Go away, go away, Alex chanted silently, trying to motivate PJ with the power of her mind.
PJ’s eyes scanned the yard as he balanced on his crutches. Alex, Ava, and even Moxy froze.
Go away.
PJ turned and slowly made his way into the house. Mind-power triumph!
“I was sure he saw us. I thought I was going to have a heart attack.” Alex exhaled loudly.
“Me too. Let’s get out of here.” Ava tightened her grip on Moxy’s leash and ran across the yard.
“I’m pretty sure I know the way,” said Alex. She led them in and out of a few yards until she found Quincy Street again. They slowed to a walk and caught their breath. “Okay, what just happened back there? Is PJ really ditching the Tigers?”
“He’s such a traitor!” Ava cried.
“He’s stupid, too. Daddy told his players not to do dangerous things like dirt biking. He’s going to be mad,” Alex said.
“He’s going to be furious. And not only about the injury, but about PJ and his dad being dirty, rotten, sneaky liars!” Ava’s face grew red. “I can’t wait to tell Coach.”
“Whoa!” Alex grabbed Ava’s shoulder. “I don’t think we should.”
“What? Why not?” Ava demanded.
Alex chewed her lip. “We did something that we weren’t supposed to do too. We promised that we wouldn’t leave the block.”
“That’s different,” Ava scoffed.
“I don’t know. Dad hates it when we break the rules. He might punish us. He might not let me go to the movies with Corey.” Alex suddenly wished she had listened. No movies might mean no boyfriend and then no kiss. She couldn’t cancel on Corey again—she’d already had to do that once when he’d asked her to hang out at the park. She didn’t think that was a date, but she never got to find out, because she had to study with Max, a boy in her social studies class she was helping. If she bailed on Corey again, she was sure he wouldn’t ask her out a third time.
“News flash, Alex. This is not about you. It’s about the team—and PJ,” Ava said, as they neared home.
“But you don’t know that PJ is really going to leave. He sounded unsure to me. In fact, he sounded like he didn’t want to go,” Alex pointed out.
“Mr. Kelly sounded sure,” Ava retorted.
“But that’s not the same. I don’t think we should rat PJ out. We should give him the chance to talk to Dad tomorrow. I bet he’ll come to practice and fess up about it,” Alex insisted.
“I don’t know.” Ava kicked a stone, and they watched it skitter down the street.
“It’s not our secret to tell. And we were eavesdropping, which is dishonest,” Alex added.
“Is this about honesty or you going out with Corey?” Ava asked.
“Both.” Alex locked eyes with her twin. “Please, Ave? I don’t want to get in trouble. I know I said we should keep walking, and I dropped the leash. I’m sorry.”
Alex didn’t let her finish. “Whatever happens with PJ is going to happen whether Daddy finds out tonight or tomorrow. And I don’t want him to have to tell Mr. Kelly he knows because his daughters were spying on him in his own yard. That would be bad.”
Ava nodded thoughtfully. “Yeah, that would be bad. Okay, I’ll keep the secret.”
“Thanks.” Alex hugged Ava and pushed open their front door. “Oh, it smells good!”
“Spaghetti!” Coach called from the kitchen. “Tommy’s waiting. Let’s eat!”
“What happened to Mr. Chicken?” Alex teased after they’d all sat at the table. She was glad he’d gone with spaghetti. She’d given up eating meat, and if they were all eating chicken, she’d be left with just salad. She was also relieved that cooking had distracted her dad from how long they’d been gone. Their mom would have been all over them.
“He’s still icing his injuries,” Coach joked. “Mr. Chicken is benched for now. He’ll play in a game later this week.”
“Sounds like Mr. Chicken belongs on our team.” Tommy’s cheeks bulged with pasta.
“What’s that mean?” Ava asked.
Coach shook his head. “We’re down a lot of guys. Dion’s still recovering from his concussion in the play-offs. Winston tore his Achilles so he’s out, and Derek has mono. And then there are the Zhou and the Whitley families. They’re running scared.”
“From you?” Alex joked.
Her dad didn’t laugh. “No—from football. They don’t want their sons to play, because they fear the long-term effects. Concussions and brain damage.” He sighed. “It’s hard to argue with that. I run safe practices. I teach the guys how to take a hit, but I can’t guarantee an injury won’t occur.”
“Don’t sweat it. It’s only the spring season, and these practice games don’t count for much,” Tommy offered.
“True. By next fall, everyone will be healthy and strong and ready to play. Plus, all my core players are returning—PJ, Dion, and Tyler,” Coach added. “Nothing to worry about.”
Alex felt the heat of Ava’s accusing gaze, but she refused to look in her sister’s direction. She was not telling him about PJ now. No way. She wished they’d never overheard that conversation. She crossed her fingers under the table and hoped that PJ would do the right thing and stay with the Tigers.
Ava slumped on the bench during halftime at the next evening’s game, only partially listening to Coach Rader’s speech. The basketball team lagged behind, and Ava was totally off her game. She’d been missing opportunities—her shots pulled left, and her moves felt timid.
Get in the game, Sackett! Focus! She tried to give herself her own pep talk.
She knew she could play better. The whole first half she’d been too aware of Jack, Xander, and Kal up in the stands, not to mention the loud woman calling directions to Tamara. She glanced over at Tamara, confidently doing calf stretches. Tamara had outscored her.
“Where’s PJ?” Whitney LaVersa asked Jane in a whisper. “I bet his halftime talks are better.”
“No idea. He bailed on us.” Jane shrugged.
Had PJ gone to football practice this afternoon and confessed? Ava wondered. That couldn’t have gone well. Maybe that was why he’d missed their game. Jane’s mom had driven her to practice, so she hadn’t seen her dad or Tommy yet today.
“Go, Tiger Cubs! Play tough!” yelled the woman in the stands, as Ava and her team hit the court again.
“Who’s that?” she asked Madison as they took their positions.
“Tamara’s mom.” Madison rolled her eyes. “Can’t miss her.”
Ava’s mom was still at her artist retreat and her dad was coaching at the high school tonight, but when they did come to her games, Ava was grateful that they mostly kept quiet. Mrs. Baker was mortifyingly loud.
The whistle blew, and Ava quickly gained possession and swished the ball through the net. Now a tall girl with dozens of skinny braids from the other team had the ball. Ava tried to block her. She moved right, and Ava followed. She moved left, and Ava tried to trip her up. Her fingertips brushed the ball.
“Go, Tam! Get in her face!” Mrs. Baker’s shrill voice yelled from the stands.
Tamara raced over, and the girl passed the ball to a teammate across the court. Ava gritted her teeth. She could’ve stolen the ball if Tamara hadn’t gotten in the way.
Tamara was all over the next girl too. Her mother screamed directions to her. Tamara scored again and again.
“You rule, Tam! Show them what you got!” Mrs. Baker cheered.
Ava caught a pass from Jane and turned to send it to Callie when the girl with the braids blocked her path.
“On her, Tam!” Mrs. Baker yelled.
Out of the corner of her eye, Ava saw Tamara move toward them.
Oh, no you don’t, Ava thought. She wished she weren’t so competitive, but she was. She wanted to show Tamara, and her screaming mother, and all the football boys in the stands that she had better skills.
Ava barreled into the braided girl, knocking the ball from her possession. Scooping up the ball, Ava dribbled for the basket until the referee’s shrill whistle stopped her.
He called a foul: unnecessary roughness. A few minutes later, she was called out again.
“It’s not football, Ava,” Coach Rader scolded her.
“I know,” Ava said, frustrated, as the clock ran down and they lost the game. She hated to lose her first game of the season. The opposing team hadn’t been all that great. They should have beaten them.
Ava pulled on her warm-up jacket and turned to high-five the other team.
“That Sackett girl totally messed up the team rhythm.” Mrs. Baker’s loud voice carried down from the stands. “We won before she showed up.”
Ava willed herself not to turn and acknowledge what she’d heard. She was a great athlete, she knew that. Losing couldn’t be her fault. Could it?