Diving Off the Edge Read online

  CHAPTER 7

  SOMETHING NEW

  Sputtering for air, Riley came up to the water’s surface. All the other guys crowded around him, laughing. “Blake had to push him in,” one of them said.

  Riley felt his face turn hot. He swam toward the edge of the lake.

  Blake jumped off the cliff and landed in the water nearby. When he popped his head out of the water, he was laughing.

  “Where are you going, Riley?” Blake asked. “I know you’re not jumping again, since you needed a push to jump in the first place.” He swam toward Riley, smiling.

  “Don’t talk to me,” Riley said angrily. “I’m going home.”

  Blake looked surprised. “Why?” he asked. “I was just having a little fun.”

  “Well, it wasn’t fun,” Riley said. “Seriously. I could have been hurt, or worse. You can’t just push people in like that!” he yelled.

  Riley looked over Blake’s shoulder. The older guys were watching them, laughing.

  “Come on, Blake,” one of them yelled. “We’re going up to the cliff again. Let your little friend go home and cry to his mommy.”

  Blake looked at Riley for a second. Then he turned around and swam back toward the older guys.

  * * *

  Riley and Blake didn’t talk for the rest of the weekend. On Monday morning, they avoided each other in gym class. Riley didn’t bother trying to talk to Blake.

  After school that day, Riley found himself in a line of people signing up for the swim team.

  Mr. Casey smiled when he saw Riley in the line. “It’s great to see you here, Riley,” Mr. Casey said. “What made you change your mind?”

  Riley looked down at the ground. “Let’s just say I wanted to try something new,” he said quietly.

  Mr. Casey nodded. “Well, whatever got you here,” he said, “I’m glad to see you. You’re going to have fun. Where’s your buddy Blake? I was hoping he’d join the team too.”

  Riley took a deep breath. Then he said, “I don’t know what he’s up to today. We’ve kind of gone in different directions.”

  “Fair enough,” Mr. Casey said. “I’m glad you’re here. Let’s head to practice.”

  CHAPTER 8

  THE FIRST MEET

  It didn’t take long for Riley to make some friends on the swim team. And it didn’t take long for him to see why Mr. Casey was so excited to have him there. Before long, Riley loved the swim team.

  There were a lot of very good swimmers on the team. When they worked on special strokes, like the breaststroke, backstroke, or butterfly, Riley was amazed at how good some of the other swimmers were.

  When they worked on the freestyle, Riley could see there were two big holes on the team. There were several guys who could swim the middle distances well. Those were the 100-yard and 200-yard races.

  The problem was, there wasn’t a great sprinter on the team for the 50-yard races. And most of the swimmers got tired before they finished the 400-yard races. The team needed a sprinter and a long-distance swimmer.

  Riley decided he wanted to become the long-distance swimmer on the team. It took him some time in practice to work up to the 400-yard distance, but soon, no one could beat him. At the last practice before the first meet of the season, Riley won the 400-yard race by almost a full length of the pool.

  “Now you see why I wanted you on the team,” Mr. Casey said after practice. “You were exactly what we needed. It’s just too bad we couldn’t convince Blake to join the team. We need a sprinter, too. Do you think he’d change his mind now that you’re on the team?”

  “I don’t talk to him much,” Riley said.

  * * *

  The first swim meet was at another school on the other side of town. Riley felt nervous. The 400-yard race was one of the last events at the meet. The longer he waited, the more nervous he felt.

  He watched the other swimmers in their events. His team was doing really well, but the meet was close — Riley knew he had to do well so that his team had a chance to win.

  Before the 400-yard race began, Riley shook his legs out to keep his muscles loose. He stretched and re-stretched. Finally, it was time to step up on the blocks.

  All the other swimmers on the team cheered as Riley got into position in the blocks. He smiled and waved at his team.

  I can’t let them down, he thought.

  When the horn sounded, Riley pushed himself off of the blocks and flew toward the water. His body hit the pool, and he felt all of his nervousness wash away. He was where he belonged.

  Riley knew what he had to do to win the race. Just like in gym class, he started out slowly. He didn’t pay attention to the other swimmers. He just got comfortable in the water.

  His stroke was long and smooth. His legs pumped evenly. He felt strong as he pushed through the water. Soon, he sped up.

  After the first four lengths of the race, Riley was in third place. He was only about a half-length behind the leader. As the race wore on, he sped up more and more. He concentrated on keeping his stroke long and smooth.

  With four lengths to go, Riley was in second place. He moved closer to the leader of the race. He knew it was time to really speed up.

  Riley kicked harder. He sped up his stroke slightly. But the swimmer in first place was an experienced swimmer. Every time Riley sped up, the other swimmer sped up too. No matter what, Riley stayed in second place.

  When there were two lengths of the pool left, Riley decided he couldn’t wait any longer. He used all of his strength. He caught up to the other swimmer by the final turn. When he pushed off the wall for the last length, he was slightly ahead.

  Riley and the other swimmer raced to the touch pad at the end of the race. But Riley got there first.

  He popped out of the water and took a deep breath. He had won his first race!

  “Wooo!” his teammates called. “Great race!”

  Mr. Casey grabbed Riley’s hand and helped him out of the pool. Then the rest of the team came over to congratulate him.

  For the first time, Riley was the center of attention. He was a winner.

  CHAPTER 9

  BACK TO THE LAKE

  On the team bus back to their own school, Mr. Casey stood in front of the bus.

  “That was a great meet,” he said. “We still have a lot to work on, but we did really well. I’m proud that we won our first meet of the season, and you guys should be proud too.”

  The boys on the bus cheered and clapped. Riley smiled.

  “On Saturday, we’re going to have a team cookout,” Mr. Casey continued. “It will be a good chance to just hang out and have a good time as a team. I’ll pass out permission slips for you to take home to your parents.”

  “Where’s the party going to be?” someone asked.

  “It’s going to be at Lake Owens,” Mr. Casey said.

  Riley felt sick to his stomach. If the cookout was Saturday at Lake Owens, that meant that Blake and his new friends might be there.

  Riley tried to tell himself that it wouldn’t matter. He’s not going to be hanging around us, Riley thought. We’ll be by the picnic area, and he’ll be over by the cliff. No big deal. He won’t even know we’re there.

  Still, he couldn’t stop feeling worried.

  * * *

  On Saturday morning, Riley was still nervous. He had been avoiding Blake for several weeks, even in the one class they shared. The last thing he wanted to do was run into him, especially at Lake Owens.

  All of the swim team members arrived at the lake around lunchtime. There was no one else at the picnic area. Riley relaxed a little. He ate a hamburger and played Frisbee with some of his new friends.

  After about half an hour, a group of guys walked past the picnic area. Riley recognized them right away. It was Blake and his new friends. They were heading toward the cliffs, carrying towels and a cooler.

  Riley tried to look away, but Blake spotted him. Blake stopped walking and looked at Riley.

  “Look, it’s that weird gu
y you used to be friends with,” one of Blake’s friends said.

  Blake laughed. “Yeah, used to be,” he said. He looked at Riley. “So, what are you, some kind of dumb jock now?” Blake yelled, loud enough for everyone to hear.

  Riley didn’t say a word. He felt his face turn hot.

  “Having fun with the dumb jocks?” Blake continued. His friends laughed. “I didn’t know dumb jocks had picnics,” he added.

  Riley turned away. He thought of a million things he could say, but he didn’t say them.

  After a minute, Blake and his friends continued walking toward the cliff, laughing and talking loudly.

  Riley tried to forget they were there. But every once in a while that afternoon, he’d look up at them on the cliff. Sometimes he’d look just in time to see Blake jump into the water.

  It seemed like Blake was trying new stunts as he jumped. Once, Riley saw Blake jump backward off the cliff. His friends all cheered.

  Mr. Casey walked up to Riley. “I see why you don’t spend much time with Blake anymore,” the coach said. “Someone who acts like that isn’t a friend. You should be proud of yourself for knowing you didn’t have to hang around him.”

  “Thanks,” Riley muttered. But he wasn’t so sure he believed his coach.

  He looked at the cliff. Blake was leaping off the cliff. His friends, waiting in the water, cheered.

  Riley gasped. Blake was diving, headfirst, into the lake.

  CHAPTER 10

  RESCUE

  Blake hit the water. One of his friends screamed.

  Riley stepped past Mr. Casey to try to get a better look. He couldn’t tell what was going on, but he could tell from all the splashing that something was wrong.

  There was no time to waste. Riley tore off his shirt and ran down the beach toward the water. He dove in.

  A few of the other swimmers on Riley’s team had seen Blake’s dive too. Some people ran down the beach toward the cliff. But Riley knew the fastest way to get to Blake would be to swim.

  Even though he was panicking, Riley kept his swimmer’s stroke long and smooth. His legs kicked evenly. He moved quickly in Blake’s direction.

  Riley’s steady pace helped him cover the distance very quickly. Finally, he reached Blake.

  Riley swam up to Blake and eased him out of the grip of two of the older guys. “I’ve got him,” he said.

  Blake’s eyes were closed. But Riley could feel Blake’s heart beating, and he was breathing.

  He was tired from the long swim, but Riley was still able to tug Blake back to shore. There, he gently rested Blake on the sand.

  Blake moaned in pain. His right arm looked twisted. Riley saw that there was a big bump on the right side of Blake’s head. The bump was bleeding.

  Blake blinked and slowly moved his arms and legs. Riley smiled. That meant Blake wasn’t paralyzed.

  Soon the other swim team members arrived. Mr. Casey was with them. “I called 911,” he said. “There’s an ambulance on its way.”

  When Blake was loaded into the ambulance, Riley jumped in. A paramedic stopped him.

  “You can’t ride with us,” the paramedic said. “But don’t worry, it looks like your friend is going to be fine. He just hurt his shoulder. We’re just taking him in to be sure, but it looks like he was really lucky.”

  Riley looked down at Blake. “You’re going to be okay,” Riley said.

  “Thanks, dude,” Blake said. “I guess you’re not a dumb jock after all. Your swimming really helped me out. Thanks.”

  Riley smiled. “If you’d joined the swim team too, this never would have happened,” he said.

  Blake smiled back. Then he said, “Maybe it’s not too late.”

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Bob Temple lives in Rosemount, Minnesota, with his wife and three children. He has written more than thirty books for children. Over the years, he has coached more than twenty kids’ soccer, basketball, and baseball teams. He also loves visiting classrooms to talk about his writing.

  ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR

  When Sean Tiffany was growing up, he lived on a small island off the coast of Maine. Every day, from sixth grade until he graduated from high school, he had to take a boat to get to school. When Sean isn’t working on his art, he works on a multimedia project called “OilCan Drive,” which combines music and art. He has a pet cactus named Jim.

  GLOSSARY

  cautious (KAW-shuhss)—if you are cautious, you try to avoid mistakes or danger

  courage (KUR-ij)—bravery or fearlessness

  dangerous (DAYN-jur-uhss)—not safe

  energy (EN-ur-jee)—strength to do things

  freestyle (FREE-stile)—in swimming, any front stroke

  jock (JOK)—a slang term for an athlete

  pace (PAYSS)—rate of speed. If you are told to pace yourself, you are being told to keep a steady rate of speed and not use all of your energy right away.

  paramedic (pa-ruh-MED-ik)—an emergency medical worker

  rhythm (RITH-uhm)—a regular beat

  sprint (SPRINT)—a fast race over a short distance

  stroke (STROHK)—a method of moving in swimming

  WATER SAFETY RULES

  Always remember to SWIM SAFE.

  Sharpen your skills. Take lessons and get comfortable in the water.

  Watch the weather. Before you go swimming, check the weather forecast. Stop swimming in bad weather.

  Investigate the area. Look around for potential dangers, like currents, deep and shallow areas, and rocks. Always be aware of your surroundings.

  Monitor yourself. Are you too hot? Find some shade, reapply sunscreen, and drink some water. Are you too cold? Get out of the water and dry off. Are you too tired? Take a break from swimming and have a snack.

  Stay in supervised areas. Only swim in areas that have a lifeguard on duty.

  Always buddy-up. Never swim alone!

  Follow the rules. Read all posted signs and obey the lifeguards.

  Enter the water feet first. Only get in head first when the area is clearly marked for diving.

  Although the beach and the pool are places to relax, they can also be dangerous. It’s important to know basic water safety rules. Swim safe!

  DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

  When Mr. Casey first asks Blake and Riley to join the swim team, does Riley want to join? Explain your answer.

  Why did Blake push Riley off the cliff at Lake Owens?

  Riley doesn’t like sports, but he likes swimming. What are some other ways that people can stay active, even if they don’t want to join a sports team?

  WRITING PROMPTS

  Have you ever had an argument with a close friend? What happened? How did you resolve the problem? Write about it.

  Riley decides to join the swim team even though Blake doesn’t. Write about a time when you did something that your friends didn’t think was cool.

  At the end of this book, Blake has to go to the hospital. What do you think happens next? Write a story that begins when this book ends.

  OTHER BOOKS BY JAKE MADDOX

  Joe spends too much time trying to wow the crowd, and not enough time helping the team. At tryouts for the freshman team, Joe is quickly cut. He needs to stop fooling around and prove he has what it takes to stay in the game.

  Juan can’t catch, he can’t throw, and one of the members of the football team hasn’t been making it easy for Juan to feel at home. Can the ex-track star learn his new sport in time for the biggest game of the season?

  INTERNET SITES

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  Jake Maddox Books are published by Stone Arch Books,

  A Capstone Imprint

  1710 Roe Crest Drive

  North Mankato, Minnesota 56003

  www.capstonepub.com

  Copyright © 2009 by Stone Arch Books

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher.

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Maddox, Jake.

  Diving off the Edge / by Jake Maddox; illustrated by Sean Tiffany.

  p. cm. — (Impact Books. A Jake Maddox Sports Story)

  ISBN 978-1-4342-1205-4 (library binding)

  ISBN 978-1-4342-1398-3 (pbk.)

  ISBN 978-1-4342-8876-9 (ebook)

  [1. Swimming—Fiction. 2. Best friends—Fiction. 3. Friendship—Fiction.] I. Tiffany, Sean, ill. II. Title.

  PZ7.M25643Di 2009

  [Fic]—dc22

  2008031954

  Summary:

  Riley and Blake have been best friends forever, even though Blake is a daredevil and teases Riley. That all ends when Blake finds a new group of friends. Riley joins the swim team and soon finds he doesn’t need Blake’s friendship to get by. But when Blake tries a crazy stunt at the lake one day, can Riley put the past aside and save his former friend?