Saving the Team Read Online Free PDF Page A

Pinewood.”
    â€œIt’s a super-expensive private school,” Zoe explained.
    â€œYeah, I keep hearing about how good they are at soccer,” I said.
    â€œBoth the boys’ and girls’ teams,” Jessi said, and nodded. “Anyway, Mirabelle really wanted to go there, but her parents couldn’t afford it. When she started sixth grade at Kentville, she completely changed. New wardrobe. New attitude. She acted like she didn’t even know who I was. We stopped hanging out. My mom said it was because we were at different schools, but something about her had changed.
    â€œI was so nervous to go into the sixth grade, knowing Mirabelle wouldn’t even talk to me,” Jessi said, and she smiled at Emma and Zoe. “But luckily I met these twoon the first day, and I wouldn’t trade them for all the Mirabelles on the planet!”
    I shuddered as the image of an army of snotty Mirabelles popped into my mind. “If Mirabelle ditched you , why is she so angry at you?”
    Emma and Zoe giggled as Jessi sighed.
    â€œAt first I missed the old Mirabelle,” Jessi admitted. “I was hurt and confused. I thought if I could just make her remember all the fun times we used to have, we could be friends again. So one day last year I put this picture of us together in elementary school in her backpack, thinking it would remind her of what good friends we used to be. But the picture fell out in the locker room at her travel team’s practice. All the Pinewood girls saw it and gave her a hard time about it.”
    â€œWhy?” I wondered. “What’s the big deal of having a picture in your backpack?” I kept one of me and Kara in my bag.
    Emma began to giggle again. “Let’s just say that Mirabelle wasn’t always the perfect, fashionable person you see today.”
    â€œShe had an awkward phase,” Jessi explained. “And maybe she used to dress a little dorky. I didn’t care. She was my friend. But she thought I’d planted the pic in her backpack on purpose, to embarrass her in front of her new friends. And she’s been mad at me ever since.”
    â€œIt’s been a whole year?” I asked. “Boy, she really holds a grudge.”
    Jessi nodded. “So, sorry, but if you’re friends with me, Mirabelle won’t be very nice to you.”
    Emma and Zoe laughed again. “Yeah, because she treats everyone else sooooooo nice, right?” Zoe said, and chortled.
    Jessi laughed. “Well, she is friends with all the popular eighth-grade girls,” she said. “I guess she figured they were the only kids in Kentville good enough for her.”
    â€œSometimes I think the only reason they’re friends with her is because they’re afraid of her,” Emma said. “She is really bossy.”
    â€œAnd pretty rude,” I added.
    At that moment Frida appeared from around the corner. “The list from tryouts is up!” she said. “Here’s hoping I didn’t make it!”
    Jessi jumped up and grabbed my hand to help me. The five of us raced toward the back of the gym and the locker rooms. My heart pounded as we ran, which didn’t help my increasing nervousness. Even though the team didn’t have a great record and seemed pretty disorganized, I really wanted to make it. I loved playing soccer, and I’d play anywhere I got the chance. Plus, I really liked Jessi, Zoe, and Emma.
    As we got down to the locker room, a few of the girls from tryouts were already there, taking turns looking at a list of names posted on the wall.
    â€œFrida, you’re on here!” someone cried out from the front.
    Frida let out a disappointed sigh at the news. Clenching her fist, she shook it at the sky. “Curses!” she exclaimed.
    Jessi patted her on the back. “Sorry, Frida. You should thank your mom for me, though. You’re a great player, even if you don’t want to be.”
    â€œThis