Blow Out Read Online Free PDF

down across from them. Nita had been trying to set her up with Peyton forever. This run-in was no coincidence.
    Nita shrugged innocently.
    Lacy had too much on her mind to chitchat with boys. Lacy paid little attention as they went through the usual small talk—mutual friends, teachers, music. So she was caught off guard when Peyton asked her, “How’s soccer practice going?”
    â€œSoccer practice?” Lacy mumbled. “It’s okay.”
    She glanced at Nita for help, but her friend’s fingers were playfully traveling up Reggie’s arm as he whispered in her ear. Lacy felt so awkward. Peyton wasn’t Sam, whom she could flirt with and not have it mean anything. When Peyton’s deep brown eyes met hers she looked away, almost afraid she might melt.
    â€œHow’s your knee?” Peyton asked.
    â€œIt’s coming along. I’m just…” She hesitated, not wanting to sound like a wimp.
    â€œScared?” he finished for her.
    â€œYeah,” she said, letting out a breath.
    â€œI had an ACL thing a year and a half ago.”
    â€œYou did?”
    He took another bite of his pizza. “Yeah, it totally sucked! Did you need surgery, too?”
    Lacy nodded. “It was horrible. But I think the worst part was physical therapy.”
    â€œYeah, I felt like punching my therapist a few times. ‘Come on, give me ten more!’”
    Lacy laughed.
    â€œScared the crap out of me to play again. Well, for a while, anyway.”
    â€œYou’re not worried about it now?”
    â€œNot really. I’m still pretty good at one-touch scoring off crosses. I don’t think twice about sprinting into a crowd anymore.”
    Fearless scoring had been one of Lacy’s strengths too. She’d come up with creative goals no matter what was happening around her.
    â€œI think I’m jealous,” Lacy said.
    â€œDon’t be. I’ve still got the same problems I always had.” He shoved the last of the pizza into his mouth. “Coach had me try a penalty kick in our last game. Overflew the net by five feet. Totally embarrassing.”
    â€œHuh. I’m just the opposite.”
    â€œYou’ve got a good kick?”
    â€œShe’s got a
killer
kick with a wicked curve,” Nita said. She grinned at Lacy.
    Lacy felt her cheeks warm. Talking to Peyton was fun. She wanted to punch Nita for being right.

O
    livia made a brilliant takeaway, stealing the ball from the opposing attacker. She dribbled and passed to Elise in center midfield. As Lacy sprinted to get into position, she glanced over her left shoulder to keep her eyes on the ball. Elise sidestepped a defender and chipped the ball to Nita. With a perfect first touch, Nita got the ball from her thigh to the sole of her foot and jerked away from another defender.
    Yes!
Lacy thought. The pattern they’d been practicing was working exactly as planned.
    Lacy ran across the field, and Nita tapped her the ball. Two defenders charged for it, but Lacy’s timing was perfect. She had pulled her foot back to hammer the ball into the net when she heard, “I’ll take that.”
    Raven knocked the ball out from under Lacy, tripping her in the process. With pain surging through her right knee, Lacy fell to the ground. She saw Raven’s strike float over the keeper’s hands and into the back of the net as Coach Berg yelled, “Good strike, McAlister!”
    Lacy sat up with a start. Sweat had soaked through her T-shirt.
    Her door swung open, and the light switched on. “Are you all right?” Lacy’s mother asked as she stepped to Lacy’s bed.
    â€œYeah, I think so.”
    â€œI was walking down the hallway and heard you shout.”
    Instinctively, Lacy touched her knee. The nightmare had felt so real. “I … I’m okay.”
    Her mother sat on the edge of the bed and brushed the hair off Lacy’s forehead. “You’re perspiring. Do you