CHAPTER SIXTEEN  

“One minute!” Mambo called, heading down the steps.

Kenzie met her at the first row of bleachers.

“Hey, Mambo,” she said. “There’s been a change of plans.”

Mambo raised an eyebrow. She looked over Kenzie’s shoulder.

“Is everyone OK?” she asked.

“Well, that’s the change,” Kenzie said. “We have to—”

“Switch!” someone yelled.

Kenzie froze. The hairs on her arms stood on end. She turned and gazed at the crowd. She knew that voice. But where had it come from?

Suddenly, an opening formed in the middle of the other skaters. Bree—Bree!—emerged and glided forward—on roller skates! She came to a smooth stop at the bottom of the bleachers.

“Reporting for duty,” Bree said with a bow.

Kenzie’s jaw hung open. She closed it quickly and coughed, then looked away. She hoped her cheeks weren’t turning an intense shade of red—again.

“What’s going on?” Mambo asked.

“Didn’t you see?” Bree nodded toward the bench with Shelly and the others. “One of the Kenzilla players got hurt. I’m the alternate.”

Mambo peered over at Camila. “Hold on,” she said. She made her way to the rest of the Kenzillas, leaving Kenzie and Bree standing together.

Kenzie stared at her neighbor. Bree must’ve been at tryouts all along, she realized. There were so many girls—it would have been impossible to see her in the crowd. But why did she want to join the team now? What about what Shelly had said at the park?

“Hey!”

Shelly skated next to Bree. “You upgraded!”

“My skateboard’s at home,” Bree said. “But I figured I’d try out roller derby. It would be nice to skate with some friends.” She turned to Kenzie and gave a shy smile. “And maybe some non-friends too.”

Kenzie blushed. She felt the jitters come rushing back into her stomach. But, this time, they didn’t slosh around like liquid. They were light, like bubbles floating inside her. Looking at Bree in skates made Kenzie want to float. It made her want to do impossible things.

Shelly lunged forward and wrapped her arms around Bree.

“Thank you thank you thank you,” she squealed.

Bree laughed and pressed Shelly back to standing.

“Don’t mention it,” she said.

Bree and Shelly skated to the bench as Mambo led Camila to the main bleachers. Tomoko and Jules stood and threw their arms over Bree’s shoulders.

A voice kicked up in Kenzie’s mind.

“Here she is, folks,” the announcer said. “The coolness queen. The derby star who tears up the track in her sleep. The skater of your dreams—Bree!”

Kenzie shook her head. The announcer’s words faded.

“Good luck!” Camila called. “Don’t break a leg!”

Kenzie grinned and gave a thumbs-up to Camila, then skated to the group. As she looked across at her four teammates, something clicked in Kenzie’s mind. The team finally felt whole. It felt real.

Kenzie, Shelly, Bree, Tomoko, and Jules formed a huddle.

“One minute!” Mambo called.

“There’s not enough time for a new plan,” Shelly said.

“That’s OK,” Kenzie said. “I know what to do. Bree, you’re the fastest on wheels, and you’re way better at keeping your balance than me. You be jammer.”

Bree nodded. “Got it.”

“Perfect,” Tomoko said. “Now Kenzie and Shelly can do their blocking moves on the other jammer, and Jules and I can clear a path for Bree. Sound good?”

Kenzie peered across the circle at Shelly. Shelly held out a fist.

“Dynamic Duo,” she said.

Kenzie put her fist in.

“Trio!” Jules brought her hand in.

“Quartet!” Tomoko said, giggling.

“Cinco! . . . Or something,” Bree added. “The Kenzillas!”

“Positions!” Mambo called out.

Kenzie was relieved to be standing next to her teammates this time. At first she felt bad that Bree was standing on the jammer line . . . until she remembered how much Bree liked to show off. Kenzie wanted to turn and look at her, just for a moment, but she had to focus on the jam.

“Banshee?” Shelly whispered.

Kenzie thought for a moment.

“Tiger,” she whispered back.

Mambo blew the whistle. The blockers skated forward. Skating was completely different in the pack, Kenzie realized. She didn’t have to go fast, but she had to be ready for the jammers to come up from behind like a surprise sneak attack. How would she know which jammer to block and which jammer to let through? Now Kenzie understood why Jules had accidentally slammed into her before.

“Zilla!” Kenzie heard over her right shoulder. That was Bree.

She heard the slick rolling wheels of a different player over her left shoulder. Kenzie and Shelly nodded at each other. The Dynamic Duo was ready.

“Rawr!!!”

Both Kenzie and Shelly turned in perfect unison. They curled their fingers into claws and growled at the Cherry Pits jammer.

“Augh!” the jammer cried. She stumbled back and wobbled on one leg.

Bree took the opening and zipped through the pack. By the time the Cherry Pits jammer was through, Bree was deep into her loop. Kenzie listened for the sound of Bree’s skates versus the other girl’s. Bree was the clack, clack, clack as she threw herself forward with each stride. When she came around again, Kenzie made sure to get out of the way. Bree whooshed right by her, but the other jammer wasn’t far behind.

“End jam!” Mambo said. “Kenzillas: three, Cherry Pits: one.”

“Wait a second.” The Cherry Pits jammer swiveled to Mambo. She pointed at Kenzie and Shelly. “They jumped out at me! Isn’t that a foul?”

“It is if there’s contact,” Mambo said. “But you were still a ways behind them.”

The jammer turned and glared at Kenzie.

“Growling? Really? What are you—a Tasmanian daredevil or something?”

“Nope! We’re the Kenzillas!” Shelly said, bouncing at Kenzie’s side.

The girl rolled her eyes. “Yeah, well. You’re lucky Coach likes you.”

She skated back into place.

“Jam five,” Mambo called. “Positions.”

“We’re catching up,” Tomoko said excitedly as the girls returned to the pack.

“Let’s switch things around,” Kenzie said. “Maybe you and Shelly go for the jammer this time, and Jules and I will help Bree.”

“Why?” Shelly asked.

Kenzie nodded her chin at the Cherry Pits jammer. “To show the other team that we’re playing fair,” she said. “We’re not lucky. We’re earning all these points.”

“Yes, we are,” Bree said.

Tomoko smiled. “OK, I’m in.”

“Me too!” Shelly said.

Bree nodded and took her place on the jammer line.

Kenzie high-fived Jules and got in position.

It was time to show these Cherry Pits what a real hip check looked like.