by Megan Sparks
“What are you doing?” Annie asked, dropping her toothbrush on the bed and ducking a trainer that came flying across the room.
“Looking for my pads,” said Holly. “They’re gone.”
“How can they be gone?”
Holly dropped to her knees to search under one of the beds. “That’s a good question! I put them in my gym bag after practice, and haven’t touched them since. But somehow they’ve vanished.”
Annie frowned, then crossed the small room to unzip her own gym bag. Her skates and helmet were right there where she’d left them, but her elbow and knee pads where nowhere to be seen.
“What the—?”
“Yours too?”
Annie nodded. Then she opened the two drawers she’d claimed for her own and rifled through them, tossing shirts, shorts, and socks around the room like confetti. When the pads didn’t turn up, she pulled the sheets and blankets off her bed, on the off chance that they had somehow got tangled up in the bedding.
No luck.
Holly bounded to her feet and yanked open the wardrobe. But as it was basically empty except for the few non-workout outfits the girls had hung inside, it was immediately apparent that their pads were not there either.
“Maybe we just forgot them at practice,” Annie suggested. “Maybe we left them behind in the locker room by mistake.”
Having no other choice, the girls gave up the search and rushed to get dressed. They missed breakfast entirely and headed straight to the gym ... late and padless.
Cherry eyed them as they joined the group, clicking her tongue in disgust.
“Do you girls show up late for bouts at home?” she chastised. “Not a very admirable quality in a roller girl.”
“We’re sorry,” said Annie. “We would have been on time except...” She looked down at her skates, mustering up her courage. “We couldn’t find our pads. We both thought they were in our derby bags, but when we went to find them they were gone. I guess we both misplaced them.”
Out of the corner of her eye, Annie noticed Sue and Luna exchanging glances. Carrie Ann was shaking her head and Eve was frowning. Annie suddenly realized what they were thinking – now that she’d heard herself say it out loud, she realized what an unlikely coincidence that was. She was always very careful with her equipment, and she knew Holly was practically obsessive about hers. Neither of them would simply misplace something as important as their pads. What were the chances of both of them leaving their stuff behind?
Pretty slim, she decided.
She was about to suggest to the coaches that perhaps someone had stolen them when Mad Donna pointed to a small pile of pads.
“Someone turned those in this morning.”
“Those are ours,” said Annie sheepishly, recognizing her protective gear.
“Well, then,” said Mad Donna. “You should be very grateful that someone was kind enough to hand them in.”
Holly glared at Dee. “I think the bigger issue is how they went missing in the first place.”
“I agree,” snapped Cherry Bomb, missing Holly’s inference entirely. “Roller girls should be organized and responsible. Which means looking after their equipment and arriving at practice on time.”
As Annie and Holly collected their pads, Annie felt a slow burn beginning in her belly. She knew, as did Holly, that Dee Stroyer had to be the one who’d sneaked into their room and stolen their pads – and then turned them in like a Good Samaritan, just to score points with the coaches. Clearly, she’d graduated from taking cheap shots on the track to playing dirty off of it. Annie realized that she and Holly were going to have to watch their backs.
Once they were all suited up, they joined the rest of the campers for the morning’s first drill.
“Black Widow,” Cherry Bomb announced. Then she proceeded to describe the exercise, which involved one full minute of skating, while executing a single skill, such as skating backward, or weaving, or doing figure of eights.
“How bad can that be?” Annie asked naively. “It’s only one minute.”
Luna Tick laughed. “A minute is a lot longer than you think, Legs.”
When the whistle blew, Annie took off with the pack, choosing weaving as her Black Widow skill. Cherry Bomb shouted out pointers while Mad Donna watched the clock.
At the end of the sixty seconds, Annie was absolutely exhausted!
Cherry led them in a few more drills including one of Annie’s favourites, the Bus Driver. Then they broke the group up into teams and had a scrimmage.
As one of the youngest players, Annie was on the bench for the first two jams, but she was a blocker in the third jam. Finally, in the fifth jam, she was jammer and scored five points. Holly made an impressive showing as well, and Sue Nami proved herself to be an amazing blocker. It was exhilarating and inspiring to play with such talented girls.
At noon, the girls were sent to the dining hall for lunch.
As they made their way along the path through the chilly air, Annie noticed that Holly had a very determined look on her face.
“What are you thinking?” she asked.
“I’m thinking that nobody makes a fool out of me and gets away with it,” she hissed, her eyes searching out Dee, who was walking alone further ahead on the path. “And I’m thinking I need to point that out to that witch ... right now.”
“Holly...” Annie began in a warning voice.
“Don’t do anything you’ll regret,” Cheryl cautioned.
“I don’t think Holly Terror knows the meaning of ‘regret’,” Sue giggled.
Annie was afraid there was more truth to that joke than Sue realized.
Holly took a deep breath and marched ahead of the group. She came around in front of Dee, stopping the bully dead in her tracks.
“Hey!” Holly barked.
Dee looked down her nose. “Get out of my way, midget.”
Holly ignored the order. Annie and the others had caught up to them now, and Annie was close enough to see that the look Holly gave Dee was one of pure fury.
“I’m only going to say this once, Dee. If you ever mess with my or Annie’s stuff again, you’re gonna be very sorry.”
“Really?’ Dee snorted. “Is this a threat?”
“Hell yeah,” Holly growled, stepping closer. “A threat, and a promise.”
Annie saw a flicker of concern pass over Dee’s face, but she shook it off quickly. “Who says I took your stupid pads?” she huffed. “It’s not my fault you Liberty Belles are too busy having fun to keep track of your equipment.”
“Well, then it won’t be my fault if my right fist just happens to connect with your face.”
Then Charlotte was frantically clearing her throat and Annie turned to see the two coaches heading towards them on the path.
“Holly,” Annie whispered, “we’re already on the you-know-what list for being late. Please don’t make things worse by getting in a fight!”
Holly gritted her teeth, but stepped away. Without another word, Dee stomped towards the dining hall.
Luna draped an arm over Holly’s shoulder. “Excellent use of self-control there, girlfriend,” she said. “I woulda belted that bi-atch right in her big mouth.”
“Violence is never the answer,” said Sue, batting her lashes as her voice dripped with a sweet Southern twang.
“Then what is?” Holly grumbled.
Sue smiled. “Revenge.”
Annie laughed along with the rest of the group, but deep down she was beginning to get worried. This rivalry with Dee was getting out of hand and she didn’t want things to go any further than they already had.
“Now that we’ve avoided a major throw-down right here on the quad,” said Eve, “can we please grab lunch? I’m starving.”
“Yes,” said Annie. “Let’s.” As long as we sit as far away from Dee Stroyer as possible, she added silently.
* * *
The afternoon session was all about “juking”, which Annie learned was the derby word for “faking”.
When done well, juking was a skill a roller girl could use to get past a particularly tough blocker.
The coaches asked for volunteers and assisted in demonstrating the many techniques associated with juking. This consisted of a combination of moves – bobbing up and down, side to side, and forward and back – performed in an effort to mislead the opponent into expecting one action when really, the plan was to do the exact opposite.
Annie was thrilled. She had been in countless situations in which she’d been stuck behind a blocker. If she could nail this juking business, she’d never have to worry about that problem again.
The volunteers struggled the first few times, but Cherry and Mad Donna patiently guided them through the technique. When the demonstration was over, the coaches paired the campers off to work on the skill.
Annie’s heart sank when she found herself teamed up with her arch nemesis. Dee would be the blocker and Annie would have to use the faking methods to get past her.
As they sped around the track, Annie tried everything she’d seen the coaches and the volunteers do. She bent up and down and hopped from side to side, determined to better her rival. But Dee was just as keen not to let Annie get past.
Finally, Annie flung her hand out to the right side of Dee’s head.
Dee immediately veered right, assuming Annie was heading in that direction, and Annie deftly swung out to the left of Dee, zooming past her effortlessly.
“Excellent hand fake, Anne R. Key!” Cherry Bomb called across the track. “Quick thinking, good skating. Nice work!”
Annie was delighted. She’d successfully faked out Dee, proving that when it came to being sneaky, she could be just as clever as her nemesis. But in Annie’s case, she did it while playing by the rules.
Maybe from now on Dee would think twice about messing with the Liberty Belles!
* * *
When the session was over, the girls headed back to the dorm across the snowy campus. As they passed an old stone chapel, they noticed a group of boys wearing matching blue blazers assembling under one of the covered arches.
“What do you think that’s all about?” Charlotte wondered. “Political protest?” Sue giggled. “Activists rarely wear matching coats.”
Seconds later, they had their answer. The handsome group had arranged itself into a semicircle. One of the boys stepped forward and blew into a pitch pipe.
Suddenly, the most beautiful voices Annie had ever heard were ringing in perfect harmony through the dusky air.
“It’s an a cappella group!” cried Eve. “They’re incredible.”
The girls listened to the impromptu concert in awe. To Annie’s delight, the group was singing a fabulous version of Talking Heads’ “Road to Nowhere”. The upbeat tune lent itself perfectly to the boys’ vocal talents.
Instinctively, she pulled out her phone and filmed the performance. Then she sent the video to Jesse, with a text message that read: “Talking Heads go to college! Boot camp is wicked!”
Her fingers hesitated over the keys as she briefly debated whether to add “miss you”. Then the song ended and the spectators burst into hearty applause. Annie quickly hit send so she could clap along with the crowd. But as the girls reluctantly pulled themselves away from the concert, Annie had a warm feeling knowing that Jesse would get to enjoy the musical treat too.
It was almost as good as if he’d been there to hear it with her.
Almost.
Chapter Fifteen
It was unbelievable to Annie how fast the week went by.
The days were long and gruelling and wonderful. She could feel herself improving, with positive changes to her skating, strategizing, and technique. Every day she felt closer to the new friends she’d made and this only confirmed for her what she already knew: getting involved in roller derby was one of the best choices she’d ever made.
Finally, Friday dawned – the last full day of camp. On Saturday morning, the girls would be packing up and heading home.
The mood in the gym was bittersweet, as everyone was both looking forward to seeing their families, but dreading saying goodbye to their new coaches and friends.
They scrimmaged, pulling out all the stops to show off the skills they’d perfected over the last six days. Annie and Holly were on the same team, and they quickly found their rhythm, working together towards the singular goal of keeping Dee’s team from winning. Deep down, Annie knew her desire to beat Dee was a bit petty – it should have been more about the team and the bout itself than a personal grudge match – but it still felt good to use her new juking skills to break through the pack again and again.
It was a resounding victory for Annie’s team. She and Holly high-fived themselves silly while Dee skated off to a corner and fumed.
Lunch was boxed sandwiches in the gym again, and this was followed by watching a video of the scrimmage they’d just played.
Cherry and Mad Donna hit pause every three seconds it seemed to point out a specific move or skill. Annie realized soon enough that in the warm-hearted spirit of the final day, the coaches avoided highlighting mistakes and were mostly pointing out positive things, halting the film to give credit for a great block or some skilful skating move. Annie found this touching, especially as many of their compliments were for her exceptional juking. Mad Donna had only one constructive criticism for her, reminding her that the 180-degree turn they’d worked on a few days earlier would have come in handy after one particular block. Annie wasn’t hurt or offended; in fact, she welcomed the instruction and made a mental note of it, knowing she’d remember it when the Liberty Belles’ season resumed in the autumn. Or, with any luck, even sooner if she was lucky enough to get chosen for Coach Ritter’s All-Star team.
Cherry pointed out a few of Holly’s exceptional jams, and also Sue Nami’s “greatest hits”, before turning off the film.
And then, it was over. Except for that night’s farewell party, camp was officially over.
Annie was surprised to feel tears spring to her eyes when Mad Donna announced, “That’s all, ladies. You’ve all done a great job this week. Thanks for coming.”
Even more surprising was the fact that the rough-and-tumble Cherry Bomb actually choked up when she said, “It’s been a pleasure and a privilege, girls. I’m proud to know you all. If this is the future of roller derby, then the future looks pretty bright to me!”
When Annie glanced over and saw Holly brushing a tear from her cheek, she had to smile. That was the best thing about being a roller girl, she realized. You needed to have strong muscles and a tough attitude, but that didn’t mean you couldn’t have a soft heart, too.
* * *
That night, the girls sported their best non-workout clothes to attend their farewell dinner. It was being held in a snack bar that took up the entire basement of the library. Annie loved the name of it: Snacks In The Stacks. The menu consisted of piping hot pepperoni pizza, foot-long subs and cheeseburger sliders.
“It’s a carb fest,” Annie remarked, giggling. “But considering we worked off, like, eighty zillion calories this week, I’m not too worried about it.”
Holly demonstrated her agreement by chomping into a roast-beef sub, chased down with a handful of nachos.
Phones were buzzing around the room like mosquitoes as girls weepily exchanged contact information. Promises to keep in touch took on the feeling of solemn oaths, and Annie was sure that they would be honoured. She herself had every intention of staying in close contact with Charlotte, Eve, Cheryl, Luna, and Sue.
Especially Sue...
As she watched her new friend help herself to a soda, an idea struck her. “Are you by any chance seeing anyone at the moment?” Annie broached.
Sue sipped her drink and gave Annie a curious look. “No. Why?”
“Well, I’ve got this friend, Lauren. She’s great.” Annie punched the screen of her phone until a photo of herself and Lauren popped up.
Sue smiled. “Cute.”
“Right?” Annie felt a rush of
excitement at the thought of introducing two people she liked and admired. “She’s only just come out – in fact, she’s not here because she was planning to tell her parents this week.”
Sue winced. “I remember that experience. It was complicated to say the least.”
“I was thinking maybe I could put you two in touch and she could talk to you about it,” said Annie. “And then, ya know ... maybe...”
“Maybe we’ll hit it off?” Sue finished, giggling.
“Yes!”
“Sounds good to me,” said Sue, lifting her drink can to click Annie’s cup of lemonade in a toast. “If she’s a friend of yours, I like her already.”
“Look at you playing matchmaker,” teased Holly, sidling up with a slice of pizza.
Annie’s heart flipped. She hadn’t known Holly was in earshot, and now she felt terrible. Telling Sue, who was from out of town, was one thing, but maybe Lauren wasn’t ready to share this information with the rest of her teammates yet.
Her panic must have been evident, because Holly gave her an understanding look.
“Don’t worry, I already knew. Lauren told me last week. In fact, she’s telling everybody on the team, one at a time. So it’s OK. You didn’t accidentally out her.”
Annie breathed deeply, feeling relieved, but she made a mental note to be more careful when it came to discussing personal topics – especially when they concerned another person. Then she smiled at Holly. “Don’t you think Sue and Lauren would get along brilliantly?” she asked.
“I do,” said Holly. “They’d be a great couple.” She bit into her pizza and grinned. “Kinda like you and Jesse.”
Annie rolled her eyes. “This again? I told you—”
“Oh, I know what you told us,” said Holly. “But I also know what I can see with my own eyes. And I think you two would be great together. Hell, you already are great together. You just don’t know it yet.”
Annie was spared further commentary on the topic by the arrival of two familiar faces. Todd and Chad, the boys from the jazz café, were entering the snack bar.
Eve was at Annie’s elbow in a second flat, looking excited and panicked. “It’s the boys from Ziggy’s!” she whispered. “If they see us with the other campers, they’ll know we lied about being students here.”