Switch Play! Read Free Page B

you today?” she said, fighting back tears. “You’ve been mean to me all day!”
    When Ted didn’t answer, Lisa ran into the house.
    “See if I ever do anything nice for you again,” Ted thought he heard her say.

Chapter 9

    F or the second night in a row, Ted didn’t sleep well. The image of Lisa crying because of something he’d done made him feel
     rotten. He woke up the next morning determined to apologize for having been so mean.
    He changed his mind, however, when he saw her talking with Bundy before the game against the Torpedoes. The two glanced at
     Ted from time to time. He was sure they were talking about him.
    Lisa and Bundy broke apart a moment later. Bundy walked toward Ted.
    Ted half-expected Bundy to lecture him about staying in position, or to tell him that he’d talked to the coach about Ted’s
     problem. But Bundy just punched him on the shoulder and wished him a good game. Then he walked up to Stookie and started talking
     to him.
    Maybe the coach is going to talk to me instead, Ted thought nervously. But no one said anything to him during warm-up drills.
     Coach Bradley put him in at his usual position at the start of the game.
    Ted began to wonder if he might have misunderstood Lisa’s phone call.
But if she wasn’t asking Bundy to talk to the coach, then who did she ask him to talk to?
    He didn’t have time to think of an answer. The Torpedoes were bearing down on them with full force.
    The Torpedo right striker had the ball. She dodged around Amanda and kept coming. Ted thought she was heading straight for
     the goal.

    Bucky seemed to think so, too. He came out of the goal to challenge her.
    In a flash, the Torpedo kicked the ball to her teammate who was right at the goal mouth. Bucky was too far out of the goal
     to stop a kick. It looked like the Torpedoes would score first.
    But just as the Torpedo connected with the ball, Ted leaped into the goal. The ball soared toward him, chest high. Ted made
     sure he didn’t use his arms or hands. Instead, he stopped the ball with his chest. It rebounded off him and bounced away from
     the goal. Lisa quickly got control of it and sent it down the sideline.
    The fans went wild.
    “Great save!” Lisa crowed.
    “Thanks!” said Ted. He took a deep breath. “Listen, about yesterday —”
    He was interrupted when Bucky slapped him on the back. “Hey, I thought you were supposed to yell ‘Switch!’ when you wanted
     to change positions!” Bucky said with a laugh.
    Ted looked at him sharply.
Is Bucky making fun of me?
    No
, he decided.
Bucky was just making a joke.
    Ted didn’t have time to wonder why Lisa’s face was bright red. The ball was coming their way again.

Chapter 10

    T ed, Lisa, and the other fullbacks got into position. The Torpedoes passed the ball back and forth, then slowly closed in on
     the goal.
    The right striker had the ball again. She glanced at her center and the center started toward the goal.
    She’s going to pass to him!
Ted realized. Without hesitation, he rushed into the open space between them just as the right striker kicked a pass to the
     middle. Ted was there to steal theball. There was nothing in front of him but open space.
    He started to dribble. A quick glance showed him that both Bundy and Dewey were covered. Amanda was too far away to pass to.
     He kept dribbling.
    “Ted, switch!”
    It was Bundy! Ted faltered a step, then kept going. Bundy’s defender, confused, followed Bundy back to Ted’s position before
     realizing what had happened. By that time, Ted had crossed the center line.
    Ted’s heart was pounding. He could see the ’Cat strikers trying to get free for a pass. But the Torpedo defense was just too
     tough.
    “Ted, switch!”
    Stookie was the one who made the call this time. Ted dribbled madly past his teammate. The only thing between him and the
     goal were the fullbacks!
    But unlike Bundy’s defender, Stookie’sdefender didn’t follow Stookie. Instead, he moved in on Ted. Ted