“Are you ready to play football?” Coach Kenerson barked as Ava jogged onto the field.
“Always ready, Coach!” she called back.
“You don’t look ready.” He tilted his head, peering suspiciously at her face.
“Fast feet and steady hands.” Ava ran in place and raised her free hand. In her other hand she grasped her helmet.
Coach K paused as if about to say something, then merely grunted. “Join the others and give me thirty push-ups.”
Ava couldn’t believe she’d gotten away with coming to practice with this much makeup on. The girl volleyball players were forced to scrub their faces in the locker room. For once, being the only girl worked in her favor. Coach K clearly had yet to formulate rules about eyeliner and mascara on his field.
The day had gone surprisingly well, despite how ridiculous she felt. Whenever she saw Owen, she turned on the high-pitched giggles. Everything was oh so funny! Kylie had missed lunch to take a makeup quiz, and Ava and Alex had sat together at a small table near Owen. They loudly discussed the pros and cons of getting highlights and ranked their favorite stores at the mall.
The conversation made Ava twitch. Owen must be repulsed by her by now, right?
But she had to be completely sure.
“Hey, Miss Fancy Pants!” Xander crowed.
Ava ignored him and the stupid comments the other boys tossed out, as Coach K paired them up for passing and receiving drills. He kept Corey and Owen together and put Ava with Kal Tippett.
Kal scowled at her. “Hey, Coach, I need a new partner. What if Ava breaks a nail?”
Ava gritted her teeth as the boys’ eyes all zeroed in on her newly polished sparkly red nails. She had plenty of biting comebacks ready for Kal, but she held her tongue, because Owen stood nearby. Instead she giggled.
“Tippett, just throw the ball.” Coach K eyed her again. “And Sackett—catch it.”
Ava wasn’t sure how far to go with this helpless girly-girl routine. She didn’t want Coach Kenerson forgetting she was as tough as any of the guys on the field. She wondered if she should confide in him. Explain how she was pushing off Owen so he could focus on catching the ball. Let him in on the plan. But she couldn’t read his eyes though the lenses of his mirrored sunglasses as he paced the sideline. She feared she’d come off looking even sillier than she was acting.
It’s all for the good of the team, she reminded herself each time she forced herself to giggle and fumble the ball when Owen’s gaze traveled her way. As soon as he turned back, she threw herself at the ball, completing the most amazing catches.
Drop, giggle.
Leap and catch.
I can’t keep doing this, she thought. She was confusing even herself. Time for the secret weapon.
“Can I grab a drink?” she asked Coach MacDonald.
“Make it quick,” he replied.
Ava hurried to the bench and fished inside her gym bag until her fingers wrapped around a small glass bottle. Turning away from the field, Ava pulled it out. One . . . two . . . three huge spritzes.
She fought back a gag as a heavy blanket of lavender perfume settled on her. Whew! That was strong! One more for good luck. She gave her neck another huge spray.
“Huddle up!” Corey called, waving the players to him.
Ava jogged over and wriggled her way into the circle, standing purposely next to Owen. He recoiled at the smell of her.
“Does anyone smell that?” he asked.
“It’s coming from Ava,” Kal reported. He was on her other side.
“You reek, Sackett!” Xander said.
“You don’t like it?” she said innocently, playing it up because none of the coaches were in their huddle.
“You smell like my grandma when she gets all dressed up for a funeral!” Ryan cried.
“It’s making my eyes burn,” Owen complained. “I can hardly breathe!”
“Really? I think it smells so nice. Lavender is my absolute favorite scent. I spray it almost everywhere at home,” she went on.
“Have you lost your mind, Ava?” Corey demanded.
Ava shrugged. “I just wanted to smell nice.”
“I’m going to barf,” Owen declared, backing away from the huddle.
Perfume stink-out was working!
When Luke arrived the next night, Alex was waiting and ready in the kitchen. She’d put on a cute dress with a tiny purple-flower print and her shiny black ballet flats. Around her neck she’d draped several silver necklaces, and she’d added a sparkly clip to her hair.
She busied herself slicing an avocado for her lunch the next day. Her dad and Tommy had gone back to the high school to review game film for Friday’s matchup against the Cleary Titans. Mrs. Sackett was out in the garage, working on her pottery.
Alex secretly watched Luke as he sat next to Ava to review her math problems. Pieces of his sandy hair poked out from the sides of his Astros baseball cap. So cute!
“So what happened with the football dude?” Luke asked.
“I thought I’d scared him away.” Ava explained yesterday’s Operation Girly-Girl, and Luke laughed at the perfume attack. “But today, when I came to school in slightly more normal clothes, he was back to giving me goofy grins again. Yesterday was a waste.”
“It was a first step. You need to go at it stronger,” Luke advised.
“Stronger how?” Alex jumped in. She moved closer so he’d be sure to see how pretty she looked.
“More high maintenance,” Luke explained. “More off-the-charts diva.”
“I don’t think I can do that,” Ava confided.
“Listen, I’m exactly like Owen. I can’t stand girls who are obsessed with fashion and silly drama. I like a natural girl who doesn’t freak out if she gets dirty. Ava, you’ve got to act like the polar opposite to drive him away.” He turned to Alex. “Right, Alex?”
“Right,” she agreed. Then she stared down in horror at her cutesy dress. He didn’t like girls who were into fashion? He liked the natural look?
She’d been going about this all wrong!