Nowhere to Run — Claire J. Griffin

"How 'bout lettin' Calvin keep his knees on loan?" "Meanin' what?" "Meanin' you let him walk, and then his knees owe you. Like maybe he's favored to win the District Championship next spring. Some dudes are layin' bets. You say Calvin's gonna lose. And he does." "I own Calvin's knees." Norris said the words slowly, like they tasted good in his mouth. He smiled and nodded. "Okay, Deej. I like that." He glared at Calvin. "Don't forget, punk." When you've got a friend who's got your back, life is good. Calvin has Deej--and a coach who thinks Calvin can win the championship in the 100-meter dash, a little brother who looks up to him, a boss who trusts him with the keys to the car shop, and Momma, who made him promise to stay in school. And then there's Junior, the girlfriend of Calvin's dreams. You have to take things slow with Junior, since she's daddy's girl, but she's worth it. But when Calvin and Deej get suspended from school on a trumped-up charge, things start to fall apart. Deej entangles them both in Norris's web, and suddenly Calvin has tough choices to make. Can he hold on to what he's got without turning his back on his best friend?