by Jake Maddox
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1
Bad News
CHAPTER 2
Combined?
CHAPTER 3
Enemies
CHAPTER 4
Always Be Eagles
CHAPTER 5
Luck
CHAPTER 6
The Lineup
CHAPTER 7
Unfair
CHAPTER 8
Second String
CHAPTER 9
Impossible
CHAPTER 10
Just Slipped?
CHAPTER 1
BAD NEWS
Anna Reed crouched slightly in the goal and squinted up the field. She smiled as she watched Brittany West kick the soccer ball down the empty field they used for practice. Brittany was a great ball handler. She was also Anna’s best friend.
“You can’t stop me!” Brittany yelled as she moved closer to the goal.
Anna watched Brittany’s feet carefully. She stayed ready to pounce.
Brittany was tricky. She’d make goalies think she was shooting low. Then she would go high with her shot. She was also good at faking left, then shooting right.
Brittany planted her left foot and got ready to shoot. Anna bent down and bounced slightly, ready to block. It looked like Brittany was shooting right.
Then Brittany kicked. Just at the last second, Anna realized the shot was going left. She leaped across the goal. Just before the ball flew into the net, Anna was able to tap it with her left hand. It went off course and missed the net.
Anna hit the ground hard, but she was smiling. She stood up and brushed the dirt off her T-shirt and shorts.
“Nice shot, Brittany,” Anna said to her friend. “But not nice enough.”
“How’d you know I was going left?” Brittany asked. “I was sure you’d think I was going right.”
Anna shrugged. “Just psychic, I guess,” she said, smiling. “Anyway, that was a great shot. East Side doesn’t stand a chance this year!” East Side Middle School was their school’s biggest rival in girls’ soccer.
“Especially with you in goal!” Brittany replied.
Anna sighed. “Looks like it’s getting late,” she said. “I better get home.”
Brittany nodded. “Yeah,” she said. “Dinner’s probably waiting for me, too.”
“See you tomorrow,” Anna said.
Brittany rolled her eyes. “First day of school,” she said. “Oh joy.”
Anna waved. Then she jogged home.
* * *
“Dad!” Anna called as she walked into her apartment. “I’m home!”
She walked into the TV room. Her dad put down his newspaper. “There’s mail for you,” he said. “From school.”
“From school?” Anna said, worried. Mail from school was usually bad news, but she hadn’t even started classes yet.
“Have a seat,” Dad said.
He picked up a letter from the coffee table in front of him. After a quick glance at it, he handed it to Anna.
“Who is it from?” Anna asked.
“Well, read it!” Dad replied.
Anna read the letter. It was from Coach Zimmerman, the girls’ soccer coach.
“What?” Anna yelled as she reached the last line. “I can’t believe this!”
“I know,” Dad replied. “I can understand why you’d be upset.”
“I have to call Brittany!” Anna replied.
Dad nodded. “Okay,” he said. “Try to be quick, though. Dinner is ready.”
Anna ran to her bedroom and quickly dialed Brittany’s house. “Did you hear?” Anna practically yelled into the phone.
“Hear what?” Brittany replied.
“Didn’t you get a letter from school today?” Anna said. “About funding for athletics?”
“Yes, I did,” Brittany said. “What are we going to do? No funding means no girls’ soccer team this year!”
CHAPTER 2
COMBINED?
“This is the worst news ever,” Jasmine Alito said the next day at lunch. She stared down at her green beans. Jasmine was the best defender on the Lincoln Middle School girls’ soccer team, the Eagles.
Even though Jasmine was much taller than Anna and Brittany, she was like a little sister to them. They were all in eighth grade, but Jasmine had skipped a grade and was a year younger.
“Jasmine’s right!” Anna said. “How are we going to survive school without the soccer team?” she asked.
“There’s Coach Zimmerman!” Jasmine said. She jumped up and walked over to the coach. Anna and Brittany followed her.
“Coach!” Anna called.
“Hi, girls,” the coach replied. She looked worried and upset.
“Coach Z, tell us what’s going on!” Jasmine said. “No girls’ soccer team this year?”
Coach Zimmerman frowned. “I’m afraid that’s right, Jasmine,” she replied. “We just couldn’t afford to have a girls’ soccer team at Lincoln this year.”
“But there’s going to be a boys’ team!” Anna pointed out. “That’s not fair!”
Coach Zimmerman shook her head. “I know,” she said, “but some players from East Side are joining because their funds were cut as well. The girls’ team would have only had you three, plus Diana and Eve. That’s not even enough for a starting lineup. We probably would have had to cancel the team anyway, even without the funding cut. All the schools in the county are being affected.”
“But we want to play!” Anna said.
“Yeah!” Brittany added.
Coach Zimmerman sighed. “I know. I think we’ve figured something out,” she replied. “I’m on my way to meet with Principal Jackson right now about an idea that might work.” The coach patted Anna on the shoulder and tried to smile. Then she walked off toward the principal’s office.
As Anna, Brittany, and Jasmine sat in class an hour later, Principal Jackson’s voice crackled over the PA system.
“Attention, attention,” the principal’s voice said. “Any girls who wish to play soccer this season should meet with Coach Zimmerman immediately after school today.”
The principal continued, “Due to a lack of funds for soccer at our school and East Side Middle School, the teams have been combined.”
“What?” half the class said at once.
“No way,” Jasmine said.
Anna’s mouth hung open. “We have to play with East Side,” she said. “Our biggest rivals!”
CHAPTER 3
ENEMIES
Anna, Brittany, and Jasmine sat by the window in their last class of the day. Anna stared out the window at the soccer field.
It’s not much of a field, she thought. The grass was mostly brown or gone completely. Even from where she was sitting, she could see rocky patches on the field. And the goals were bent and their nets were torn and falling off in places.
“Anna,” Brittany said. “Wake up.”
“Huh?” Anna replied, turning away from the window. “Is it time to go?”
Brittany shook her head. “No,” she replied, “but you were daydreaming. We have to finish this assignment.”
“I know,” Anna said. “Just thinking about soccer. I’ll miss playing on our field.”
“That old, nasty field?” Brittany said, nodding toward the window. “You’re crazy.”
Anna shrugged. “Whatever,” she said.
“I’m excited about playing at East Side,” Brittany went on in a whisper. “Remember how nice their field is?”
“Of course,” Anna said, thinking about their rival’s perfect athletics field.
Jasmine turned around in her seat. “Talking about the soccer team?” she asked.
Anna and Brittany nodded. Brittany was smiling, but Anna seemed a little down.
“A
re you worried, Anna?” Jasmine asked. “Me too.”
“What are you worried about?” Brittany asked.
“Are you kidding?” Jasmine replied. “It’s East Side Middle School! Our enemies! What if their players don’t even want us around?”
Anna opened her eyes wide. “Whoa,” she said. “I hadn’t even thought of that.”
Suddenly, Brittany wasn’t smiling either.
After the bell rang, the girls grabbed their bags and darted from class. Mr. Conrad barely had time to call after them, “Don’t forget! Page ten in your textbook, for tomorrow!”
“Ugh,” Brittany said as she jogged toward Coach Zimmerman’s office. “Homework already.”
The coach was waiting for them in her office, along with Diana and Eve.
“Hi, Di,” Anna said with a wave. “Hi, Eve.”
The other girls smiled and said hello. Then Coach Zimmerman clapped her hands. “Okay, girls,” she said. “Let’s get to the bus.”
“Take a deep breath, everybody,” Brittany said. “We’re going where no Eagle has gone before.”
CHAPTER 4
ALWAYS BE EAGLES
The yellow bus pulled up in front of East Side Middle School. All of the girls stared out the windows.
East Side Middle School was huge, and it looked brand new. It was all cement and big windows. It was set on a big green field of grass. Green hills rose up behind it.
“Here we are,” Coach Zimmerman said as the driver opened the door. “Everyone out.”
The girls got off the bus and stood around their coach. “All right, Eagles,” Coach Zimmerman said. “We’re guests here at East Side, so be good.”
The girls all nodded.
“And one more thing,” the coach added as they started walking toward the entrance. “You’ll be called Tigers now, but you’ll always be Eagles to me. Got it?”
The girls all smiled. They followed Coach Zimmerman through the school toward the big courtyard, where the soccer field was. The coach pushed open the big metal doors and the five Eagles stepped outside.
The East Side Middle School soccer field was bright green. The boundaries and center line were all freshly painted. The goals looked brand new.
All around the field were stands for students, teachers, and families to watch games. Girls’ soccer was very important at East Side Middle School.
“Soccer is way more important here than at Lincoln,” Anna mumbled to herself.
“What?” Brittany whispered.
Anna shook her head. “Nothing,” she replied. Then she nodded toward the field. “Check it out.”
The Tigers were all gathered on the field. There were about fifteen of them, and they were all wearing the Tigers uniform.
“They look like a commercial,” Brittany whispered.
The uniforms were bright yellow, with red and white numbers and red and white stripes on the sleeves and shorts.
One person among the Tigers was wearing a red warm-up jacket and pants. She was about the same height as the players, but her hair was very short and bright white. “That must be their coach,” Jasmine said.
Eve nodded. “Yup,” she said. “I hear she’s pretty tough.”
“Coach Zimmerman?” the coach called. She waved. “Come on over!”
The girls followed Coach Zimmerman toward the middle of the field. The East Side girls watched as the Lincoln girls walked up. Anna thought that the East Side players didn’t seem happy to have guests.
“Hi,” Coach Zimmerman said as she shook the other coach’s hand. “Call me Coach Z.”
“All right, Coach Z,” said the other coach. “I’m Coach Suzy.”
Brittany leaned over to Eve. “Coach Suzy?” she whispered. “Sounds tough.”
The other girls giggled. Coach Zimmerman shot them a look and they quieted down.
“Well, Coach Suzy,” Coach Zimmerman said, “here are your new players from Lincoln Middle School.”
Coach Suzy turned to the Lincoln girls and wrinkled her brow. “Hmm,” she said. “Looks like a good bunch.”
Then Coach Suzy squinted at Anna. “Aren’t you Anna Reed?” she said. “And you’re Brittany West, right?”
Anna and Brittany looked at each other. “Yup,” they replied together.
A couple of girls from the East Side team stepped forward. They looked at Anna and Brittany.
Coach Suzy smiled at Anna and Brittany. “I remember you two from last year,” she said. “For some reason, I thought you were in eighth grade last year, from how well you played. But now I remember that you were in seventh.”
The two girls from East Side who had moved to the front looked at each other. Then they whispered something.
“Right,” Anna said. “We’re in eighth.”
“Great,” Coach Suzy said. “The Tigers will be lucky to have you.”
“Right,” said the taller of the two whispering East Side girls. “Very lucky.” She glared at Anna.
CHAPTER 5
LUCK
“Okay,” Coach Suzy said. She blew her whistle. “Let’s get started with tryouts!”
The East Side girls all ran to one end of the field. “Okay,” Jasmine said. “I guess we should go with them.” The five Lincoln girls ran after the others.
“Everyone line up,” Coach Suzy called. “We’re going to do some dribbling drills, some passing drills, some shooting drills, and then a scrimmage.”
Anna glanced at one of the girls who had been whispering. The girl was pretty tall, and had long blond hair. Her jersey said the name “Rivers.”
“That’s Lindsay Rivers,” said Diana in her ear. “She’s the goalie. She started last year, too, just like you.”
Anna nodded. “Cool,” she said.
“And with her, that’s Marissa Lee,” Diana added. Marissa was short and had straight black hair. “She’s a defender. Not great, but she did start last year.”
“Think she’ll be competition for Jasmine?” Anna asked.
Diana bit her lip. “Hm,” she said. “Maybe. Jasmine is better, if you ask me, and really tough. But maybe Coach Suzy will treat her own players better.”
Anna nodded. “Yeah,” she said.
The drills went on for almost an hour. Then the scrimmage started.
“Anna,” Coach Suzy called out once the girls had gathered around. “You’re goalie for team A. Lindsay, you’re on team B.”
Lindsay glared at Anna with a smirk and mouthed at her, “You’re going down.”
“Bring it,” Anna mouthed back.
“Yeah!” Brittany called to Lindsay. “Bring it!”
“Okay, enough of that,” Coach Suzy said with a little chuckle. “Team A, throw on some blue jerseys, and let’s get going.”
All the Lincoln girls were placed on team A. Anna was relieved. She knew how her old teammates played, and what to expect.
Brittany took a pass off the kickoff and headed down field. Anna smiled.
“Think she’ll score on Lindsay?” Jasmine said from her position near the crease.
“No doubt!” Anna called back. “She was the best scorer in the league!”
The girls watched as Brittany faked out two defenders, including Marissa. “Here comes the shot,” Anna said. “Watch. She’s going high in the right corner.”
Anna was right, but Lindsay didn’t expect it. She dove high to the left.
“Goal!” Jasmine called, running up to midfield to give Brittany a hug. “Nice one!”
“Celebrate later, please,” Coach Suzy said over team A’s cheering. Then she grabbed the ball and dropped it in the middle for the kickoff.
Lindsay wasn’t fooled again by Brittany, or anyone else. But Anna didn’t let in even one goal, so Lindsay’s one mistake lost the game. Team A won 1–0.
While Jasmine, Brittany, and Anna were talking after the game, Lindsay and Marissa walked over to them.
“Lucky shot, Brittany,” Lindsay said. “It won’t happen again.”
“Lucky?” Brittany sa
id, looking Lindsay up and down. “That was not luck.”
Marissa rolled her eyes. Then she and Lindsay walked off.
“Nice game to you too,” Anna mumbled as the two other girls walked away.
“Don’t worry about her,” another East Side girl said. She was about Anna’s height, and had curly dark hair.
“She’s just worried because she’s actually got some competition in goal this year,” the girl went on. “I’m Kaitlyn, by the way.”
“Hi, Kaitlyn,” Anna said. “I’m Anna, and this is Jasmine and Brittany. And that’s Diana and Eve over there.”
Kaitlyn nodded. “I know who you guys are,” she said. “I wasn’t on the team last year, but I went to the games. I saw you two play a few times. You’re really great.”
“Thanks,” Brittany said. “You were pretty good out there today too.”
“I hope so,” Kaitlyn said. “It’ll be fun playing offense with you if I make the starting lineup.”
Suddenly Coach Suzy blew two sharp blasts on her whistle. All the girls gathered around her.
“Nice job, team A,” Coach Suzy said. “I was really impressed with everyone today. And I’ll post the lineup by Thursday afternoon.” She smiled.
“Lincoln girls,” she went on, “Coach Z will post the results at your school then too. Now hit the showers!”
The sun started to set as the Lincoln bus bounced along toward their school. “Boy, Lindsay Rivers is not my favorite person,” Brittany said.
“Don’t let her get to you,” Anna said. “Besides, I’m the one who’s competing with her for starting goalie.”
“You’ll get it for sure, Anna,” Jasmine said.
“No doubt,” Brittany added. “The three of us are definitely starting. I promise.”
CHAPTER 6
THE LINEUP
The next few days were tough. Even though Anna, Brittany, and Jasmine were confident, they didn’t know for sure they would make the team. And they really didn’t know if they’d get to be on the starting lineup.
“It’s just not fair,” Brittany said. She was pacing in front of the bulletin board near the locker room. They were waiting for Coach Zimmerman to post the list.
