Settle the Score Read Free Page A

“One second late, and you’ll be sitting on the bench. Got it?”
    We all nodded.
    â€œGet plenty of sleep the night before. No texting your friends all night, or whatever it is you do that makes you all look so tired in the morning. We need to win this game on Saturday. We can win this game on Saturday. But the Gators are undefeated. We’ve got to give them all we’ve got. Do you hear me?”
    â€œYes, Coach!” we all shouted.
    â€œGood,” she said. “See you Saturday!”
    Then everyone started milling around. Some girls were stretching, while others collapsed onto the grass.
    â€œHey, everybody, I was thinking we could go out for pizza on Saturday after the game,” I said. “Win or lose.”
    â€œWho says we’re going to lose?” Jessi asked.
    â€œYou know what I mean,” I said. “We haven’t gone out as a team in a while. I just thought it might be nice.”
    â€œIt’s a good idea, but does it have to be pizza, again?” Kristin asked.
    â€œYeah, but it’s our tradition!” Zarine pointed out.
    The other girls had started chiming in, saying they’d do it, and pizza was okay, when I noticed that Jamie was headed out to the parking lot.
    â€œBe right back,” I told my other teammates as I walked over to Jamie.
    As I approached her, Jamie rolled her eyes, and I knew what she was thinking. Why was I even bothering? But even though Jamie might have been made of ice, I kept thinking I might be able to thaw her out somehow. She was the only player keeping us from having complete team unity. And that was something I really wanted. But besides that, I kind of felt sorry for Jamie. She didn’t seem to have any real friends on the team, and it made her an outsider. I could at least try to make her feel included.
    â€œHey, Jamie!” I said. “I was just making plans with everybody to go out for pizza after the game on Saturday.”
    â€œHow nice for you,” she said, in that sarcastic way of hers. Her eyes darted around the parking lot, ignoring me.
    â€œWell, it will be nice,” I said, “and it would also be nice if you came with us.”
    Now, I’m sure I sounded like a dork. But I wasn’t going to get caught up in being sarcastic back to Jamie. That was her game, not mine.
    To my surprise Jamie turned to look at me. “Yeah, well, thanks for asking,” she said. “I’m just not into celebrating, I guess. Not for myself, anyway.” And then she walked away without another word.
    That was a strange comment, I thought. Not into celebrating? I had a feeling that I would never figure Jamie out. But at least I had tried.
    Jessi ran up to me. “I think I see the Marshmallow,” she said, pointing to my mom’s white van as it pulled into the parking lot. “I think you’re going to have to carry me inside.”
    I laughed. “Come on, was that practice really too much for you?”
    â€œYes!” Jessi replied. “And you’re lying if you say it was easy.”
    â€œNobody said winning was going to be easy,” I told her, and Jessi shook her head.
    â€œYou sound like Coach Darby.”
    I put on my best Coach Darby voice. “Drop and give me a thousand!” I barked, and we were both cracking up as we piled into the van.

“So you’re nervous about playing against Zoe?” Kara asked. Kara was my best friend back in Connecticut. She was the thing I missed most about leaving there, and we made it a point to video chat almost every day.
    I was in my bedroom, talking to Kara on my laptop, and wearing my pink, white, and blue Griffons uniform.
    â€œNot nervous, exactly,” I said. “Just feeling weird. How can I want to beat the Gators when I know that Zoe wants to win as much as I do?”
    Kara nodded sympathetically. “I get it. But I think you have to put it aside. I bet this happens all the time to the pros.