Maggie Malone Makes a Splash by Jenna McCarthy Page B

know she’s technically not speaking to me, but I’m determined to turn that around. Even though I booked it, when I get to the rack her turquoise ten-speed is already gone. I huff the six blocks to the pool feeling about as lonely as a stowaway mouse on a ship at sea.
    I check in at the front desk and get a locker key. That makes me feel better for a split second. I don’t know why, but I love having my own locker key. My miniature bubble bursts before I even get to the locker-room door. How am I going to get Elizabeth to forgive me when she won’t even talk to me? She has to come around sooner or later, doesn’t she? I just wish I knew how to make it sooner. The whole point of this stupid swim team was to do it together, to be a part of something. And right now, the only thing I’m part of is a big, fat nothing.
    I take a deep breath and push open the locker-room door. Most of the swim team is in there getting ready, and every head in the room swings to look at me. Nobody says a word. “Hi guys!” I say as brightly as I can. My words echo off the tile walls. If my life were a movie, they’d be playing a sound track of crickets right now.
    â€œWant to do a few warm-up laps before practice starts?” Brianna asks Elizabeth, totally ignoring me and linking her arm through my friend’s. Elizabeth gives me the Look (“Oh yeah, Maggie, she’s really making my life miserable here.”) before turning to parade out the side door to the pool, arm-in-arm with the Mountain View Monster.
    I wait until everyone else shuffles out, and then I tuck into a bathroom stall and try not to cry. Get it together, Malone. You can fix this. You can! You stopped a pair of cold, hard criminals from destroying something endangered and beautiful yesterday! And you convinced everyone on that boat that people they thought they could trust were rotten to the core. Of course, you had Zac’s help with that one. Who can help you now? Think. THINK!
    â€œMALONE, ARE YOU IN HERE?” A male voice booms through the locker room.
    â€œComing, Coach!” I shout back, hoping he’s not actually in the room looking for me.
    â€œWell, hurry it up. I’m waiting right outside and I need to talk to you,” he barks.
    I quickly splash some water on my face, grab my towel and goggles, and head toward the huge glass door that leads to Mountain View’s famous pool. When I swing the door open, Coach King is waiting outside it, just like he promised. “Brianna says you didn’t want to do your practice laps today,” he says before I can even get a word out.
    â€œWell, actually, sir, that’s not exactly—”
    Coach King cuts me off.
    â€œListen, Malone, you’re part of this team, and like it or not, I’m the boss of this team. I made it pretty clear that you had some work to do, and Brianna was nice enough to offer to help you. Turn her down again and I’ll have to seriously consider removing you for good.” He turns and strides off toward the pool, where the rest of the team is waiting.
    â€œBut Coach—” I say, following him. My voice echoes through the gigantic tiled room. “That’s not—”
    Brianna has picked up on what’s happening and she jumps right in.
    â€œIt’s okay, Maggie,” she says in a sickeningly sweet voice. “We can work on your strokes tomorrow if you want. I’d be more than happy to do that for you. Even though, you know, today…”
    â€œBut you never offered to swim with me today!” I wail. “You didn’t. In fact, you didn’t even say hello to me.” I’m making a bit of a scene here, but I am downright furious.
    She’s lying through her teeth!
    â€œI did too,” Brianna shrieks, even louder than me. “Didn’t I, Elizabeth? Didn’t I offer to help Maggie today, and didn’t she say no right to my face? And wasn’t she totally