Shawn was shy. And likeBobby, he was getting less shy. Still, joining a team was a big deal. Bobby knew it was important to have a friend along for something like that.
Bobby’s mother patted his shoulder. “It’s good to try new things, Bobby.”
“I guess so,” he said uncertainly.
“Why don’t I call your mother, Shawn, and find out more about the soccer league?” Mrs. Quinn asked. “That is, if you’re sure about joining, Bobby.”
He wasn’t sure at all, but being on a soccer team with Shawn might be fun.
Shawn was waiting for an answer. So was his mother.
“All right,” Bobby said slowly. “I’ll try it.” He put his drawing of Planet Man on the table in the hall. He would show it to Shawn later.
The rest of the afternoon passed by in a blur. First the boys went over to the big park in the middle of town. It was the park where Lucy had taken her obedience classes along with Butch, the laziest dog in the world. Butch’s owner was also a new friend, a girl named Candy.
The park was full of noisy kids. Some of them stood in front of a few long tables. Several women from the park district were giving out permission forms. A lady with a name tag that said DEE handed one to Bobby. Dee told him his mother or father would have to sign it so he could play.
“Now I’ll assign you to a team,” Dee said.
A team already?
Bobby thought nervously.
“Do you two want to play together?” Dee asked, looking at Bobby and Shawn over the tops of her glasses.
“Yes,” they both answered.
“Okay, then, you’ll be on the brown team. Mr. Morris is the coach.” Dee pointed him out. “He’s over there. You can say hello to him when we’re done.”
Mr. Morris was a big man. Tall and wide. His gray hair was short, in a crew cut. He was not smiling.
Bobby looked at Shawn. Shawn looked at Bobby. Maybe they would wait to meet Coach Morris.
“Here’s a list of things you will need for soccer.” Dee handed them each another sheet of paper. “You should have them allfor the first practice. The date of the first practice is right there on the bottom of the page.”
Bobby and Shawn thanked Dee. Then Bobby felt a hand on his shoulder. It was Candy. Candy liked to talk a lot, especially when she was excited. She was excited now.
“Hey, I didn’t know you guys were trying out for soccer. Maybe we’re on the same team. I’m on the brown team. My dad said boys and girls usually have their own teams. But I guess our town’s too small for that. I hope my team has a lot of girls. Not that there’s anything wrong with boys. I like you two and you’re boys.”
Bobby and Shawn laughed. “Yes, we know we’re boys,” Bobby said.
“And we’re on the brown team, too,” Shawn added.
“Great!” Candy said. “I can’t wait to start kicking the ball around.”
Candy pretended to be kicking an imaginary ball. Bobby noticed she could kick pretty high.
Shawn was smiling. He pretended to kick the ball right back at her.
It’s good to try new things
, Bobby reminded himself. That was what his mother had said.
He hoped she was right.
Big News
“K ick it to me, Bobby!” Shawn danced around his backyard.
Bobby and Shawn had been trying out Shawn’s new soccer ball for the last half hour. And for the last half hour, Bobby had been trying to kick the ball to Shawn. Sometimes it went too far. Sometimes it didn’t go far enough.
Bobby was surprised that something thatshould be so simple was turning out to be so hard.
“Why don’t we rest for a while?” Bobby suggested.
“Rest? I’m just getting started,” Shawn answered with a grin.
Bobby knew why Shawn was smiling. He was good at kicking the ball.
“Boys,” Shawn’s mother called from the back door. “Come in and have some lemonade. It’s hot out there.”
“I’m pretty thirsty,” Bobby said.
Shawn looked as if he wanted to keep playing. Then he said, “Okay, let’s get something to drink.”
Mrs. Taylor poured Shawn and Bobby
Bobby’s mother patted his shoulder. “It’s good to try new things, Bobby.”
“I guess so,” he said uncertainly.
“Why don’t I call your mother, Shawn, and find out more about the soccer league?” Mrs. Quinn asked. “That is, if you’re sure about joining, Bobby.”
He wasn’t sure at all, but being on a soccer team with Shawn might be fun.
Shawn was waiting for an answer. So was his mother.
“All right,” Bobby said slowly. “I’ll try it.” He put his drawing of Planet Man on the table in the hall. He would show it to Shawn later.
The rest of the afternoon passed by in a blur. First the boys went over to the big park in the middle of town. It was the park where Lucy had taken her obedience classes along with Butch, the laziest dog in the world. Butch’s owner was also a new friend, a girl named Candy.
The park was full of noisy kids. Some of them stood in front of a few long tables. Several women from the park district were giving out permission forms. A lady with a name tag that said DEE handed one to Bobby. Dee told him his mother or father would have to sign it so he could play.
“Now I’ll assign you to a team,” Dee said.
A team already?
Bobby thought nervously.
“Do you two want to play together?” Dee asked, looking at Bobby and Shawn over the tops of her glasses.
“Yes,” they both answered.
“Okay, then, you’ll be on the brown team. Mr. Morris is the coach.” Dee pointed him out. “He’s over there. You can say hello to him when we’re done.”
Mr. Morris was a big man. Tall and wide. His gray hair was short, in a crew cut. He was not smiling.
Bobby looked at Shawn. Shawn looked at Bobby. Maybe they would wait to meet Coach Morris.
“Here’s a list of things you will need for soccer.” Dee handed them each another sheet of paper. “You should have them allfor the first practice. The date of the first practice is right there on the bottom of the page.”
Bobby and Shawn thanked Dee. Then Bobby felt a hand on his shoulder. It was Candy. Candy liked to talk a lot, especially when she was excited. She was excited now.
“Hey, I didn’t know you guys were trying out for soccer. Maybe we’re on the same team. I’m on the brown team. My dad said boys and girls usually have their own teams. But I guess our town’s too small for that. I hope my team has a lot of girls. Not that there’s anything wrong with boys. I like you two and you’re boys.”
Bobby and Shawn laughed. “Yes, we know we’re boys,” Bobby said.
“And we’re on the brown team, too,” Shawn added.
“Great!” Candy said. “I can’t wait to start kicking the ball around.”
Candy pretended to be kicking an imaginary ball. Bobby noticed she could kick pretty high.
Shawn was smiling. He pretended to kick the ball right back at her.
It’s good to try new things
, Bobby reminded himself. That was what his mother had said.
He hoped she was right.
Big News
“K ick it to me, Bobby!” Shawn danced around his backyard.
Bobby and Shawn had been trying out Shawn’s new soccer ball for the last half hour. And for the last half hour, Bobby had been trying to kick the ball to Shawn. Sometimes it went too far. Sometimes it didn’t go far enough.
Bobby was surprised that something thatshould be so simple was turning out to be so hard.
“Why don’t we rest for a while?” Bobby suggested.
“Rest? I’m just getting started,” Shawn answered with a grin.
Bobby knew why Shawn was smiling. He was good at kicking the ball.
“Boys,” Shawn’s mother called from the back door. “Come in and have some lemonade. It’s hot out there.”
“I’m pretty thirsty,” Bobby said.
Shawn looked as if he wanted to keep playing. Then he said, “Okay, let’s get something to drink.”
Mrs. Taylor poured Shawn and Bobby
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