Twice the Talent Read Online Free Page B

you hurt your ankle at the game?” Callie asked.
    Ava nodded. “Yeah. I’m sorry. I just came down on it the wrong way.”
    â€œYou don’t have to be sorry!” said Madison sweetly. “We’re sorry that you’re hurt.”
    â€œSo, how long will you be out?” Callie asked bluntly.
    Ava hated to say it out loud. “Three weeks.”
    Callie and Madison looked at each other. “Does Coach Rader know?” Callie asked.
    Ava didn’t know. She knew that her mom had e-mailed him about her doctor’s appointment, but did he know about the three weeks?
    â€œI’m not sure,” Ava replied. “I’ll tell him when I see him sixth period, I guess.”
    But the moment came sooner than that—she ran into Coach Rader in the hallway as she walked carefully to Spanish class. His eyebrows rose when he saw the brace.
    â€œSo what’s the verdict?” he asked.
    â€œI can’t play for three weeks,” Ava replied. “After that, I can play but I have to keep the brace on.”
    Coach Rader nodded. “We’ll miss you out there, Ava.”
    â€œI can still come to practices,” Ava offered. “You know, so I can learn strategies and stuff.”
    â€œWhy don’t you take it easy this week?” Coach Rader suggested. “Then we can check in on Monday and see how you feel.”
    Ava sighed. “Yes, Coach,” she said, and walked away toward her Spanish classroom.
    Take it easy. That was all everybody kept saying. But nobody seemed to understand—how could she take it easy when all she wanted to do was get back on the basketball court?

CHAPTER
FIVE
    â€œHey, is your sister okay?”
    Alex looked away from her locker after second period to see Corey standing there, with a worried look in his blue eyes.
    â€œI think not playing basketball hurts more than her ankle does,” Alex replied as she shut her locker door.
    Corey nodded. “I can’t imagine being benched from football right at the start of the season. That would be awful.”
    Alex walked in the direction of her social studies classroom, and Corey kept in step with her.
    â€œSo, um . . . that’s a nice sweater,” he said, a little awkwardly.
    Alex looked down at her white cardigan. “Oh, thanks! It’s not as exciting as my ugly sweater, though. That was really something.” Thanks to Uncle Scott, her ugly sweater had snowflakes with white twinkling lights.
    At the reference to the party, Corey’s eyes locked with hers, and they both blushed. Alex knew they were both thinking of the same thing. Their almost-kiss under the falling snow . . .
    â€œUm, hey, Alex.”
    Max was standing there, wearing a white T-shirt with a green stain right in the center. “I asked Mrs. Bridges yesterday, and she said you’re my partner for the social studies project!” he blurted out.
    â€œOh yeah, that’s . . . that’s great,” Alex said. She looked back at Corey, but the moment was gone—and Corey was already making a hasty retreat.
    â€œSee you later!” he called out as he raced off down the hall.
    â€œYeah, so we’ll be working collaboratively,” Max said.
    â€œHeard you the first time!” Alex said cheerfully, forcing a smile. She didn’t want to be annoyed with Max, but she had been lookingforward to being Emily’s partner. Not to mention that he had interrupted her moment with Corey. She and Corey hadn’t talked much since the party. What might he have said if Max hadn’t shown up?
    She and Max walked into the classroom, and Alex slid into her seat. When the bell rang, Mrs. Bridges walked out from behind her desk, holding a sheet of paper.
    â€œOkay, I’m going to officially assign your partners for the project,” she announced. “And I don’t want to hear any complaints about who you’re paired with. Here’s