Cinderella in Cleats Carly Syms

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unfortunate luck of running into Trent Cunningham s girlfriend before sixth period, and, well, let s just say that I ve never met anyone quite so loyal to her boyfriend
before.
I d been looking forward to practice since Jeremy Norway s rant in Chemistry class. The guys on the team were the only ones who hadn t given me a problem.
I was pretty sure they were the only ones who were happy I was even there to begin with.
I groaned when I walked into the locker room. Ella, Amanda, and a few other girls I recognized were changing into their shorts and sneakers for tennis practice.
I d hated it when Elisabeth Turner had ridiculed me, but that seemed like nothing compared to what I knew was waiting for me now.
Oh, look. Our new quarterback is finally here. How was your first day, Whitney?
I eyed Ella. I couldn t hear any malice in her voice, but I knew it was there.
It was fine.
Why even ask, Ella? Amanda spoke up from the corner. She was already changed and stood there, glaring at me, arms folded across her chest. It s obvious that
Whitney s time here won t last. The quarterback has got to be popular, and that s nothing something we re going to let her have.
Funny, I thought the quarterback just had to be good, I shot back. You know, someone who can win?
You re not good. You ll destroy the team.
You know, that isn t what I hear from Craig, a brunette near the door spoke up. He said Whitney s really chill. All the guys on the team think so. In fact, I m
willing to bet that most of them would rather hang out with her than either of you.
Ella narrowed her eyes. The guys on the team think what we tell them to. If I happen to let it slip to Craig that Whitney was talking trash about them, well, you re a
smart girl. What do you think will happen?
The girl shook her head. I can t believe you guys would do something like that just because you re so insecure. But, hey, you re probably right. Your boyfriends
probably would rather date Whitney. She s cute and she loves football. And she s probably really nice. That alone is more than you have to offer.
You think I m insecure? Ella scoffed. You think I m worried that I m going to lose Craig to her? Craig doesn t like Whitney. I told him not to talk to her anymore.
He ll listen to me. He always does.
The girl opened her mouth to reply, but I cut in, unable to stand it anymore.
You know that I m standing right here, don t you, Ella? And let me tell you all something. I love football. I always have and I always will. My dad introduced me to
the game and he died on the field. I didn t come here to steal your boyfriends. I came here because this is the only place that will let me do what I want to do. I need to
play. You can say that I m after your guys or that I have no talent and will run this team into the ground, but you d only be kidding yourselves.
I shook my head, proud that I d finally stood up for myself, and walked out of the locker room dressed in an old, mustard yellow Ron Allitz Football Clinic T-shirt.
People don t like me, Dirk, I complained on the phone later that night. They really, really don t want me there.
I find that hard to believe. Has anyone even seen you play yet?
No. But in one of my classes, this guy started yelling in front of everyone about how I was just this chick with a crush on some Ash Valley player and that was the
only reason I was doing this.
Dirk laughed. Yeah, you ll get people like that. Just ignore him. Come on, Whitney, you know why you re doing this and everyone who means anything to you
knows why you re doing this. Isn t that enough?
Dirk.
That s what they always say in the movies, he offered sheepishly. But, really. Just go out and kick some butt in your game. It ll all be fine.
I ll try, but I m not ready.
Yeah, you practiced with the team once. I m sure people will understand if you have a less than stellar game.
I shook my head vigorously even though he couldn t see me. This is the most important game I ll ever play in. This game will determine whether or not people will
stand behind me as their quarterback. Don t you get that?
No. I don t know anything about sports. Look, I ll talk to Sophie and I m sure we ll be there.
Thanks, I said, biting my lip. I just hope it goes okay.
It will, he said. Trust me. It happens in all the movies.
The movies aren t real life, Dirk.
Take a lesson from the big screen. It ll work out in the end, okay? I promise. It always does. I don t know what s going to happen and it might not be what you
expect, but everything will be okay.
I hope so.
Just go out there tomorrow and play like you already have everyone s support. If you do, you ll get it. That s all I can tell you.
I nodded, slowly starting to believe him. Thanks. Okay, I think I m going to get some sleep. Night, Dirk.
Don t sweat it! Bye! He disconnected before I could.
Tossing my phone aside, I sighed. If only I could convince myself that maybe Dirk was right.
VIII.
Day Two at Clinton Central didn t start off much better than my first. I d spent a good part of the night unable to sleep, worrying about Jeremy Norway, Ella,
Amanda, and Jason Victorino.
Jason.
I couldn t believe I was still thinking about him and what had happened at the end of last Friday s practice. It felt so long ago, but was really just a few days. I didn t
want to admit that what he d done to me, making me believe, even just for a few seconds, that he liked me, was one of the cruelest things he could have done.
For reasons I couldn t begin to describe, I just wanted things to be right between Jason and I. Now that I had football back, I wanted the other pieces of my life s
old puzzle to fall back into place. I could never have my dad again, but Jason was still there, still a missing piece, a void that I had never quite managed to fill, a hole that
I didn t think anybody but him could ever patch.
But it was game day and I couldn t think about Jason right now.
I stood alone in the locker room before my first real game. Ella, Amanda, and their friends were nowhere to be found and I was relieved even though I d promised
myself I wouldn t let them bother me, not now, not before this game. I wouldn t let them get what they wanted. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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