Switch Play! Read Free

moment and then said, “You looked like you could use a break. You’ve been
     pretty busy out there today. Sit back, and take it easy.” That was all.
    Ted breathed a sigh of relief. He’d thought the coach was going to tell him to stop switching positions. It turned out he
     just wanted Ted to get a rest — which he needed anyway! But as he reached for a cup of water, he saw the coach look at him
     with a slight frown.

Chapter 6

    A s the second half continued, other players subbed in for the starters. Ted wished he’d be put back in, but the game ended
     with him still on the bench.
    The ’Cats won, 5–1. Ted felt good knowing his assist had helped their score. For the first time in days, he was friendly to
     his sister, even helping her find a misplaced shin pad.
    Their mother had been at the game, but she had to stop at the grocery store on the way home. The twins decided to walk home
     instead of going with her.
    They hadn’t gone more than a block when they heard footsteps running up behind them. It was Stookie.
    “What were you trying to prove out there?” he demanded, staring at Ted.
    Ted stopped. “What do you mean?” he asked.
    “You know what I mean,” Stookie said angrily. Before Ted could respond, Stookie added, “You’re a fullback, Ted. Usually you’re
     a good one, but today, sheesh! It was like you were hoping the coach would put you in as a halfback. If I didn’t know better,
     I would have said you were even trying to take over my position!” He barked out a short laugh. “Well, I’ve got news for you.
     There’s no way you’re getting my position, bud. In fact, you’ll be lucky to keep your own position with the way you were playing
     today!” With that, Stookie spun on his heel and stormed away.
    Ted turned, open-mouthed, to Lisa. She was looking at him thoughtfully.

    “What?” he said. “You think I was lousy today, too?”
    Lisa shrugged.
    Ted blurted, “I was just doing what the coach taught us in practice! And it worked, too, didn’t it? I made an assist for the
     first time in my life! But did anyone care about that? No! They were too busy cheering for Stookie and his stupid goal.” Fighting
     back tears, Ted took off down the street, leaving Lisa to stare after him.

Chapter 7

    T ed didn’t say much at dinner that night. Mrs. Gaddy and Lisa, on the other hand, talked about the game all through the meal,
     filling Mr. Gaddy in on what he’d missed.
    “Oh, and you should have seen Ted!” Mrs. Gaddy said with pride. “You made an assist, didn’t you?”
    Ted nodded, feeling a little spark of pleasure at the memory.
    “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you dribble that far downfield during a game before,”Mrs. Gaddy continued. “Why did you do it in this game? Was it a special play or something?”
    Ted was about to explain about switching and his hopes of making a goal when he realized Lisa was watching him closely. Suddenly,
     he didn’t feel like sharing his secret.
    “Uh, no,” he said quietly. “I — I just didn’t see any open players on the field so I kept going.” He turned his attention
     back to his dessert, hoping no one would see his red face. He finished as fast as he could, then excused himself. When he
     reached his bedroom, he closed the door and leaned against it.
    Why didn’t he want Lisa to find out his secret plan? Was it because he’d feel foolish if it didn’t succeed? Or was he afraid
     she’d think it was silly that he wanted people to cheer for him?
    “She wouldn’t understand,” he said out loud. “People clap for her all the time. I just want a turn, that’s all.”

    Later that night, Ted came into the kitchen looking for a snack. As he rummaged around in the pantry, he saw that the cordless
     phone wasn’t in its cradle. That’s when he heard Lisa whispering. She was standing in the hallway, her back to Ted.
    He held his breath and listened.
    “Great, so you’ll talk to him about Ted’s switching?” she murmured