Settle the Score Read Free Page B

Players are traded or move to other teams, and suddenly best friends are dueling it out on the field.”
    â€œI didn’t think of that,” I said. “Yeah, I just need to suck it up and do my best.”
    â€œPlus, it may give you an advantage,” Kara pointed out. “I mean, you know the strengths and weaknesses of some of the Gators already.”
    â€œI didn’t think of that either,” I said. “Is it possible you’re getting even smarter?”
    Kara grinned. “Go, Griffons!” she cheered. “Let me know how it goes tonight. I should be back from ice-skating by seven.”
    â€œIce-skating?” I still had a hard time remembering that it was winter back in Connecticut, when it was so warm and sunny in California.
    â€œYeah, Matt Solomon asked me, and—”
    â€œYou’re going ice-skating with Matt Solomon? Like, on a date?” I interrupted.
    â€œNo. I mean, kind of,” Kara said, blushing a little. “There’s a whole bunch of us going. But Matt is the one who asked me if I would go.”
    â€œI didn’t know you liked him,” I said. “I thought you said he was weird, after he ate those banana sandwiches every day for lunch for a whole year.”
    Kara shrugged. “Weird, but cute,” she said, blushing again. “Hey, don’t you need to get to your game?”
    I looked at the time. “Oh yeah! Have fun skating.”
    â€œHave fun beating the Gators!” she called out, and then we both signed off.
    Mom, Dad, and Maisie were all waiting downstairs to go to the game with me—my own personal cheering section. My dad had never missed a single one of my games, which I thought was pretty impressive. And most of the time I had all three of my biggest fans there to watch me play.
    The winter league games were held at fields around the county, and the Gators game was taking place at the Rancho Verdes Middle School field. We pulled up in the Marshmallow at eleven forty-five, fifteen minutes earlier than Coach Darby had required. I saw a bunch of other Griffons on the field, which made me feel good—until I saw the mob of Gators in their purple uniforms jogging around the track. They had started their practice even earlier than we’d been planning to!
    I saw Zoe’s strawberry-blond head bobbing in the group of Gators. She had a look of determination on her face like I’d never seen. When Mom parked the Marshmallow, I jogged toward my teammates, trying to put that same look on my own face. The Gators were clearly in it to win, and the Griffons had to be too.
    As soon as I reached the field, Coach Darby started having us do skill drills. It was earlier than noon, but I guessed that she was feeling the pressure too. After our warm-up we performed our pregame cartwheel ritual (each one of us did a cartwheel and then named someone else to do one) and then cooled down with some stretching. I gazed up into the stands.
    Mom, Dad, and Maisie were all holding a long GO, DEVIN! banner. I hadn’t known they were going to do that. Sometimes I thought I had the sweetest family ever.
    And behind them I saw a big pink sign with GO, GRIFFONS and a big purple sign with GO, GATORS on it, right next to each other. I had a feeling I knew who was behind those, and then I saw their faces—Emma held the Griffons sign, and Frida held the Gators sign. They had figured out a way to root for both teams.
    I gave them a wave as Coach Darby called us over to the sidelines. The game was about to start.
    â€œAll right, the Gators are going to be tough to beat,” she said. “So I want to see everybody give a hundred and ten percent out there. You got it?”
    â€œYes, Coach!” we replied.
    â€œLet’s keep that energy going!” she said. “Now let’s talk about the lineup. Devin, Jamie, and Kelly, I want you on forward. My midfielders are . . .”
    I didn’t hear any more