By+Lori+Anastasia

"There's a new kid in our class，" I told my friend Aidan as we hung up our coats at the back of the classroom.

"How do you know？" Aidan asked.

"He moved in next door to me，" I said， sitting down at my desk. "Mom and I took muffins1） over yesterday."

"Class， please welcome Brady Walker，" Ms. Simpson said. My new neighbor stood beside her.

"Brady， tell the class something about yourself，" Ms. Simpson said.

"I'm from California，" said Brady. "I have a dog that eats all my stuff."

Everyone giggled2）. His dog sounds just like mine， I thought.

"I like baseball and basketball. And I take dance class."

"Dance class，" Aidan yelled. "That's for girls！"

The whole class laughed. Brady's face turned bright red.

"That's enough，" Ms. Simpson said.

At lunch， Brady walked over to an empty seat at my table. "Hi， Emilio，" Brady said to me. "Thanks again for those awesome3） muffins. Can I sit here？"

I was about to say yes， but Jordan put his foot on the chair. "This seat is taken，" he said. "Sit with the girls."

Aidan laughed.

Brady walked away and sat by himself.

That afternoon， Brady sat by himself on the bus. I felt bad for him. I thought about sitting with him， but I didn't want to get picked on4）. I remembered how everyone teased5） me when I knit a scarf for Ms. Simpson. I didn't like being teased， so I gave up knitting. But what would have happened if I'd stood up for6） myself？

When I got home， I made a peanut butter and pickle7） sandwich. My dog， Gus， was barking by the living-room window. I walked over to see why. Brady was shooting baskets in his driveway8）. He was really good！ I went back into the kitchen to get my sandwich， but it was gone. Gus stood by the counter9） with a tiny pickle hanging from his mouth.

The next day， we had gym with Coach Kelley.

"Today we're playing basketball，" Coach Kelley announced. "Emilio and Natalie will be captains10）. Emilio， you pick first."

I looked around the room and noticed Brady. It felt like giant robots were wrestling inside my stomach. I didn't want to get laughed at. But I knew what I had to do.

"I choose Brady，" I said.

"What？" Aidan yelled. "He can't play basketball."

A giant smile spread across Brady's face. He ran up and stood beside me. "Why did you pick me？" he asked.

"I wasn't a good friend yesterday，" I said. "Plus， I know you're good at basketball."endprint

We started playing. Brady made 10 baskets and stole the ball from Aidan four times.

"Wow，" Aidan said to Brady. "Where did you learn those moves？"

Brady smiled. "Ballet class."

Aidan looked at me， then at Brady. "Could you teach me？"

Brady， Aidan， and I started hanging out together all the time after that. Usually， we were in Brady's driveway， practicing our basketball ballet.

“我們班要來一位新同學(xué)?！蔽液团笥寻ぐ淹馓讙煸诮淌液竺娴臅r(shí)候，我告訴他。

“你怎么知道呢？”艾丹問我。

“他剛搬到我家隔壁?！蔽疫吇卮疬呍谧约旱淖簧献讼聛怼！拔液蛬寢屪蛱旖o他們送了一些松餅?！?/p>

“同學(xué)們，請(qǐng)大家歡迎布雷迪·沃克。”辛普森女士宣布道。我的新鄰居就站在她的身旁。

“布雷迪，向同學(xué)們介紹一下你自己吧。”辛普森女士說。

“我來自加利福尼亞，”布雷迪說，“我有一條狗，它會(huì)啃咬我所有的東西?！?/p>

大家都咯咯地笑了。他的那條狗聽起來跟我的差不多，我心想。

“我喜歡打棒球和籃球。我還上舞蹈課?！?/p>

“舞蹈課，”艾丹大喊道，“那可是女生才會(huì)上的?。　?/p>

全班同學(xué)都大笑起來，布雷迪的臉變得通紅。

“好了好了?！毙疗丈空f。

午飯時(shí)，布雷迪走到我坐的那張餐桌的一個(gè)空位旁。“嗨，埃米利奧，”布雷迪向我打了聲招呼，“再次感謝你們送來的那些美味松餅。我可以坐在這里嗎？”

我正準(zhǔn)備說“可以”，可喬丹卻把一只腳放在了那個(gè)座位上?！斑@個(gè)座位已經(jīng)有人了，”他說，“去跟女生們坐一起吧?！?/p>

艾丹哈哈大笑。

布雷迪走到一旁，自己一個(gè)人坐著。

那天下午在校車上，布雷迪也是一個(gè)人坐著。我為他感到難過。我想過要跟他坐在一起，可又不想被別人捉弄。我曾給辛普森女士織過一條圍巾，我記得當(dāng)時(shí)自己被大家取笑得有多慘。因?yàn)橛憛挶蝗巳⌒?，我就再?zèng)]織過東西?？墒牵绻耶?dāng)時(shí)為自己辯解了，又會(huì)怎樣呢？

回到家后，我做了一個(gè)花生醬加泡菜三明治。我的狗——格斯——在客廳的窗戶前汪汪叫著。我走了過去，想要看看它為什么叫。原來，布雷迪正在他家的車道上投籃呢。他投得可真好！我走回廚房去拿三明治，可它卻不翼而飛了。格斯站在流理臺(tái)旁，嘴上還掛著一小片泡菜。

第二天，我們有凱利教練的體育課。

“今天我們要打籃球，”凱利教練宣布，“由埃米利奧和納塔莉擔(dān)任隊(duì)長。埃米利奧，你先來挑選隊(duì)員吧。”

我環(huán)顧了一下體育館，注意到了布雷迪，感覺像是有幾個(gè)巨大的機(jī)器人在我肚子里面搏斗一樣。我不想被別人嘲笑。不過，我知道我該怎么做。

“我選布雷迪?！蔽艺f。

“什么？”艾丹大叫道，“他不會(huì)打籃球啊?！?/p>

布雷迪的臉上綻放出了燦爛的笑容。他跑上前來，站到了我身旁?！澳銥槭裁催x我？”他問道。

“昨天我沒有做到一個(gè)好朋友應(yīng)該做的，”我說，“而且我知道你籃球打得不錯(cuò)?！?/p>

我們開始比賽了。布雷迪投籃中了十次，還從艾丹那里斷球四次。

“哇，”艾丹問布雷迪，“那些動(dòng)作你都是從哪里學(xué)的呀？”

布雷迪笑了笑?！鞍爬傥璧刚n啊?！?/p>

艾丹看了看我，接著看了看布雷迪?！澳憧梢越涛覇幔俊?/p>

從那以后，布雷迪、艾丹和我總是一起出去玩兒。通常我們會(huì)在布雷迪家的車道上練習(xí)我們的籃球舞步。

1. muffin [?m?f?n] n. 松餅

2. giggle [?ɡ?ɡl] vi. 咯咯地笑

3. awesome [???s?m] adj. <主美口>頂呱呱的

4. pick on： <口>作弄

5. tease [ti?z] vt. 取笑；戲弄

6. stand up for： 維護(hù)，保衛(wèi)

7. pickle [?p?kl] n. 腌菜，泡菜

8. driveway [?dra?vwe?] n. 私人車道

9. counter [?ka?nt?（r）] n. （= countertop） （廚房的）工作臺(tái)面，也就是我們常說的流理臺(tái)。

10. captain [?k?pt?n] n. （運(yùn)動(dòng)隊(duì)的）隊(duì)長

譯 / 趙越endprint