He was out.

  * * *

  After the match, Owen — the last yellow player eliminated — found Max sulking in the observation area.

  “What was that all about?” Owen said. “You were playing terribly. I’ve never seen you eliminated so quickly. You okay?”

  Max glared at him. “I’m fine,” he said as he stood up. “Leave me alone, okay?”

  Max stomped off. As he went to the front to turn in his gear for the day, a couple of members of the blue team walked by. They were smiling and laughing about their win.

  Max recognized the smallest player from school. He was a short sixth grader.

  “What are you laughing about?” Max said. He shoved the kid hard, so that the smaller boy stumbled into the wall.

  “Hey,” the kid snapped. “What’s your problem?”

  Max ignored him and dropped his marker and gear at the front table. When he got outside, Owen grabbed his shoulder.

  “That wasn’t cool,” Owen said.

  “He was in my way,” Max said. Then, without waiting for Owen, he got on his bike and rode off.

  CHAPTER 7

  A BAD NIGHT

  At dinner that night, Max kept his elbows on the table and leaned on one fist. He pushed his rice around the plate and didn’t touch his chicken. Across the table, Deedee poked holes in her peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

  “I don’t see why she gets that and I have to eat this,” Max muttered.

  “Because I don’t eat chicken,” Deedee said.

  “Yeah, because you’re a baby,” Max said.

  “Mom!” Deedee shrieked.

  “That’s enough,” Dad said. “Both of you, knock it off. Eat your dinner.”

  Max shoved his plate away. “She’s being disgusting,” he said, pointing at Deedee’s smooshed sandwich. “Tell her to stop being such a disgusting baby.”

  “That’s it,” his mom said. “You’re done. Go to your room.”

  “Fine,” Max said. His chair fell backward as he stood up. He hurried upstairs without picking it up.

  Max slumped in his desk chair and picked up his cell phone. He’d gotten it for his thirteenth birthday and mostly used it to text back and forth with Owen.

  I’M THINKING ABOUT QUITTING PAINTBALL, he typed to his friend.

  HA HA, Owen replied. VERY FUNNY.

  I’M SERIOUS, Max typed back.

  WHATEVER. SEE YOU TOMORROW, Owen replied.

  Max tossed his phone onto his nightstand and flopped back against his pillow.

  CHAPTER 8

  TOO FAR

  The next morning, Max was feeling a little better. Neither he nor Owen mentioned their text conversation from the night before as they biked to the arena. By the time they arrived, Max was in a pretty good mood.

  But it didn’t last. As Max locked up his bike, a big black SUV pulled up. Three big guys climbed out of the back seat — Alex and his friends.

  As the truck drove away, Alex strode right over to the Max and Owen.

  “Well, if it isn’t Maximum Dork and his sidekick,” he said. “You better hope it’s not yellow versus green today. Because if it is, you’re both getting pounded.”

  Owen looked at his feet. Max gritted his teeth and stared at Alex.

  “Ooh, look who’s tough,” Alex said. He and his friends laughed meanly.

  “Let’s just go, Max,” said Owen.

  “Just a minute,” Alex said. His friends grabbed Max by the arms. Alex gave Max a little slap on the face.

  “Let him go, Alex,” Owen said.

  “In a minute, I said,” Alex snarled. He wasn’t smiling anymore.

  Max didn’t speak. He was scared, but he was also angrier than he’d ever been.

  Alex looked Max square in the face, pulled back his arm, and punched him in the stomach. His friends released him, and Max fell to the cement. Alex and his friends smirked and walked inside.

  Max clutched his stomach. For a few seconds, he thought he might puke.

  “I’m going to get Jace,” Owen said.

  “No,” Max gasped, struggling to catch his breath. “I’m fine. He just . . . he just knocked the wind out of me.”

  “More like he knocked the snot out of you,” Owen said. He put out his hand to help him up. For once, Max took it.

  “You need to tell Jace,” Owen said. “All three of them should be kicked out.”

  “Then that would only leave one member on the green team,” Max said. “They’d have to eliminate the whole team. Everyone would hate me.”

  “I doubt it,” Owen said. “No one likes those guys anyway.”

  They stepped inside and saw the green team gathered around their team leader. They were huddled together, laughing and planning for their day’s match.

  “They seem pretty popular to me,” Max said.

  “If you won’t tell,” Owen said, “I will.”

  Max grabbed him by the shirt collar. “If you do, I’ll never speak to you again,” he said. “Just mind your own business, okay?”

  CHAPTER 9

  SEEING RED

  The yellow team’s match that day was against the red team. The moment the match started, Max sprinted into the middle of the field, firing paintballs wildly. This time he managed to hit a red player on the leg, scoring an elimination.

  But as he dove for cover next to Owen, the remaining members of the red team bombarded Max. In an instant, he and Owen were covered in red paint.

  “Nice going,” Owen said as he and Max left the field. “Your insane playing style not only got you eliminated in under thirty seconds, but it got me eliminated too.”

  Max just shrugged and sat on a bench in the observation area. Owen stood by the window next to Jace to watch the rest of the match. Max found he didn’t care at all.

  * * *

  The yellow team lost their match, but the green team won. Afterward, Alex and his friends came running into the observation area, laughing and high-fiving. Alex spotted Max, sitting alone.

  “Hey, Maximum Loser,” Alex said. “I hear you were on the field for almost twenty-five seconds today. Must be your new record, huh?”

  Max glared furiously as Alex and his friends laughed and laughed.

  A member of the red team standing nearby laughed too. He was young, and smaller than Max, but Max was angry. He jumped to his feet and charged the kid, knocking him back into the wall.

  The boy in red charged back. He shoved Max, sending him to the floor of the observation area.

  Max was sprawled on the floor. Alex and his friends gathered around and laughed even harder.

  CHAPTER 10

  A TALKING-TO

  After dinner that evening, Max lay on his bed and stared at the ceiling.

  “Knock, knock,” said Max’s dad. He stuck his head in the door. “Got a minute?”

  Max didn’t answer. What’s the point? he thought. It’s not like I can say no. He was pretty sure his dad was going to lecture him about something.

  “Deedee was just in the living room,” Dad said. “She’s pretty upset.”

  “So?” Max said. “She’s always upset about something.”

  “Well, right now she’s upset about how you’ve been treating her,” Dad said.

  “She’s a tattletale,” Max said.

  “It’s not okay for you to push her around and pick on her,” Dad said. “How would you like it if some bigger boy pushed you around all the time?”

  “I wouldn’t,” Max said. He took a deep breath. “I don’t.” He didn’t mean to say anything, but suddenly everything about Alex and his friends, the school year, and the paintball league all came pouring out.

  “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” Dad asked when Max had finished talking.

  “I didn’t want to be a tattletale,” Max said. “I figured he’d get bored eventually.”

  “But he hasn’t,” Dad said.

  “No,” Max agreed. “He’s gotten worse.” He told him about the last thing Alex had done — the big punch in the stomach. “Owen said I should tell on him.”

  “Owen was right,” Dad said.

  “I know,” said Max.

  Dad stood up. “Well, I’ve got a phone call to make, I think,” he said.

  “Wait, what?” said Max.

  “Your team leader,” Dad said. “Same guy as last year, right? His name’s Jace, isn’t it?”

  “Dad, don’t call him,” Max said.

  “Max, I have to. Someday you’ll understand,” Dad said, leaving the room.

  “Great,” said Max, falling back again onto his bed. “I’m dead.”

  CHAPTER 11

  SORRY

  The next day, Owen and Max were the first kids to arrive at the arena. Jace and Stan were standing off to the side, talking in hushed tones.

  When Jace spotted Max and Owen, he quit talking and waved hello. He smiled at them as he walked over.

  “Get geared up, guys,” he said. “Big match today.” He glanced over at Stan. “We’re up against the green team.”

  Soon, Max and Owen stood near the entrance to field one with their markers in their hands and their hoppers loaded.

  Across the field, Max could see the members of the green team, ready and waiting to start. But nothing happened. In fact, Stan wasn’t even up in the observation area yet.

  Owen elbowed Max. “Look,” Owen said, pointing across the field. The biggest member of the green team was being pulled away — Alex.

  “What’s going on?” Max said quietly. Jace and Stan were leading Alex around the field toward the yellow team’s entrance.

  A moment later, Alex stood in front of him. Jace and Stan were beside him. Alex lifted his goggles and held out his hand.

  “I’m sorry for picking on you a little,” Alex said. He shoved his hand toward Max.

  Max stared at the bully’s hand for a moment. Alex cleared his throat. “You’re supposed to shake it,” he said, a snotty tone in his voice.

  Max looked at Stan and Jace. They both nodded a little. Max had no choice. He shook Alex’s hand, just for a second. Then Alex turned and walked off.

  Stan left to get up to the observation area and start the matches.

  “That’s the end of that,” Jace said. He smiled and patted Max on the back. Then he turned and headed to the observation area too.

  “Yeah, right,” Owen said. “There’s no way that was a sincere apology.”

  Max shrugged and smiled. “To be honest, I don’t even care if it was,” he said. “I feel better anyway.”

  “Why?” Owen said.

  Max thought for a moment. “Because I told my dad about it,” he said. “It felt good to get it off my chest instead of keeping it bottled up inside.” He grinned at Owen. “Now let’s focus on what’s important,” he said. “Let’s play some paintball.”

  CHAPTER 12

  KEEPING COOL

  Finally, it was time for the players to enter the field. Stan held up one hand and blew his whistle. The match began.

  Max took a deep breath. He thought about how angry he’d been the past few days. He thought about the sixth grader he’d shoved. He remembered the red-team member he’d picked on. He thought about Deedee too and how she’d cried in their yard when Max had pushed her down.

  And he remembered how he’d felt whenever Alex picked on him. Max wasn’t proud of his behavior. He knew he couldn’t let a bully turn him into a bully. It was time to focus on what he loved — paintball.

  Max stayed crouched on the yellow side of the field. He saw Owen about twenty yards away with his back to a barrel. Max nodded at him, and Owen nodded back.

  The two boys moved slowly, staying behind cover. They slid along the side of the field, staying low. Before long, Max lost sight of Owen, but they were a team. They both knew the plan.

  Max stayed as low as he could while still on his feet. At the same time, Max and Owen crossed into no-man’s land. Max looked up at Jace and waited for the signal.

  Around him, Max heard the thwap and splat of markers and paintballs. No one called an elimination, though, which meant both teams were still full.

  Max kept his eyes on Jace and waited. Suddenly, Jace flashed a thumbs-up. It was so quick that anyone else might have missed the signal.

  Max darted from his cover, deep into the green side of the field. The green team had their backs to him. Max caught a glimpse of Owen as his friend rushed in from the other side. Together, they raised their markers and squeezed the triggers.

  Splat! Splat! Splat! Splat!

  “What a play!” Stan yelled “The yellow team’s teamwork pays off in a big way with that surprise ambush! Way to go, guys!”

  AUTHOR BIO

  Eric Stevens lives in St. Paul, Minnesota. He is studying to become a middle-school English teacher. Some of his favorite things include pizza, playing video games, watching cooking shows on TV, riding his bike, and trying new restaurants. Some of his least favorite things include olives and shoveling snow.

  ILLUSTRATOR BIO

  Aburtov has worked in the comic book industry for more than 11 years. In that time, he has illustrated popular characters like Wolverine, Iron Man, Blade, and the Punisher. He lives in Monterrey, Mexico, with his daughter, Ilka, and his beloved wife.

  GLOSSARY

  barricade (BA-ruh-kade) — a barrier to stop people from getting past a certain point

  crafty (KRAF-tee) — skilled at tricking other people

  eliminated (i-LIM-uh-nay-tid) — removed from competition by defeat

  league (LEEG) — a group of people with a common interest or activity, such as a group of sports teams

  observation (ob-zur-VAY-shuhn) — the careful watching of someone or something

  opportunity (op-ur-TOO-nuh-tee) — a chance to do something

  scrimmage (SKRIM-ij) — a game played for practice in sports

  DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

  1. Do you think Alex’s apology was real? Talk about your opinion.

  2. What are some other ways to deal with bullying? Talk about some different solutions.

  3. Why do you think Alex and his friends were so mean to Max? Talk about some possible reasons.

  WRITING PROMPTS

  1. Write about what you would have done if you were in Max’s postition and found out Alex had joined the paintball league.

  2. What do you think happens when Max and Alex go back to school after the summer paintball league? Write a chapter that continues this book.

  3. Have you ever had to deal with a bully, either in school or somewhere else? Write about how you handled it.

  PAINTBALL SAFETY

  Paintball can be a lot of fun, but like any sport, there are important safety rules you should follow and safety gear you need to wear while playing.

  Safety Gear:

  • Face mask — the most important piece of safety equipment; a face mask or helmet is required to play

  • Chest and throat protectors — harder to move in, but good protection against bruises

  • Barrel plug — every paintball gun should come with a barrel plug that fits snugly on the end of your barrel

  • Gloves — useful for protecting your hands while crawling on the ground

  Safety Tips:

  • Make sure your gear is in good shape before stepping foot on the field.

  • Always wear your face mask or goggles whenever you’re on the playing field.

  • Always keep your paintball gun aimed down toward the ground when you’re not playing.

  • Never point your paintball gun at someone’s face, and don’t look into the barrel.

  • Always keep your barrel plug in place when you’re not on the playing field, and put it on before removing your mask.

  www.capstonekids.com

  Find cool websites and more books like this one at www.facthound.com.

  Just type in the Book ID: 9781434259745

  and you’re ready to go!

  Jake Maddox books are published by Stone Arch Books

  A Capstone Imprint

  1710 Roe Crest Drive

  North Mankato, Minnesota 56003

  www.capstonepub.com

  © 2014 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.

  Paintball problems / by Jake Maddox; text by Eric Stevens; illustrated by Jesus Aburto.

  p. cm. -- (Jake Maddox sports stories)

  Summary: Sixth-grader Max Stinson is tired of being bullied by Alex Weime and looking forward to a summer in the local paintball league to work off some of his frustration, but he soon learns that anger is not a winning attitude, especially when you take it out on the people around you.

  ISBN 978-1-4342-5974-5 (library binding)

  ISBN 978-1-4342-6207-3 (pbk.)

  ISBN 978-1-4342-9834-8 (ebook)

  1. Paintball (Game)--Juvenile fiction. 2. Bullying--Juvenile fiction. 3. Anger--Juvenile fiction. [1. Paintball (Game)--Fiction. 2. Bullies--Fiction. 3. Anger--Fiction. 4. Emotions--Fiction.] I. Stevens, Eric, 1974- II. Aburto, Jesus, ill. III. Title. IV. Series: Maddox, Jake. Impact books. Jake Maddox sports story.

  PZ7.M25643Pil 2013

  813.6--dc23

  2012049365

  Art Director: Bob Lentz

  Graphic Designer: Veronica Scott

  Production Specialist: Laura Manthe

 

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