Saving the Team Read Online Free Page B

her.
    â€œOh, ignore her,” Frida said. “We all fall down every now and then.”
    â€œEspecially me,” Emma said with a sheepish smile. “Believe me, however bad your fall just looked, I’ve done worse.”
    I was so embarrassed, I couldn’t look at anyone.
    Just then Jessi came up with Zoe in tow. “If that had been me, I would have just tackled her,” Jessi said.
    â€œWell, nobody’s going to want me on the team after that,” I said, bummed.
    â€œSure they will. You were great,” Jessi assured me. “Um, were you watching? We might have a few good players,but the tryouts were a mess. Total disaster! You at least had an assist today!”
    â€œI guess,” I said. How would I explain to Kara and my parents that I couldn’t even make the world’s worst soccer team? “I hope you’re right.”

CHAPTER THREE

    The next day during lunch I met Jessi, Emma, and Zoe behind the library building in the courtyard.
    â€œThanks for inviting me to eat with you guys,” I said. “Having lunch alone yesterday was not exactly my idea of a good time.”
    â€œOh, sure!” Jessi said. “The more the merrier.”
    This was the first time I’d seen Jessi not in gym clothes or practice stuff. She was wearing a bright pink thermal top, with distressed jeans ripped open at the knees. I had dug through my closet the night before for a basic striped scoop neck, and had ditched the khakis for simple skinny jeans. Emma wore a basic hoodie and slouchy jeans on her tall frame, while petite Zoe wore a lilac lace dress and glasses with oversize frames. She looked very California chic, while Emma looked like she could have just rolled out of bed.
    â€œThe list from the soccer tryouts is going to be posted after lunch,” Emma said excitedly. “I hope we all made it!”
    â€œI doubt I did,” Zoe said sadly, “not after the way I froze up. I hope you guys have fun on the team without me.”
    â€œWhat happened, Zoe?” I asked. “You looked like you really knew how to handle the ball. It was only when everyone started calling to you that you seemed to get nervous.”
    Zoe blushed. “I don’t know. When Emma, Jessi, and I are kicking the ball around just the three of us, I’m fine. It’s only when I feel like everyone is watching me, I freeze up.”
    Emma put her arm around Zoe’s shoulder and squeezed. “She’s better than fine when it’s just the three of us—she’s awesome!”
    I smiled, feeling glad I had met such a nice group of girls. Imagine if everyone in this school were like Mirabelle! I shuddered. I had to know what was going on with her and Jessi. “So . . . what’s the deal with Mirabelle?” I said.
    Emma and Zoe groaned. “The Mirabelle saga,” Emma said dramatically. “It never ends.”
    Jessi got a sad look on her face. “This is going to be hard to believe, but Mirabelle and I used to be besties.”
    â€œNo way!” I felt my eyes grow wide. Jessi and Mirabelle were so different! Plus, Mirabelle was an entire grade ahead.
    â€œShe wasn’t always like this,” Jessi explained. “We liveon the same block and are neighbors, so we basically grew up together. Our parents are good friends. We knew each other before we even went to elementary school. Believe it or not, since Mirabelle was older, she always looked out for me.”
    â€œThat is hard to believe,” I said, still surprised at her revelation. “Mirabelle seems to look out only for herself.”
    Jessi nodded. “Now she does. We played soccer together in elementary school. Right before sixth grade she joined a traveling soccer team.”
    â€œShe mentioned that,” I said.
    Jessi snorted. “I bet she did. Once she joined the team, which has girls from schools all over the county, she made friends with some girls from