Roller Hockey Rumble Read Free Page A

puck.
    “Well, at least the defense is on top of things,” Bizz said as she watched X take a shot on goal. “Next time, Mark, try to be a little less obvious, okay?” Mark grinned sheepishly.
    “Okay, next play. Three-man weave. Simple. Jonas, you, me, and Mark line up on the center line. I’ve got the puck. I pass to Jonas, on my right, then skate behind him and take his spot. Jonas, you dribble to the middle, then pass to Mark. Mark takes your place, you take his. Got it?”
    “What do I do?” Savannah asked.
    “Stay back and out of the way,” Bizz replied shortly.

CHAPTER SEVEN
    Eyes downcast, Savannah skated to a spot near the goal. Mark and Jonas exchanged glances, then took up their positions.
    “Let’s do it,” Bizz said. She passed to Jonas, then swung around behind him. Jonas skated to the center and passed to Mark.
    So far, so g— oh no!
Bizz squeezed her eyes shut. Instead of weaving
behind
Mark, Jonas skated in front of him. Amazingly, Mark managed to control the puck while dodging around Jonas. Now he made his way toward Bizz, getting ready to pass.
    “You cover her, I’ll get him!” X yelled to Charlie.
    With a roar, he skated as fast as he could right at Mark.
    Mark shrieked, lost his balance, and fell down. Unable to stop, X fell on top of him. The puck skittered off Mark’s stick and rolled toward Savannah.
    “Pick it up! Pick it up!” Bizz called. But Savannah was skating toward Mark and X.
    Luckily, the boys were unharmed. “Is that your leg or mine?” X joked as they untangled themselves. They started laughing.
    “All right, all right, break it up,” Bizz said gruffly. Still laughing, the boys got up.
    “Nice play,” X commented as he dusted himself off. “A three-man weave with a two-man pileup! It’ll fake ’em out for sure.”
    All at once, Bizz’s blood boiled over. “Will you guys get serious?” she yelled. “And you,” she added, turning to Savannah, “you let the puck go right by you!”
    “I thought those guys were hurt!” Savannah protested.

    “Who cares? If this had been a game, you could’ve scored when they were down! Can’t you do anything right?”
    Savannah stared with shocked eyes at her friend. Then she took out her mouth guard, removed her helmet, and skated out of the rink. A moment later, she disappeared into the Community Center.
    “What’s with her?” Bizz asked.
    Mark, no longer laughing, shook his head in disgust. Without replying, he followed Savannah.
    Bizz watched him go, then turned to see Charlie and X collecting their stuff. “Oh, great, you’re going to quit, too?” She threw her hands up. “Jonas, help me out here!”
    Jonas looked from Bizz to Charlie and X and back again. “I don’t know, Bizz,” he said. “I think you need more help than I can give you.” He joined Charlie and X. Together, the three skated off toward the ramps and rails, leaving Bizz by herself in the empty rink.
    “Fine,” she muttered savagely. “Be that way. Who needs you?”
    “You do,” came a soft voice from behind her. Bizz whirled around and came face-to-face with Alison.
    Bizz jutted out her chin. “Okay, you’re right. I can’t win Saturday’s game all by myself.”
    “No, you can’t,” replied Alison. “But if you’re not careful, by yourself is the way you’re going to be — and not just this Saturday, either.”
    “What’s that supposed to mean?”
    “You’re a smart girl. You’ll figure it out. Hopefully, before it’s too late.” She skated away.
    Bizz unbuckled her helmet and took off her pads. Then she picked up her mouth guard — and suddenly, she thought of Savannah. Savannah, her best friend. Savannah, who barely knew the first thing about roller hockey but was willing to play against a team of
huge
kids because her friends needed her.
    And how had Bizz repaid such loyalty and bravery? By behaving like a jerk — and not just to Savannah, but to all her friends!

CHAPTER EIGHT
    Bizz gathered her things and