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Click here for reading level. This book is part of the Bayview High series. To read a sample chapter of Muscle Bound, click here. Enjoy! Other Tea Leaf Press books by H.A. Levigne: The Big Split Dear Liz High Stakes New Girl Striking Distance Muscle BoundKalen Sommers turned his father's red pickup truck into the parking lot at Bayview High. The early morning sun was just breaking over the old brick high school. A few cars were parked near the entrance. Kalen cut the engine and stepped out of the truck. He grabbed his gym bag from the seat beside him. He stretched his arms and ran his hand through his blond hair.Today was the first basketball practice of the season. Every August, Coach Nesbitt held pre-season practices. The basketball team practiced for two weeks. By the time school started, the team was well prepared for the opening game of the season. Kalen felt the excitement growing in his stomach. He was looking forward to hitting the court. It was Kalen's third year at Bayview High. He was a good athlete and student. He wasn't bad-looking, either--the girls loved his surfer-blond hair, green eyes, and shy smile. A car horn blared behind him, making him jump. Shielding his eyes against the sun, Kalen turned to see his best friend, Scott Jansen, pulling into the parking lot. Kalen grinned and began walking toward the car. Scott and Kalen had been best friends since the fourth grade. Of the two boys, Kalen was the calm, cool one. Scott was more outgoing and impulsive. Scott never seemed to sit still. He played basketball for the Bayview Sharks--he was a forward, and Kalen played guard. Scott also played football and was on the track-and-field team. Last year, Scott began to feel that people thought he was a jock. He joined the debate team to prove them wrong. He surprised everyone when he was voted captain of the team. Even though he was busy, Scott always had time for fun. "Hey, man! How was your summer?" Scott said as he jumped out of his battered blue Jeep and slammed the door. "How was the lake?" Kalen smiled. "Great, as usual," he replied. "Lots of swimming, canoeing, fishing...you know how it is." Every summer, Kalen went to Crooked Lake with his family. Mr. Sommers was a teacher, so he had summers off. Mrs. Sommers was a social worker. She was taking a leave of absence from work to write a book. She brought her laptop with her everywhere she went. She even brought it to the cottage. She just put on some sunscreen and her floppy beach hat. Then she propped her computer in her lap and worked while she sat on the deck. Kalen's jaw dropped in shock when he saw Scott. "Scott! What the heck have you been doing all summer? You're...you've got..." Kalen stopped. He was stunned. Scott looked totally different. Over the summer, his body had changed completely. Even though he wore a thick sweatshirt, Kalen could see that Scott's neck, arms, and shoulders bulged with muscles. He looked like one of the guys in Musclebound Magazine. Kalen couldn't believe his eyes. Scott had always been the little guy on the team. Now he was built like a weightlifter. "Oh, it's nothing...I've been working out, that's all. I'm taking some protein supplements and stuff to bulk up. I'm just getting ready for basketball season." He flexed his right arm. "And maybe for the girls, too," he said with a big grin. Kalen stared at Scott's bulging biceps. He shook his head in disbelief. "Are you kidding? You're ripped! Look at your arms and shoulders, man! Coach Nesbitt is going to freak when he sees you." Scott grabbed his bag out of the back of the Jeep and slammed the lid. "Okay, okay, that's enough. My head will swell if you keep it up. I won't fit through the door! Let's go before we miss practice." "Never mind your head, Scott, your shoulders may not fit through the door," Kalen muttered under his breath. He followed Scott into the building. Practice was long and tough, but Kalen felt good afterward. It was great to get back on the basketball court. After showering, Kalen pulled a hooded sweatshirt over his head. "Hey, Scott, where did you get those protein supplements? I was thinking about checking them out myself," he said, his voice muffled. "Here, man--catch." Scott tossed Kalen a copy of Musclebound Magazine. "Everything you need is in that magazine. The back section is full of ads for protein powders, pills, whatever. You can order them straight from the company." Kalen flipped through the magazine. "So how do you know what to use?" he asked. Every page seemed to advertise a magic powder or pill for bigger, harder, leaner muscles. There were so many choices that it was overwhelming. Scott took an oversized plastic bottle from his bag. It was labeled "FAT BLASTERS" in big red letters. "At first I was ordering from the magazine, but now I get most of my stuff from my gym. I get a discount when I order in bulk. The manager used to be a bodybuilder, so he knows what works and what doesn't," he said. Scott handed the bottle to Kalen. "So, like, this stuff is for burning fat. I take two pills at every meal. They help speed up my metabolism, so my body burns fat faster and builds more muscle. I'm eating way bigger meals now. I eat more often, too. I have to watch what I eat, though, or I'll get fat. " "I don't think I have a problem burning fat," Kalen said, looking down at himself. His body was long and lean. "It's the muscle part I need." "That's what workouts are for," Scott replied. "I go to the gym three days a week--three days on and two days off. Listen, I'm starving. Do you want to grab a burger at Lee's? I could use some protein." Scott was sitting on a bench, tying his shoe. Kalen looked puzzled. "Why do you need so much protein?" he asked. "All the pro bodybuilders eat a lot of protein. That's what builds muscle," Scott explained. Kalen began to reply, but he was interrupted by a loud clang. A locker slammed shut next to him. A tall, good-looking boy with dark hair stood smirking down at Scott. "You'll need more than burgers if you want to make starting line this year," said the dark-haired boy. "Like, a miracle." Seth Morgan was a year older than Kalen and Scott. He was always bullying them, especially Scott. Scott had always been one of the smallest guys on the team. Seth seemed to enjoy picking on Scott especially. Seth was usually with his buddies, Russ Daniels and Matt Webb. They were always bragging about being the best players on the team. Kalen wasn't looking forward to another year on the same team as those guys. Scott looked up quietly. His face was calm. "I suggest you back off, Morgan, if you don't want any trouble," he said. There was an edge in Scott's voice. Seth laughed. "Oh, really? Are you threatening me, Jansen?" he sneered. His friends moved in and crowded Scott. Kalen took a step forward, but Scott was already on his feet. The locker room had suddenly gone quiet. All eyes had turned toward Scott and Seth. Seth's eyes widened as he took in Scott's wide shoulders and muscular arms. Seth laughed, but Kalen thought he sounded slightly nervous. "Well, well, you've grown over the summer, Jansen," Seth scowled. He narrowed his dark eyes at Scott. "You're almost as wide as you are tall...what's that, about four, maybe five feet now?" Scott's blue eyes flashed furiously. He took a step toward Seth but stopped at the sound of Coach Nesbitt's voice. "Listen up, all of you! I need all eyes on me before you go." Scott turned away from Seth. He and Kalen walked toward the group of guys gathering around the coach. Seth hissed, "We'll finish this conversation later, Jansen." Scott ignored him. Coach Nesbitt stood with his hands in the pockets of his faded track pants. He wore a blue tracksuit with "Bayview Sharks" in white letters across the shoulders. He was about forty-five years old. Years of coaching high school basketball made him look about fifteen years older than he really was. Coach Nesbitt waited for the room to become quiet. "First of all, I want to congratulate you on a great first practice. I think we've got a great team this year," he said gruffly. "I can tell that many of you were practicing during the summer." He glanced up from his clipboard and looked at Kalen. "Sommers, your lay-up has really improved. Good job! We need to work on passing a little more, though." The coach cleared his throat. "I want you all to know that it's been hard to choose the starting lineup for this season," he said. "There's a lot of talent on this team. Don't worry if you don't see your name on the list next week. It doesn't mean you won't get any court time. You're all going to get a chance to show your stuff. Just keep practicing. Look to your senior teammates for pointers. We've got to work together to take home the Championship Cup this year!" |
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