Triple Threat Read Online Free PDF Page A

same time,” I said.
    â€œTwo weeks from now we’ll all be not working for three weeks in a row when we’re on holidays.”
    I was looking forward to us all being on holidays, but it would be hard not to have Kia around.
    We climbed into the car.
    â€œSo will you at least give us a hint as to why we’re going to the mall?” I asked. I didn’t like surprises. I didn’t like not knowing. It made me nervous.
    â€œNo hints. We’ll be there in a few minutes.”
    My dad not giving a hint made me even more uneasy.
    Before long we pulled into the mall parking lot. It seemed to be more crowded than usual. There were no spots up close except for the handicapped spaces. We cruised slowly down the lane until we finally found a few open spots at the very end of the lot.
    â€œSeems like we’re not the only ones here tonight,” Kia said.
    â€œMust be some sort of sale or something,” I said.
    â€œMaybe,” my father agreed. “Then again, they could be here for the same reason as us.”
    â€œAnd that reason is?” I asked.
    My father closed his car door and crooked his finger. “Come on.”
    There was a crowd of kids at the front doors—a whole pack of them off to the side, smoking. Smoking had to be the stupidest thing I could think of—I wondered if those three jerks from the rec center smoked. They seemed like the sort of people who would.
    Kia made a loud fake coughing sound and gave the smokers a dirty look as we passed by, and they gave us a dirty look in return. She always did that.She hated smoking as much as I did and didn’t think it was fair that she had to inhale their stinky fumes. I was glad my father was with us in case they wanted to give us more than just a dirty look.
    Inside, the mall was as crowded as the parking lot. People were milling around everywhere and there was loud music coming out of the overhead PA system. We threaded our way through the people until we reached the food court in the center of the mall. The tables had all been pushed back to the side and there was a stage set up. In front of the stage, a whole mass of people had gathered.
    â€œWhy don’t you two work your way up to the stage, and I’ll be right over there,” my father said, pointing at the escalator.
    â€œI still want to know what we—”
    â€œLook! Look!” Kia exclaimed. “Look at the stage!”
    The stage was empty except for some sound equipment and a microphone and … there was a big sign stretched above the stage. It read THE JYD PROJECT in gigantic white letters on an orange banner.
    â€œJYD…like Junk Yard Dog … like Jerome Williams?” I gasped.
    â€œThe one and only,” my father said.
    â€œHe’s like one of my favorite players in the whole world!” I exclaimed.
    â€œI know that. That’s why I brought you here,” my father said. “He’s going to be here.”
    â€œThank you so much … This is going to be fantastic!” I exclaimed.
    â€œHow did you know he was going to be here?” Kia asked.
    â€œI heard about it on the radio,” my dad answered. “Junk Yard Dog, along with his brother Johnnie and a motivational rapper—I think his name is Q some-thing—have created a special project. They go out to hundreds of schools to speak to kids.”
    â€œThis is a mall,” I said, pointing out the obvious.
    â€œThey go out wherever there are people, young and old, to hear their message.”
    â€œYou know a lot about them,” Kia said to my father.
    â€œI checked out their website— www.JYDproject.org —after I heard they were coming to town and were going to be here today. You two should go up closer to where the action is going to take place. I’ll be right over here.”
    Kia and I started snaking forward through the crowd. It was pretty full, but there was enough space for us to move forward until we