Shaken Up Read Free Page B

least not this Saturday, anyway.”
    Zoe looked at me. “Hey, Devin, you’re really quiet. You okay?”
    â€œI guess I’m still upset about that earthquake yesterday,” I admitted.
    Jessi put her arm around me. “It was her first earthquake!”
    â€œWas there an earthquake last night?” Frida asked, surprised. “I didn’t notice it.”
    Emma nodded. “There was a small one. I think on the news they said it was a 3.9, so that’s practically nothing.”
    Nothing? I felt the color drain from my face. If that was nothing, what would a stronger earthquake be like? I didn’t want to find out.
    â€œMy mom made me and my dad go outside afterward in case of aftershocks,” Jessi said. “So I was happy about it. It was a nice break from homework, and my dad and I got the soccer ball out and started playing.”
    â€œWait, my dad didn’t make us go outside,” I said. “What are aftershocks? Is that, like, when there’s another earthquake after the first one?”
    â€œYeah,” Jessi replied. “But I didn’t feel anything yesterday.”
    I was starting to feel panicky. Why hadn’t Dad brought us outside? I tried to remember our earthquake training session. Had he said anything about aftershocks?
    Then Emma changed the subject. “So I heard the Spartans won their last game,” she said, talking about one of the teams in the boys’ winter soccer league.
    Frida looked at Jessi. “And I heard that Cody scored the game-winning goal,” she said.
    â€œWith an assist by Steven,” Jessi said, grinning at me.
    Cody and Steven were friends of ours, and there was some crushing going on between me and Steven and between Cody and Jessi. My parents wouldn’t let me goout on dates (and neither would Jessi’s), but we were allowed to hang out at the mall and places like that.
    And of course, we got to see them in school. Steven and I had World Civ and English together. Most days we got a chance to talk when we walked from one class to the other. A lot of our conversations were about soccer, because Steven was a fanatic like me.
    â€œWe really should go out and see one of their games,” Zoe suggested. “But with the winter league schedule, it’s hard to find the time.”
    â€œSteven mentioned that he and Cody were going to try to come to the Griffons game this Saturday,” I said, and Jessi got a big smile on her face. “The Spartans are playing in the afternoon. I think it’s one of the first times our game schedules don’t conflict.”
    â€œIf Cody is in the stands, I’ll have to show him how it’s done,” Jessi said, her eyes gleaming. “Look for me to score a flawless hat trick at Saturday’s game.”
    â€œI would love to score a hat trick in a game,” said Zoe. “Do you really think you could?”
    â€œIf Coach keeps me in for more than a quarter, I bet I could,” Jessi said.
    â€œWell, I hope you do,” I said. “I want to win this game! I think the Griffons have a good shot at being the winter league champions.”
    â€œWait a second,” Zoe said. “The Gators are a strong team. We’ve got our eye on the championship too.”
    That was the weirdest thing about the winterleague—that the Kicks didn’t get to stay together on the same team. Zoe and the Kicks former co-captain, Grace, played for the Gators, and I knew we were going to have to face them later in the season. I had thought about what it would be like to have Zoe on the opposing team, and to maybe even try to steal the ball from her. Like I said—weird!
    â€œYou guys have a great record so far,” I said, and then suddenly a loud boom filled the air. The floor under my feet began vibrating, and I felt a wave of panic wash over me. It was another earthquake!
    I almost dove under the table, before I saw out of the corner of my