by Alex Morgan
“Only if we all shower and change first,” Jessi argued, looking down at her dirty uniform. “I am not going to walk around the mall all muddy and nasty.”
“I’ll ask my mom if I can go,” I said.
“Speaking of moms.” Frida nodded toward the door, where her mom’s car was waiting. “It’s time to go!”
We cleaned up our table, went outside, and piled into Mrs. Rivera’s car. She drove each one of us home, which was nice. When I got inside, Dad was making dinner. Even though I’d eaten a frozen yogurt, I was still hungry, and I eagerly approached the stove.
“What are we having?” I asked.
“It’s Maisie’s night to choose,” Dad said. “So . . .”
“Noooo!” I wailed. “Not tuna casserole again!”
When I was little (and Maisie was just a baby) my mom got this idea that we could each pick out what we ate for dinner one night a week, so we wouldn’t argue so much when she forced healthy food on us all the other days. It worked out for a long time, because Maisie mostly picked chicken fingers and mac and cheese when she was little. But three years ago she fell in love with our aunt Sally’s tuna casserole, and now she had asked for it every week for three years.
“Maisie, how about tacos next week?” I asked when we sat down to eat. “You love tacos.”
“I can get tacos at a restaurant,” Maisie shot back. “But Dad is the only one who makes tuna casserole like Aunt Sally.”
“How about . . . ravioli, then?” I asked. “You love ravioli, too.”
“I also love tuna casserole,” Maisie said stubbornly.
I sighed and picked through the mushy mess of noodles, tuna, sauce, cheese, and peas on my plate, pushing the peas to the side. I didn’t mind snow peas in Chinese food or edamame when we went to the Japanese restaurant, but mushy peas . . . ugh.
“Hey, can I go to the mall tomorrow?” I asked as we finished up eating.
“With whom?” Mom asked. (She was the kind of mom who used proper grammar at all times.)
“Jessi, Emma, Zoe, and Frida,” I said. “To cheer up Zoe.”
“And who’s driving?” Mom asked.
“I’m not sure,” I replied.
Mom nodded. “I’ll text the moms and we’ll figure it out. But it’s fine with me if it’s fine with your dad.”
“Sure, why not?” Dad said. “You’ve been practicing and studying a lot lately. It’s nice that you’re going out with your friends. Just not too late.”
“Of course. We have practice Saturday morning,” I replied.
Everyone’s parents agreed, so we were all pretty excited at practice the next day. It was a good practice too, since we all played our usual positions during the scrimmage and nobody got confused. When it was over, we showered and got changed, and Zoe’s mom drove us to the mall.
The Sun Center mall was basically like the malls back in Connecticut, except for the palm trees out front. There was a food court, and tons of stores. And lots of kids went there just to hang out and stuff. I was psyched because Mrs. Quinlan dropped us off at the entrance right by the Sports World store.
“Awesome,” I said as we all walked inside. “I’ve been reading about these new limited-edition soccer cleats. They’re supposed to be for traction and for speed. I’d love to try on a pair.”
Jessi shook her head. “I swear if they opened up your skull, they’d find a soccer ball inside there instead of a brain.”
“Actually, I wouldn’t mind looking at the pro jerseys,” Emma piped up. “They’ve got some cool new ones.”
So we spent some time in Sports World, and then Jessi insisted that we check out her favorite clothing store, Shine. Jessi walked up to a display of scarves, picked up a shimmery gold one, and then draped it on Zoe’s arm.
“Some bling for your sling,” she joked, and we all cracked up. Frida and Jessi tried on some outfits, but I could tell it was bumming out Zoe a little bit because she couldn’t easily try anything on.
“Maybe we should get going,” I said to Jessi as I nodded toward the door. Jessi looked up, and her eyes narrowed angrily. Wow, I’d had no idea Jessi was such a serious shopper.
“Sorry,” I started, wondering what was up, but then I followed Jessi’s gaze and saw Mirabelle at the front of the store, browsing through a rack of earrings.
“Hey, Mirabelle,” Jessi called out, and Mirabelle looked up, surprised to see her. Jessi gestured toward a mirror on the wall. “There’s a mirror over here. You can take a look in it if you want to know what a real loser looks like. You may have noticed, but there are none on the Kicks anymore. Not since you left.”
Whoa. That was pretty harsh, even though it was nothing compared to all the things Mirabelle had said and done to the Kicks when she’d been on our team. Emma and Zoe exchanged shocked glances. I was surprised to see a hurt look cross Mirabelle’s face for a moment, but she quickly recovered and put on her usual smug smile.
“No, thanks,” she said. She put her hands on her hips and glared at Jessi. “I’m a Pinewood Panther now, so I don’t have to share anything with the Kicks. Not your run-down field, your coach who is more like a babysitter, or your gross uniforms. It’s only the best for the Panthers.”
She turned and swept out of the store, her head held high.
“Good riddance,” Jessi muttered.
“Wow, Jessi.” Emma shook her head. “I can’t believe you said that!”
“It was kind of mean,” Zoe agreed.
But Frida stuck up for Jessi. “Are you guys totally forgetting how awful Mirabelle was to all of us? She had it coming. And besides, she totally just put down the Kicks—again!”
Emma nodded. “I know our uniforms aren’t as fancy as the Panthers’, but I don’t think they are gross!”
“And it totally wasn’t cool of her to trash Coach Flores,” Zoe said. “Coach is always so nice to everyone. She was even nice to Mirabelle!”
Jessi sighed. “I know, and I probably shouldn’t have started with her. But seeing her at the game the other day brought back all those bad memories of how she treated us—and especially me, after our friendship breakup.”
“You’re better off without her,” I said as I slung an arm around Jessi’s shoulder. “Besides, you’ve got us now!”
“True.” Jessi’s face brightened. “And I’m with my new best friends in the mall, and the best part is yet to come.”
“Best part?” Zoe asked.
“Boys and pizza!” Jessi said, pointing her finger toward the ceiling. “To the third floor!”
I laughed. “What, do they have a store on the third floor where they sell boys and pizza?”
“What do they call it, Boys R Us?” Emma joked.
“Or maybe they call it Cody Hut,” Zoe said with a sly smile at Jessi.
Jessi looked a little embarrassed at Zoe’s comment, but she tried to laugh it off. “Whatever. The arcade is on the third floor, and that’s where all the boys hang out. The food court’s on the third floor too. So let’s go check it out!”
We followed her out of the store and up the escalator.
The smells of the food court hit us as we headed across the mall. Just as Jessi had said, a bunch of boys were hanging out talking in front of the arcade.
“So, um, what are we supposed to do?” I asked. “Talk to them?”
“No. We just watch them and decide who’s cute,” Jessi replied. “Wait, is that Brendan Insler over there?”
Zoe blushed. “No, thank goodness. What did Frida tell you?”
“Only that he follows you around like a puppy and carries your books everywhere now,” Jessi answered.
“I never said he was like a puppy,” Frida protested. “Although, that’s not a bad description.”
“Right. A sweaty, annoying puppy,” Zoe said, making a face.
“Hey, I think there’s some soccer boys over there,” I said, pointing. “Isn’t that Cody and Steven?”
“Don’t point!” Jessi said frantically, pushing down my a
rm, but it was too late. Cody waved at us with a big smile on his face, and Steven gave us kind of a shy wave.
I waved back, but Jessi grabbed me by the arm and started pulling me toward the food court. The other girls followed us.
“What was that about?” I asked.
“You can’t point like that!” Jessi cried. “Then they’ll think we like them.”
“But you do like Cody, don’t you?” I asked.
Jessi rolled her eyes. “That is totally not the point.”
“I’m hungry,” Emma said. “Let’s get that pizza.”
Frida closed her eyes. “Mmm, pizza.”
“Are you going to order yours with an extra topping of Cody?” I couldn’t help but tease Jessi, who glared at me.
“Shhhh! He might hear you,” Jessi said nervously, glancing back at the arcade.
“We’re in the crowded, noisy mall, totally across the room from him,” I reminded her. I was starting to think that when Cody was around, Jessi’s brain short-circuited or something.
“Unless he has some kind of superhero hearing or something,” Emma said, and giggled.
“Jessi thinks he’s got some superpowers, that’s for sure.” Zoe grinned.
“Maybe his superpower is kissing,” Frida said. She folded her hands across her chest and began puckering her lips, making loud smacking noises as she kissed the air. “I’m Cody,” she said in between air kisses. “Or you can call me by my secret identity superhero name, Captain Kiss!”
“Frida!” Jessi shrieked, and lunged at her. Frida took off running, with Jessi in hot pursuit.
Emma, Zoe, and I exchanged glances and then started cracking up, laughing so hard I thought I was going to cry.
Frida came back, panting hard, and hid behind me as Jessi went to grab her.
“Truce!” I yelled, putting my hands in the air to stop Jessi. “We’re starving. Let’s go eat some pizza. And, Frida, knock off the Captain Kiss.”
As soon as I said that, everyone started laughing again, even Jessi this time. It just sounded so ridiculous.
“Frida,” I said as the laughter died down, “for your next role at a soccer game, all I think you need to do is pretend Jessi is chasing you. I’ve never seen you run so fast!”
“Or maybe,” Frida said with a gleam in her eyes, “I could play Captain Kiss’s loyal sidekick, Lip Stick.”
“Frida!” Jessi yelled as she jumped at her, while Frida laughed and raced away again.
I shook my head. My friends might have been crazy, but they definitely made life interesting.
CHAPTER FIVE
“Devin, stop yawning!” Kara pleaded. “Now you’re making me yawn!”
Kara had gotten special permission from her parents to stay up late Friday night so we wouldn’t miss our webcam session. It was eight p.m. for me when I called her, but it was eleven p.m. in Connecticut.
“Sorry,” I said. “It’s been a crazy week. First my uniform got stolen, and then Zoe got hurt, and then I tried out some new positions at practice, and it was a disaster. And I had a vocab test in the middle of this, and then we went to the mall tonight. . . .”
“Sounds like you need to relax,” Kara remarked.
“No way!” I replied. “There’s practice tomorrow.”
“We’ve got practice tomorrow too,” Kara began. “And—”
“Afterward I want to research more drills for the next time I get to run practice,” I continued, too focused on my plans for practice to really listen to Kara.
Kara’s blue eyes got wide. “Whoa, are you totally obsessing on the team, or what?” She sounded a little annoyed.
“That’s what Jessi and everyone else keeps saying to me,” I replied. I thought Kara, out of everybody, would understand. “You know we’ve both been dreaming about becoming professional soccer players ever since second grade. Except when you went through that phase of wanting to be a cowgirl.”
Kara laughed. “I still have the hat and boots, although they are way too small for me now.”
I nodded. “Well, it’s just that I keep thinking if I really want to go pro, I need to start now. And being on a championship team will totally help when it’s time to apply for colleges.”
“College is a long way off,” Kara reminded me. “We’re only in middle school. Don’t forget the reason we both dream about being pro soccer players is because of how much fun we have playing. It doesn’t sound like fun to be yawning on the field all the time.”
Saying that, she let out a big yawn and frowned. “Rats! I made myself yawn that time.”
“My bed is calling me,” I said. “See you tomorrow night.”
“See ya!”
I was always a little sad when the screen went dark after our chats, but I was seriously tired. When I woke up at eight the next morning, I felt supercharged and ready for practice. I raced down the stairs.
“Want some pancakes?” my dad asked, sitting at the kitchen table, drinking a cup of coffee.
“What Devin needs is some complex carbs for energy before practice,” Mom told him. “How about some granola cereal with a banana and a glass of OJ?” she asked me.
Whew, close one! I’d thought she was going to offer me one of her green smoothies. The granola cereal was way yummier, so I happily agreed.
When Dad dropped me off at the field, I jogged out of the car, feeling like I needed to do five laps around just to get going. But I took only a few steps before I realized that the field was occupied by a bunch of senior citizens. Puzzled, I jogged up to Coach Flores.
“What are they doing here? Are they almost done?” I asked anxiously.
“Actually, they just started,” Coach replied. “Apparently they had the field scheduled for the morning, which is very odd, because the community center knows we get the field every Saturday at this time unless we have a game.”
“Can’t we ask them to leave?” I asked, but I knew what Coach would say. She was way too nice to kick a bunch of old people off a field.
“I don’t have the heart,” Coach replied, just as I had guessed.
“You know, it’s so unfair that we have to use the community field anyway,” I said. “Why do the boys always get the good field? We’re both winning now. We should split it up or something.”
Coach Flores nodded. “I’ve been lobbying the school’s athletic director for a new field for us, so maybe we’ll get some good news soon,” she answered. “And today’s not totally lost either. Mrs. Tanaka, the teacher, said that we could join her class, and I think it’s a wonderful idea; tai chi can help with coordination and focus.”
My mom did yoga and tai chi, so I was kind of familiar with it. It was invented in China, and it was this series of slow, precise movements—kind of like kung fu in slow motion. But I definitely didn’t feel like moving in slow motion this morning.
The rest of the players started to arrive, and confusion quickly broke out, until Coach Flores explained the situation. Some of the girls were happy about doing tai chi.
“I saw this on The Real Teenagers of Beverly Hills,” Jessi told me. “Belinda took a class after her pet psychic said her Yorkipoo was picking up on her nervous energy.”
“That sounds nuts!” I said. “Besides, I thought you gave up on those trashy reality shows.”
“I watch them only after I’ve done all my homework and studying,” Jessi said. “It’s like my reward for working hard. Anyway, Belinda said tai chi is very relaxing. Her Yorkipoo agreed. According to the pet psychic, anyway.”
“We’re not supposed to be relaxing. We’re supposed to be practicing,” I complained.
Emma gave me a little push from behind. “I think some relaxing is just what you need this morning, Devin!”
It was no use fighting it; we spent an hour doing tai chi on the field with the seniors. I guess I could see how it could be relaxing, but all I could think about was that we had a game against the Santa Flora Roses the next morning, and we were moving in slow motion instead of practicing. Aar
gh!
I’d been hoping we could practice after the tai chi was over, but some guys from an adult baseball league showed up and we had to leave.
“What about tomorrow, Coach?” I asked. “Tomorrow’s game is on the home field, so maybe we could get there an hour early for a little extra warm-up time.”
“I don’t see why not,” Coach answered, and then she turned to the rest of the team. “Let’s report to the main field tomorrow at ten, okay? Oh, and don’t forget glow bowling tonight!”
Everyone cheered. Coach Flores liked doing team building exercises with us, and the glow-in-the-dark bowling sounded like fun. I had never done it, but I was really curious to try.
I walked up to Jessi. “So, what are you doing until we go bowling?”
“Want to study math with me?” Jessi asked. “Mom said if you come over, she’ll make us lunch.”
“Just as long as it’s not tuna casserole,” I said.
Jessi looked at me like I was crazy. “Why would my mom make you tuna casserole?” she asked.
I shook my head and laughed. “Long story. But, yes, I’ll do math with you. Let me go home and change, and I’ll see if my mom or dad will drive me.”
I got to Jessi’s house about an hour later. Jessi came outside to meet me. Her dad was in the front yard, pruning some bushes. I’d met him only a couple of times before because he worked a lot, but he seemed nice. He was a big guy with a friendly smile like Jessi’s.
“Hey there, Devin,” he said. “Jessi tells me you had an interesting practice this morning.”
“It was very relaxing,” Jessi said, grinning at me.
“You mean boring,” I corrected her.
Jessi nodded toward the door. “Mom made us some lunch.”
She led me inside, and we found the kitchen table set for us with tuna salad sandwiches and carrot sticks.
“I hope tuna sandwiches are okay,” Jessi said apologetically.
“Definitely,” I replied. “They’re, like, in a whole different food category from casseroles.”
Jessi’s mom walked in and gave me a big smile. “Thanks so much for helping Jessi with her math today, Devin,” Mrs. Dukes said. She was wearing her hair in braids like Jessi was, but you could tell that Jessi was going to be taller than her soon. “Jessi’s grades are improving every day.”