Red Witch: Book Two of the Wizard Born Series Read Online Free PDF Page A

little higher, you might be eligible for some kind of academic scholarship. That’s what I’m shooting for.”
    “Yeah, well you’re a lot closer than I am to getting that.”
    “If you didn’t spend so much time practicing basketball, you’d make better grades.”
    Jamie smirked. “You’re assuming he’d study if he wasn’t shooting baskets.”
    Rollie lowered his eyebrows. “Hey, I’ve been studying harder, for your information. I studied with Tanisha all afternoon on Sunday.”
    “I bet you studied. Studied, Tanisha, I’m sure. Studied her legs, studied her lips, studied her —”
    “Stop!” Fred said. “At least he’s trying.”
    Rollie rolled his window half-way down and took a deep breath of the fresh morning air. “If my GPA slips even a little bit, my mom’s gonna make me quit basketball. Might ground me from dating, too.”
    “We’ll help you study, Rollie.” Fred nudged Jamie. “About this talent show.”
    “Yeah, sorry. It’s in about three or four weeks, so I thought we’d enter. We could own it, don’t you think?”
    Fred nodded. “We’ve done a ton of shows, that’s for sure. We’re almost pros.” She patted her chest with one hand. “I’ll do it.”
    “I’m in,” Rollie added. “For fifty grand, heck yeah.”
    “I’m not going to try to win,” Jamie said. “I don’t need the money for college, but I think it would be a cool show to do.”
    “Cooler than the doin’ old folks’ homes,” Rollie said.
    Fred put her makeup back in her purse and arched an eyebrow. “Maybe the best show yet.”
    * * *
    Jamie and Bryce were already dressed out and ready to run when their coach called them into his office. The room was small, with cluttered shelves lining the walls and a small wooden desk. “Have a seat, boys,” the coach said as he closed the door behind them. He sat in his chair, leaned both elbows on his desk and steepled his fingers. “Do you have any idea why I called you in here?”
    They shook their heads as they sat and he said, “It’s about Spencer. His dad called me last night and reamed — me — out .” He gave his head a shake with each of the last three words. “He’s pretty upset because he thinks you guys are picking on his son. Says you’re running him ragged. Any truth to that?”
    Jamie glanced at Bryce and looked back at his coach. “Not really. We’re all running the same workout. We’re not asking him to do anything we’re not doing.”
    “But whose workouts are you running? Mine? Or your own?”
    The room was silent for a long moment before Bryce said, “Actually, we’re running some of Manny’s.”
    The coach crossed his arms and gave them a level look. “You changed the workouts without talking to me first?”
    They looked at their laps and mumbled, “Yes sir,” in unison.
    “Are these Manny’s workouts from last year?”
    “No sir,” Jamie said. “They’re from his college coach.”
    “Where did you get them?”
    “Manny sent them to me. We stay in touch….mostly e-mail and text.”
    The coach drummed the fingers of one hand on his desk. “And how are you doing in these workouts?”
    “Pretty good, actually,” Bryce said, his face brightening slightly. “They’re hard, but not that much harder. We’re getting close to the times we’re supposed to be hitting.” He held one hand up, thumb and forefinger an inch apart.
    “We’re sorry, Coach,” Jamie said. “We didn’t mean to go behind your back, but it’s just that we really wanna do good this year.”
    The coach leaned back in his chair, put his hands behind his head, and took a long breath through his nose. “Good. That’s why I made you captains.” He leaned forward and shook one finger at them. “But next time, clear the workouts with me, understand?” Both boys nodded and he continued, “I don’t want you overtraining.” He stood and walked to the door. “Run my workout today. From now on, forward me any workouts Manny sends you so I can