Saving the Team Read Online Free PDF

is just going to cut into my audition time!” Frida wailed as she turned around and left the locker room.
    Just ahead of us Emma was craning her neck, trying to see if our names were on the list.
    â€œDevin, your name’s on the list,” Emma said. “And there’s Jessi, Zoe, and me, too. We all made it!”
    Zoe had a look of complete shock on her face. Emma gave her a hug. “Awesome! We’re all on the team together,” Emma cheered.
    â€œWait a second.” Jessi got up close to the list and squinted. “Every person who tried out made the team!”
    I squeezed past Emma to take a look at the list with my own eyes. I scanned the page, and ten eighth graders and nine seventh graders had made the team.
    â€œNineteen girls tried out yesterday,” I recalled. “And everyone made it? Wow, that’s a big team.”
    In soccer only eleven players could be on the field at a time. Most teams had spots for three or four alternates, but the Kentville Kangaroos had eight. That was a lot.
    Emma shrugged. “That’s Coach Flores for you. She wants everyone to have a chance.”
    I felt silly for even being nervous about tryouts. I could have sat on the field, recited nursery rhymes, andstill made the team. That fact took away my feeling of accomplishment. I never imagined soccer in California would be like this! On the bright side, I had three new soccer friends to hang out with. But then Mirabelle’s face popped into my mind. How was I going to deal with her?

CHAPTER FOUR

    After school the next day I realized I’d forgotten my gym clothes, so I had to go home to change for our first practice. I didn’t want to be late, so I hustled over to the Kentville soccer field as fast as I could. I had on my pink headband and was ready to go. As I arrived, I saw a bunch of boys stretching and getting ready for their practice. All of them were laughing and joking with one another, completely oblivious to me, standing by the far goalpost. There wasn’t a girl soccer player in sight. Had I gotten something mixed up? When was our practice? This was where we’d had tryouts the other day.
    Setting my bag down, I pulled out my phone and pulled up the schedule Coach Flores had e-mailed out to us yesterday. Yes, it was right there: Wednesday, September 3, two forty-five p.m., girls’ practice. So where was everybody?
    â€œWhat’re you doing here?” a voice said from behind me.
    I jumped. A skinny boy with spiky black hair squinted hard at me. He looked familiar. I was pretty sure he was in my English class.
    â€œI’m, um, on the soccer team.”
    His eyes widened in surprise. “The guys’ soccer team?”
    â€œNo!” I shook my head quickly. “I’m on the girls’ team. But nobody’s here. We’re supposed to have practice now.”
    â€œThe girls don’t practice here,” he said, stating the obvious. Then he offered something useful. “They’re across the street, at the community park.”
    â€œSteven!” shouted some boys from across the field. “Get over here. We have to start!”
    â€œSorry. Gotta go,” Steven said, trotting off backward while pointing across the street. “You better run.”
    I picked up my duffel and sprinted across the street in the direction he’d pointed in. Peering through the trees bordering the park, I spotted the girls’ soccer team in the distance, and jogged over to them.
    I broke into a sprint again and ran up to Coach Flores, who was talking to some of the players.
    â€œI’m so sorry. I went to the wrong place,” I said, still panting.
    â€œNo problem! I’m glad you made it,” she said with a smile.
    My old coach back in Connecticut would have made me run laps for being late, but I didn’t tell Coach Flores that.
    â€œGet in line and get ready to have fun!” she said cheerily.
    The team was in one long