The Swap Read Free

and Aspen skipping across the parking lot all the way to Sassy’s mom’s minivan. We have just finished the first day of tryouts for the Thunderbirds thirteen-and-under indoor travel team. Sassy and Aspen are leaning into each other, arms looped, and shrieking with laughter like they are in on some big joke that none of us are cool enough to possibly ever get. Usually Sassy’s mom gives me a ride too. But ever since Sassy’s been acting like I don’t exist, their car is suddenly “ full .” As in—“Oh, sorry, Ellie, we’re, like . . .”—Sassy will pause to glance at Aspen, sharing an entire sentence without saying a word—“We’re, like, yeah, we’re not going straight home.”
    I turn back to Claire. She has a funny look on her face, and my heart starts to hurt right then. Right that second. It’s so weird, isn’t it? How your heart can hurt. How your heart sort of knows more than you know.
    â€œOh, forget it, nothing.” Claire looks at me as if she is really embarrassed, like she wasn’t supposed to say anything. She quickly tries to change the subject. “Hey, so are you excited for school tomorrow?”
    â€œWait, what were you going to say?” I spot my mom’s car turning into the Sportsplex and try rushing things. “You can tell me,” I say. My voice sounds so soft, and in the gap of quietness I force a shaky smile.
    â€œOh, I guess, like . . . ,” Claire starts, but stops herself.
    I stand there.
    I don’t move.
    My heart is pounding and my cheeks get really hot.
    â€œWell, um . . . there’s no easy way to tell you this.” Claire looks at me uncomfortably, as if she’s warning me that she is really very sorry for what she’s about to say. “I guess you didn’t see the thing Sassy wrote on Facebook?”
    I shake my head. I don’t have Facebook .
    Neither of us speaks for a few seconds.
    I glance over at my mom waving me toward the car and put my finger up as if to say, “One sec.”
    â€œShe said . . . uh . . .”
    â€œYou can tell me, Claire, please ?” I am practically begging at this point.
    â€œShe said, um . . .” Claire pauses and looks around her as if she’s scared of Sassy overhearing her, even though Sassy is long gone. “She said, like, you . . .” Claire’s voice trails off just as her ride pulls up. She back steps at first, before whirling around toward the car, then right before she opens the door she looks back over her shoulder. “Sorry, ” she mouths.
    â€œWait, Claire,” I call after her. “What did she—”
    But by then it is too late. Claire is already in the car, with the door shut.
    Six older boys burst out the front doors of the Sportsplex and practically plow me over because I am completely in the way. And I just stand there for a few seconds, kind of frozen and kind of shocked. I guess that’s when it really hits me. Finally. I get it. I’ve been officially, unofficially, dropped .

UNCORRECTED E-PROOF—NOT FOR SALE
    HarperCollins Publishers
    ..................................................................

    â€œSON?”
    â€œYes, sir?” I pause, my hand on the truck door handle, and turn toward my dad. This is what we always do before The Captain drops me off at practice. I don’t know if it’s a superstition or just a routine, but I always stop right before I get out of the truck, and listen. My dad is tough. He pushes us. He was a captain in the army, and before that he was an All-American for Boston College, so, I mean, he knows what it takes.
    â€œGo in there and work hard. Give it all you have. No regrets,” he tells me.
    â€œNo regrets, yes, sir,” I say back. We do a nod, and I finally open the door and leap out of the truck.
    The Captain rolls down the window on my side and leans toward me.