like everything’s different. hannah’s different, or else she just thinks i am, and instead of just hanging out with someone, you have to be their girlfriend. it’s too much pressure. it makes me want to curl up in my room—with some fashion magazines, of course—and not come out till high school.
the thing is, hannah thinks i shouldn’t have a boyfriend, much less two boyfriends. but i don’t! i really like simon, and i like kyle—or, I did before today—but i’m not planning my wedding or anything. why can’t i hang out with both of them?
what should i do? should i call simon back? or should i just forget about boys altogether? and should i talk to hannah, or just let her get over it? AHHHH! i wish this was easier. who knew middle school would cause so many problems??
i’d better go—my mom just got home. i’m going to convince her to order in thai food.
luv, nat
chapter EIGHT
Alex> WEDNESDAY
Alex had never been so pumped in her life. It was the final moments of their first soccer game, and the Rockets were up by four points, meaning they’d definitely beat the Chargers. She couldn’t believe it, but she was so into the game that it almost didn’t matter that she wasn’t actually playing. Almost.
The minute the thought had popped into her brain, everything changed.
“Okay, Alex, you’re going in for Carla,” the coach said.
At first, Alex thought she’d heard wrong. “Seriously?” she asked excitedly. Her stomach did back flips. She was nervous, but she couldn’t wait to get out on the field. After looking up into the stands and giving her mom a thumbs-up, she checked to make sure that her hair was tightly in place and that her shoelaces were tied. The coach blew her whistle to signal a time-out. Coach Gregorson motioned for Carla to come off the field, and Carla ran off.
She and Alex high-fived as Alex ran onto the field. Once the coach blew her whistle again, the game was back on. Alex was afraid her knees were going to buckle beneath her, but as her feet found the ball, her confidence returned. Soccer was as natural to Alex as breathing. Suddenly, Alex found herself kicking the ball down the field, weaving through her opponents until she was directly in front of the goal, unguarded. Yes! she thought. There was no doubt in her mind: She was going to make this goal.
Everyone in the stands was cheering and whistling, but Alex blocked out all the noise as she made for the goal. She raised her right foot to kick the ball into the goal, watching only the opposing team’s goalie and waiting for the perfect moment. She lowered her foot toward the ball, readied herself, and . . .
Suddenly found herself on her back, with her ankle twisted in excruciating, red-hot pain. For a minute, she couldn’t figure out what had happened, and then Alex realized she’d been tripped. She looked up and saw Cindy standing there, a terrified look on her face. “Oh, man,” Cindy said. “Oh no. Are you okay?” The cheering in the stands turned to worried silence, and the referee blew his whistle, stopping the game.
Alex couldn’t believe what had just happened. “Did you trip me?” she whispered incredulously.
“No!” Cindy said, backing away. “I didn’t mean to, I swear, I swear Alex, I’d never do that.”
“What happened?” Coach Gregorson asked, standing above Alex. She bent down. “Are you all right, Alex?” she asked softly.
“I’m okay. Cindy—I don’t know what happened, but I was about to kick the ball and then I was on the ground,” Alex replied. Her chin trembled. “My leg really, really hurts.”
The coach looked to the sidelines, motioning for the school nurse to come to the field. As the nurse made her way to the field, Coach asked, “Cindy, what happened?”
“I was just coming up behind her to help,” Cindy said plaintively. “She slowed down and I didn’t realize it, and all of a sudden I was right behind her, and as she lowered her foot I
the thing is, hannah thinks i shouldn’t have a boyfriend, much less two boyfriends. but i don’t! i really like simon, and i like kyle—or, I did before today—but i’m not planning my wedding or anything. why can’t i hang out with both of them?
what should i do? should i call simon back? or should i just forget about boys altogether? and should i talk to hannah, or just let her get over it? AHHHH! i wish this was easier. who knew middle school would cause so many problems??
i’d better go—my mom just got home. i’m going to convince her to order in thai food.
luv, nat
chapter EIGHT
Alex> WEDNESDAY
Alex had never been so pumped in her life. It was the final moments of their first soccer game, and the Rockets were up by four points, meaning they’d definitely beat the Chargers. She couldn’t believe it, but she was so into the game that it almost didn’t matter that she wasn’t actually playing. Almost.
The minute the thought had popped into her brain, everything changed.
“Okay, Alex, you’re going in for Carla,” the coach said.
At first, Alex thought she’d heard wrong. “Seriously?” she asked excitedly. Her stomach did back flips. She was nervous, but she couldn’t wait to get out on the field. After looking up into the stands and giving her mom a thumbs-up, she checked to make sure that her hair was tightly in place and that her shoelaces were tied. The coach blew her whistle to signal a time-out. Coach Gregorson motioned for Carla to come off the field, and Carla ran off.
She and Alex high-fived as Alex ran onto the field. Once the coach blew her whistle again, the game was back on. Alex was afraid her knees were going to buckle beneath her, but as her feet found the ball, her confidence returned. Soccer was as natural to Alex as breathing. Suddenly, Alex found herself kicking the ball down the field, weaving through her opponents until she was directly in front of the goal, unguarded. Yes! she thought. There was no doubt in her mind: She was going to make this goal.
Everyone in the stands was cheering and whistling, but Alex blocked out all the noise as she made for the goal. She raised her right foot to kick the ball into the goal, watching only the opposing team’s goalie and waiting for the perfect moment. She lowered her foot toward the ball, readied herself, and . . .
Suddenly found herself on her back, with her ankle twisted in excruciating, red-hot pain. For a minute, she couldn’t figure out what had happened, and then Alex realized she’d been tripped. She looked up and saw Cindy standing there, a terrified look on her face. “Oh, man,” Cindy said. “Oh no. Are you okay?” The cheering in the stands turned to worried silence, and the referee blew his whistle, stopping the game.
Alex couldn’t believe what had just happened. “Did you trip me?” she whispered incredulously.
“No!” Cindy said, backing away. “I didn’t mean to, I swear, I swear Alex, I’d never do that.”
“What happened?” Coach Gregorson asked, standing above Alex. She bent down. “Are you all right, Alex?” she asked softly.
“I’m okay. Cindy—I don’t know what happened, but I was about to kick the ball and then I was on the ground,” Alex replied. Her chin trembled. “My leg really, really hurts.”
The coach looked to the sidelines, motioning for the school nurse to come to the field. As the nurse made her way to the field, Coach asked, “Cindy, what happened?”
“I was just coming up behind her to help,” Cindy said plaintively. “She slowed down and I didn’t realize it, and all of a sudden I was right behind her, and as she lowered her foot I
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