Read Bluefish for Free Online Page A

kind of scared of her. I've never talked to her."
    "Never?"
    "Well, sometimes when we're in a group or something, but that's all. I think of her as having a sword in her mouth that she whips out and chops you up with before you can even figure out what's going on. So really, you're not going out?
    You're just friends?"
    "We're not going out." Travis said it harder, with an edge.
    "How did you get to be friends? I've never been friends with a girl."
    They cut between the buildings to Main Street.
    Bradley either didn't notice that Travis was edgy or he didn't care. He kept right on like they were buddies, like they talked about girls and friends all the time.
    "I turn here," he said when they got to Water Street.
    "See you tomorrow?"
    No smoking guys on the picnic table, so Travis leaned on the bridge railing and watched Bradley walk along Water Street. He'd really been dumb enough to think Velveeta might be his friend. That lasted just long enough to hurt when it was gone. Now he was down to nothing, unless you counted Bradley.
    Travis half wished the picnic- table guys would come up behind him. Wished they'd start something, and then he could blow loose all over them and whatever happened, it wouldn't be his fault.
    The next morning, Travis turned from his locker between first and second bell and slammed into Chad Cormick.
    "Watch it, Roberts," said Cormick.
    Travis's breath stopped in his throat. Cormick shifted in front of him, blocking his way. Travis's shoulders crawled up around his neck, and his hands twitched toward fists.
    "How's your hoop?" Cormick asked.
    "My what?"
    Cormick balanced an imaginary basketball overhead with his right hand, bent his knees, and delivered the ball, jumping high and flicking his wrist. He watched his shot, his hand still hanging in the air, and then shook his head.
    "Air ball." He turned to Travis. "Hoop. Do you?"
    "Not really." Travis's heart still hammered, but his back relaxed and his shoulders eased down.
    "Time to start," said Chad. "This school has a height problem, did you notice?
    We went one and nine last year.
    We practice in the gym at lunch. You and me and the shorties - maybe we can go at least fifty- fifty."
    "I suck." Travis moved to go around Cormick.
    "Tall suck beats short suck." Cormick sidestepped in front of him. "Maybe you need a little practice."
    Just as Travis started to feel crowded, Cormick hopped back, grinning, and dribbled his air ball on the floor between them, practically begging Travis to reach out and make the steal. When he didn't move, Chad juked left and ran down the hall, still dribbling.
    Travis moved along on the wave of kids to first period.
    Relief rivered down his neck and through his shoulders. A fight in the hallway said bluefish almost as clear as tripping over every word when you read out loud. He sat in front of Velveeta's empty seat. She came in the door just as the last bell rang.
    "I see Chad tried to seduce you with his basketball dreams," she said as she slid into her chair.
    Travis turned, surprised she was talking to him. She grinned and wiggled her eyebrows.
    "Velveeta sees all. He asked me yesterday if you played, so I knew he'd be on you about it. You're the only guy in the class taller than him."
    "Tall doesn't mean good."
    "We need some tall here. Have you noticed how short all the guys are?" she said. "It's something in the water.
    Just watch: Cormick only drinks bottled. So you're not going to start basket balling at lunch?"
    "No, I don't like basketball."
    "I like you more all the time. I know you were pining for me at lunch yesterday, so today I will once again grace you with my Velveetic presence."
    She flipped her scarf dramatically over her face and batted her eyelashes at him. He faced front quickly so she wouldn't see the big smile breaking across his face.
    "Okay, settle down," called Ms. Gordon. "Tomorrow, we're going to take the whole class period to work on your projects, so make sure you have everything you need for