On Guard

by Patrick Jones

  Mercedes’s head bobbed up and down like her mom’s did in church. “So while I know that nothing can fill that hole in your heart, I hope this will help.” Franklin handed Mercedes a single sheet of paper. On the top of it was the Auburn logo, on the bottom a place for a signature, and in between the words that made Mercedes’s broken but healing heart soar: “Letter of Intent.”

  About the Author

  Patrick Jones is a former librarian for teenagers. He received lifetime achievement awards from the American Library Association and the Catholic Library Association in 2006. Jones has authored several titles for the following Darby Creek series: Turbocharged (2013); Opportunity (2013); The Dojo (2013), which won the YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers award; The Red Zone (2014); The Alternative (2014); Bareknuckle (2014); and Locked Out (2015). He also authored The Main Event: The Moves and Muscle of Pro Wrestling (2013), which received the Chicago Public Library’s Best of the Best Books list. While Patrick lives in Minneapolis, he still considers Flint, Michigan, his home. He can be found on the web at www.connectingya.com.