‘Course we do.’
I look back at my dad and he winks at
me. ‘See?’ he says softly. ‘What did I tell you?’
It’s great to have the boys there
cheering me on. Though I suspect the real reason they’re so keen to come along
and watch me play hockey is they get to hang out with Ali, Lissa and Tash.
It’s awesome to have my three best mates there too, plus Mum and Dad and Jade
and Gran and Terry as well. Not to forget Mrs Waters. My very own supporters’
club!
The game is tough, the standard huge,
but hearing them all shouting for me helps me conquer my nerves. By the end of the
game the team I’m on is beaten, two–one, but it was me that scored for our
side with a reverse stick shot into the top corner.
I do it. I get into the Junior
Development Centre.
All my dreams come true in one day!
Everyone crowds around, congratulating me.
‘Never knew you had such a fan
club, Dani,’ says Mrs Waters, laughing. When Uncle Terry
tells her the tale of me playing
football for Blackett, she can’t believe her ears. Her jaw drops, then she
puts her hands on her hips and regards me sternly. Oh flip!
‘So what happens now, young
lady?’
‘What do you mean, Miss?’ I
ask, quaking in my boots.
‘Well, you’ve got a choice
to make. Are you going to be a top-class football player or a top-class hockey
player?’
Everyone is looking at me.
I gulp. That’s the crucial
question. How do I choose between them? I look at my three best friends all waiting
for me to reply.
It’s like asking me to choose between Ali, Tash and Lissa. Which one do I
like best? It’s impossible.
‘I don’t know,’ I say
sadly.
She bursts out laughing.
‘Don’t look so worried, I’m only teasing you.’
‘But, Miss, you’re right. I
can’t play both football and hockey, can I?’
‘Why not?’
‘Because I can’t fit it all
in. It was a real rush today and I got a lift. If I have to get a train every week
I’ll be late for hockey and –’
‘Whoa!’ She holds up both
hands. ‘The Junior
Development
squad meets for training on Monday nights –’
‘And
we
play on
Saturdays,’ says Terry.
‘So what’s the
problem?’ asks Mrs Waters, and they smile at each other.
‘There isn’t one,’ I
say, smiling too.
And you know something?
There really
isn’t.
Chapter 28
‘So, Sports Diva Extraordinaire,
do you think you can find time to occasionally squeeze us into to your busy
life?’ says Lissa sarcastically. But she budges up to let me sit down next to
her on the bench, checking out the contents of my lunchbox with interest.
‘Mmm. Swap you my chicken salad wrap for your sponge cake?’
Monday lunchtime: usual gang, usual
place. The Barbies are hanging around, trying to earwig our conversation.
They’ve caught wind of what happened at the weekend. They don’t frighten
me; I’ve got nothing to hide any more. I give them a dirty look, Lissa-style,
and it works. They fade away, affronted.
‘I’m not a diva,’ I
protest, shielding my slice of cake from her prying fingers. ‘Get your hands
off!’
‘No, you’re not,’ says Tash. ‘I knew
you’d never deliberately let anyone down.’ She, more than anyone, knows
what it’s like to try to be in two places at once.
‘I don’t know how you got
away with it for so long,’ says Lissa admiringly. ‘Didn’t anyone
in that football team of yours ever guess that you were a girl?’
‘No. Nobody. I was a bit worried
about Marvyn after your party but even he didn’t recognize me. Ryan thought I
was weird though.’
‘Why?’
‘Loads of reasons. But mainly
because he saw me putting my football shirt on over my clothes.’ They all look
at me in surprise and I explain, ‘Well, I could hardly strip off in front of
him, could I?’ and they start giggling.
‘Oh, I wish I’d been
there,’ says Tash.
‘Yeah, why didn’t you tell
us?’ asks Ali. ‘We’re your mates.’
‘The Gang of Four,’ says
Lissa.
‘The No Secrets Club,’
I look back at my dad and he winks at
me. ‘See?’ he says softly. ‘What did I tell you?’
It’s great to have the boys there
cheering me on. Though I suspect the real reason they’re so keen to come along
and watch me play hockey is they get to hang out with Ali, Lissa and Tash.
It’s awesome to have my three best mates there too, plus Mum and Dad and Jade
and Gran and Terry as well. Not to forget Mrs Waters. My very own supporters’
club!
The game is tough, the standard huge,
but hearing them all shouting for me helps me conquer my nerves. By the end of the
game the team I’m on is beaten, two–one, but it was me that scored for our
side with a reverse stick shot into the top corner.
I do it. I get into the Junior
Development Centre.
All my dreams come true in one day!
Everyone crowds around, congratulating me.
‘Never knew you had such a fan
club, Dani,’ says Mrs Waters, laughing. When Uncle Terry
tells her the tale of me playing
football for Blackett, she can’t believe her ears. Her jaw drops, then she
puts her hands on her hips and regards me sternly. Oh flip!
‘So what happens now, young
lady?’
‘What do you mean, Miss?’ I
ask, quaking in my boots.
‘Well, you’ve got a choice
to make. Are you going to be a top-class football player or a top-class hockey
player?’
Everyone is looking at me.
I gulp. That’s the crucial
question. How do I choose between them? I look at my three best friends all waiting
for me to reply.
It’s like asking me to choose between Ali, Tash and Lissa. Which one do I
like best? It’s impossible.
‘I don’t know,’ I say
sadly.
She bursts out laughing.
‘Don’t look so worried, I’m only teasing you.’
‘But, Miss, you’re right. I
can’t play both football and hockey, can I?’
‘Why not?’
‘Because I can’t fit it all
in. It was a real rush today and I got a lift. If I have to get a train every week
I’ll be late for hockey and –’
‘Whoa!’ She holds up both
hands. ‘The Junior
Development
squad meets for training on Monday nights –’
‘And
we
play on
Saturdays,’ says Terry.
‘So what’s the
problem?’ asks Mrs Waters, and they smile at each other.
‘There isn’t one,’ I
say, smiling too.
And you know something?
There really
isn’t.
Chapter 28
‘So, Sports Diva Extraordinaire,
do you think you can find time to occasionally squeeze us into to your busy
life?’ says Lissa sarcastically. But she budges up to let me sit down next to
her on the bench, checking out the contents of my lunchbox with interest.
‘Mmm. Swap you my chicken salad wrap for your sponge cake?’
Monday lunchtime: usual gang, usual
place. The Barbies are hanging around, trying to earwig our conversation.
They’ve caught wind of what happened at the weekend. They don’t frighten
me; I’ve got nothing to hide any more. I give them a dirty look, Lissa-style,
and it works. They fade away, affronted.
‘I’m not a diva,’ I
protest, shielding my slice of cake from her prying fingers. ‘Get your hands
off!’
‘No, you’re not,’ says Tash. ‘I knew
you’d never deliberately let anyone down.’ She, more than anyone, knows
what it’s like to try to be in two places at once.
‘I don’t know how you got
away with it for so long,’ says Lissa admiringly. ‘Didn’t anyone
in that football team of yours ever guess that you were a girl?’
‘No. Nobody. I was a bit worried
about Marvyn after your party but even he didn’t recognize me. Ryan thought I
was weird though.’
‘Why?’
‘Loads of reasons. But mainly
because he saw me putting my football shirt on over my clothes.’ They all look
at me in surprise and I explain, ‘Well, I could hardly strip off in front of
him, could I?’ and they start giggling.
‘Oh, I wish I’d been
there,’ says Tash.
‘Yeah, why didn’t you tell
us?’ asks Ali. ‘We’re your mates.’
‘The Gang of Four,’ says
Lissa.
‘The No Secrets Club,’
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