Free All Keyed Up by Matt Christopher, Stephanie Peters, Daniel Vasconcellos

Chapter 1

    H ere! Send it here!” Jerry Dinh called. He pounded down the field, looking for a pass from his fellow striker and Soccer ’Cats
     teammate Stookie Norris.
    Stookie glanced up. With a quick jab, he sent the ball bouncing to Jerry.
    Jerry and a Panther halfback ran to meet it. Jerry beat the halfback by a step. He controlled the ball and started dribbling
     as fast as he could toward the Panther goal.
    The halfback didn’t give up, however. She chased Jerry, determined to steal the ball.

    Jerry did his best to protect the ball. But the Panther was all over him. Jerry had to pass the ball back to Stookie.
    Stookie caught it on his chest and let it drop to the ground at his feet. Then he paused.
    The Panther defense moved in.
    Oh, no!
Jerry groaned to himself.
Stookie’s going to get slaughtered!
    But Stookie didn’t. Just as the first Panther reached him, he darted to the left, bringing the ball with him. The Panther
     ran by him, a surprised look on his face. As the second Panther lunged forward, Stookie moved right. The second Panther ended
     up on the ground.
    “Go, Stookie, go!” Jerry and his teammates shouted. Stookie dodged the last defender. He had a clear shot at the goal! The
     goalie rushed out to meet him. Stookie faked left. When the goalie moved to block the shot, Stookie darted right and slammed
     the ball into the net.
    Jerry bounced on his toes, grinning with glee. “All right, Stookie!” he shouted.
    Two minutes later the game ended. The final score was ’Cats 2, Panthers 1.
    Jerry was grabbing his sweatshirt off the bench when someone tapped him on the shoulder. He looked up to see Stookie.
    Jerry’s family had moved in to the house next to Stookie’s a month ago. Jerry had hoped that he and Stookie would get to know
     each other better. But it hadn’t happened, at least not yet. In fact, sometimes Stookie made Jerry nervous. Stookie could
     be prickly and hot-tempered.
    Now, however, he looked happy. “Great pass you made at the end,” Stookie said.
    “Thanks,” Jerry replied, grinning at Stookie. “Great goal you made at the end!”
    Stookie laughed. “You want to walk home together?” he asked.
    “Sure,” Jerry answered. The two boys headed off the field toward their neighborhood.
    They chatted about the game, then Stookie said, “Did Coach Bradley tell you that you’re taking my position at center next
     game?”
    Jerry was surprised. “I am? Why?”
    “My family is going away for three days, so I’m going to miss the game.” Stookie stopped. “Can I ask you a favor? Could you
     take care of my gerbils while we’re gone?”
    Jerry nodded. “Just tell me what I have to do.”
    “It’d be easier if I showed you. Can you sleep over tonight?”
    Jerry agreed to ask his folks.
    Cool!
Jerry thought.
Maybe Stookie wants to be better friends with me, too!

Chapter 2

    M rs. Dinh helped Jerry pack his pajamas, his toothbrush, and a change of clothes for the next day.
    “Don’t forget Otter,” she reminded him.
    Otter was a puppet Jerry’s dad had brought him all the way from California. He was big and soft and had a hole in the back
     where you stuck your hand to make the arms move. Jerry slept with him every night.
    But should he bring him to Stookie’s house? What if Stookie made fun of him?
    “Uh, I don’t know, Mom,” Jerry said.
    “Why don’t you pack him, just in case?” his mother suggested. “You know what I always say: Better to have him and not need
     him than to need him and not have him.”
    Jerry smiled. “Okay,” he said, sticking Otter into his knapsack. He shut off his bedroom light, and together they walked downstairs.
    “Have fun!” Mrs. Dinh called as Jerry walked the short way to Stookie’s house.
    “Come on in!” Stookie said when he answered the door. Jerry said hello to Stookie’s parents, then the two boys hurried upstairs
     to Stookie’s room.
    Stookie pushed open the door with a grand gesture. “What do you