith paused to consult his clipboard and then looked up. “Alexander Bratersky.”
    Alexander Bratersky was the meanest-looking kid I’d seen so far. Way meaner than Chase. At best, he was sixteen, but I’d have bet he was actually only fifteen or maybe even fourteen. He had close-cropped blond hair and tattoos that crawled up his arms and disappeared under the sleeves of his dark T-shirt, only to reappear at his neck. Even though his sunglasses hid his eyes, his gaze felt ice-cold, or perhaps his presence cooled the area. Either way, I suddenly wished I had a sweater.
    “One more,” Rylee whispered. “C’mon, c’mon . . .” She bit her lip and rubbed her hands together. I looked up at the sky and silently prayed that I’d misunderstood what Dalson had said in the parking lot. I didn’t want to be a captain. I just wanted to survive this stupid camp and go home.
    “Delta for Team Grizzly will be . . .”
    Rylee’s hands clenched and opened, then clenched and opened again while Mr. Dalson checked the clipboard. At least a dozen other kids that I could see were acting similarly nervous. My stomach did one final flip as Mr. Smith announced the last name.
    “Matthew Cambridge.”
     
     

Chapter 7
     
     
    I don’t think Rylee breathed as I moved forward. I glanced back once as I stepped out of the crowd, and her eyes were like giant orbs staring back above a gaping mouth. I did my best to seem confident as I made my way up to the platform.
    I positioned myself beside Alexander Bratersky. He’d seemed large from a distance, but up close, he wasn’t much taller than me, an inch or two tops. I quickly realized it was his stance that made him seem bigger. He stood with a rigid posture except for a slight tilt of his head. It made him look like he wasn’t standing at his full height, even though he was. I wondered if that was something he did consciously. I took a mental snapshot. It might come in handy back in my real life.
    Chase was at the other end of the line and looked as though someone had just forced gym socks into his mouth, which was about the only silver lining to this whole thing. I wondered if my dad had any idea where he’d sent me. I also wondered what he’d said, or written on my application, that would have made Mr. Smith and Mr. Dalson think I was captain—no, Delta—material. I had a passing thought that this whole thing was some really elaborate joke designed to teach me a lesson, but not even Jason’s dad had the money to make a hoax as elaborate as that happen.
    “Your Deltas,” Mr. Smith announced to the gathering. I half expected cheers, but none came. Mostly, when I looked out over the crowd, I saw a mixture of disinterest, dread, and . . . hostility.
    Dalson took a step forward and clapped his hands together once. “Excellent. Now, Deltas, it’s time to choose your teams. There are five Deltas, and you’ll each pick five teammates. Standard rules apply at this camp. Deltas have discretion on whom to cut from the program.” A visible wave of discomfort passed through the crowd, and Dalson paused as if to accent that piece of information. “But there will be no substitutions, and any major lapses in judgment will result in your immediate dismissal.”
    Alexander Bratersky and Chase Erickson didn’t react to that warning, but the other two Deltas shifted their weight uneasily from one foot to the next. Whatever it was about this place, it seemed no one wanted to get kicked out.
    Mr. Smith rolled his shoulder and drew in a deep breath. “Deltas, when your name is called, you will name your first teammate.” His gaze passed over the line of Deltas like a burning fuse until it landed on me, and I felt like I was about to explode. “Matt Cambridge.”
    I felt sweat pop out on my forehead. I didn’t want to go first. Why did I have to go first? I had no clue what I was doing. What was I building a team for ? My mind suddenly