Long Shot Read Online Free PDF Page A

away.
    â€œPhew,” said Roddy. “Now we can all get back to normal.”
    But Roddy spoke too soon because the very next day, when Jimmy went to the wardrobe, his sock was missing. And his football boots had gone, too!

4. Yellow Card
    Jimmy glared wildly at his three roommates. “One of you has hidden my boots to wind me up!” he shouted. “Where are they?”
    â€œNone of us wants to wind you up,” said Roddy. “You go off like a rocket as it is!”
    â€œAnd I’m sorry I suggested the wardrobe for your sock, OK?” said Geno. “I didn’t know you were going to put it in your
football
boot. You know we’re supposed to keep our boots downstairs.”
    â€œDon’t worry,” said Roddy. “They’ll be somewhere. In fact, I bet Mr Clutterbuck has taken them. One of the cleaners probably told him.”
    â€œBut they were in my wardrobe,” protestedJimmy. “How would anyone know the boots were there?”
    â€œYou’ve been tracking mud up the stairs and into our room for days,” Geno pointed out. “It’s like you were laying a trail for the cleaners.”
    â€œLet’s go and see Mr Clutterbuck,” said Roddy. “I’m sure he’ll give you the sock back. After all, it’s only boots that are supposed to be kept downstairs.”
    â€œNo, it’s all right,” said Jimmy. “It’s my problem. I’ll go on my own.”
    A few minutes later, Jimmy returned looking very sheepish.
    â€œWell?” said Marek.
    â€œI got the sock,” said Jimmy. “But Mr Clutterbuck gave me a lecture about leaving mud everywhere. He said he wouldn’t give me a yellow card this time, though.”
    â€œThank goodness!” said Roddy.
    â€œBut he will if I do it again,” Jimmy added. He pulled the sock out of his pocket and put it back under his pillow. No one said anything, but Roddy sincerely hoped that the sock wouldn’t go walkabout again.

    For a few days, they all kept half an eye on Jimmy and his sock, but there were no more dramas. It was just as well, because there was a lot going on.
    Roddy was trying hard to perform well in training so that he would be sure of a place in the first team. Stadium School played against some of the best youth sides in the country, and it would be a huge honour to get picked. The only problem was, he would be competing against everyone in the year.
    It was a different story within Charlton House, because there weren’t so many students to choose from.
    Roddy and Keira soon started to create a really useful footballing partnership. They were developing an understanding on the pitch that would hopefully pay dividends in the House Cup. In a surprisingly even friendly, between the Charlton first and second years, they combined to devastating effect, scoring a goal each and setting up another two for Geno. David was extremely impressed, and told them so after the game.
    â€œIt’s great to see the two of you working together and not trying to win the game on your own. You don’t always have to play the Hollywood pass. Sometimes it’s best to just lay it off to a team-mate. The two of you have done well to pick that up so young.”
    As he showered, Roddy couldn’t help feeling a glow of pride. If the head of Charlton House was impressed, it was surely a good sign for his chances next term for the first team!
    Things weren’t going quite so well in the classroom. Roddy was trying his best, but he was never going to be a high flyer as far as schoolwork went. And for no reason that he could understand, their science teacher seemed to have taken a disliking to him.
    â€œAre you a follower of modern art, Jones?” said Mr Mustard, before he gave back their exercise books.
    â€œMe?” said Roddy. “No, I don’t think so.”
    â€œYou don’t think so,” repeated the teacher. “Don’t you