Kick Read Online Free PDF

through the overcrowded hallways, bumping fists with my friends.
    â€œWhat’s up, Kev?” my friend Rich said as he slapped me five and walked by.
    I don’t know why some people ask what’s up and then don’t stick around for an answer.
    Through the crowd, I thought I heard a voice call, “Kevin, wait up!” I wasn’t sure, as the loud noises of the hallway made it difficult for conversation. I turned around. Calvin Anderson, my best friend, was behind me. He quickly gave me a playful dead arm.
    â€œHey,” I yelled.
    â€œWhen did you get out? Heard some stuff happened.”
    â€œYeah, let’s get out of here first.”
    We walked down the stairs and toward the exit, talking about what had happened at school the day I was gone.
    Some of the really popular kids were hanging around near the front door. I don’t really get popularity, because most kids who are popular are mean, and the rest of the kids don’t even like them.
    We burst out of the door. The fresh air felt good against my face.
    The two of us walked home after school every day.
    â€œWhat happened, man? People are saying a whole bunch of stuff and I don’t know what to believe. You want to tell me about it?”
    I sighed and looked in the other direction.
    â€œOr not,” Cal said as he looked at my expression.
    â€œListen, everyone’s been looking at me weird and I just want to talk about something else, okay?” I said. “It’s not that I don’t want to tell you, I just don’t want to tell you now.”
    â€œI didn’t think you’d steal a car, Kev,” Cal said. “What’s gonna happen to you now?”
    â€œI didn’t really do anything terrible,” I said. “Let’s leave it at that.”
    â€œYeah, okay.”
    Cal hadn’t pushed it, even though I knew he really cared about me. Good.
    â€œYou’re coming to practice tonight, right?”
    â€œYep, I’m looking forward to it. Might help clear my mind and stuff,” I said.
    â€œAll right, I’ll see you later,” he said.
    Our team, the Highland Raiders, had practice four nights a week and a game or a tournament on the weekend. It got cold playing at night later in the season, and the sun was almost down when I got to practice.
    Cal, Shawn, and Ty, who was our center midfielder, were already there, practicing free kicks on Nick, our goalie, while a few of the kids were joking around on the sideline getting their shin guards on. I knew they’d be talking about the first State Cup game, which was going to be held the next week. I hoped they wouldn’t be talking about me.
    Most of the kids on the Highland school team also played on the Highland club team that Coach Hill had formed. Our team chemistry wasn’t spectacular, with friends hanging out with friends more than acting as teammates. Kids would side with their friends in the group if there was a disagreement.
    Coach Hill pulled up in his car, and we helped him carry the equipment to the field. He wasn’t an easy person to like, but he was a good coach. Physically he was tough on us, and mentally he was even tougher. He’d make us run through cones during the winter until we threw up, which I did more than once.
    He was always telling us, “You’re not supposed to like me. I’m your coach. Sure, I want you to do well. Yeah, I care about you, but I don’t want to be friends with you. I have enough friends already.”
    As I was helping him set things up on the field, Coach pulled me aside. “Look, Kevin, I don’t know what you did, or why you did it, but I do know that I’m not going to tolerate that sort of behavior. You’re on thin ice with me, so step lightly. Do I make myself clear?”
    â€œYes, Coach.” That could have been worse, I thought. He didn’t say I couldn’t play.
    Coach blew his whistle and had us gather around. He started