A Whole New Ball Game (9 page)

She nodded. “Yeah, I'm very uncoordinated,” she said. “Ava and I are pretty different, even though we look exactly alike. Or used to,” she added under her breath.

“It must be awesome to have a twin. You two are probably super close, huh?”

A wave of sadness washed over her. “We always have been,” she said. “But since we moved here, we've kind of been drifting apart a little.”

“I guess you guys must be under a lot of pressure, just like your dad is,” said Corey thoughtfully. “I was just talking about it with my dad last night. He said a lot of people have been kind of ragging on Coach Sackett at practice, criticizing some of his coaching decisions and saying if your dad doesn't get to the state finals, he'll be out of a job. That there are no second chances in Ashland.” Seeing Alex's horrified face, he quickly continued. “But my dad said that wasn't fair. People who know what they're talking about,
who really know the game, are saying that your dad is an awesome coach. He needs a season to rebuild the team because they lost a lot of seniors and they're not very big this year. I think your dad's awesome. I learn so much about my own game when I watch him coaching.”

Alex flashed a dazzling smile. “Thanks for saying that.”

His ears instantly turned bright red, which made her like him all the more.

The others returned just then, carrying drinks and snacks and chattering away about the latest episode of a reality TV show Alex hadn't heard of. She told herself she would look into it before school started.

Corey stood up. Over where his friends were sitting, the boys were collecting their towels and clothes and shoving them into backpacks. “Gotta go,” he said, a bit wistfully. “Our summer park district football team has practice.”

He and Alex exchanged a quick smile. He jerked his chin up ever so slightly as a quick good-bye gesture to her, and she felt herself blush. She was glad she had on her big sunglasses.

Alex watched him knock over a small plastic table as he left. He joined up with his friends
and then they all wound their way through the sea of suntanners and swimmers. She sighed. How could anyone be that cute
and
that nice?

An hour or so passed, in which the girls alternated between jumping into the pool and lounging and chatting. Occasionally Alex would wave to Ava, beckoning her to come join them, but each time she was either in the middle of a game or under water. Then Emily glanced at the time on her phone. “We better get going,” she said to Rosa and Annelise. “We're all assistant counselors at a cheerleading camp for little kids, which starts next week. We have to go to a meeting. Are you going to try out for the squad this year?”

Alex shook her head quickly. “I really am a klutz,” she admitted.

“Oh, nonsense!” said Emily with a tinkling laugh. “How can the coach's daughter not be coordinated?”

Alex laughed too and made a mental note to look into cheerleading. How hard could it be? Her friend Isabel back in Boston was a cheerleader. Maybe she
should
go out for the squad. It definitely seemed like something that could elevate her social status at AMS and make her
more of a public figure. “But anyway, I think I need to get going too. I should find Ava and my brother.”

The girls left, and Alex stood up to look for Ava.

She scanned the kiddie pool again and spotted her in the far end, blowing up an inflatable beach ball with Coach Byron's kids. Then Alex did a double take. Her gaze shifted to the main pool.

There, in the water right in front of her, was Jack. He was laughing and splashing a girl who had just gotten out of the pool and was toweling off. It was the blond girl from the mall. Alex was sure it was the same person. She looked quickly toward the other pool to see if Ava had spotted them as well, but Ava gave no sign of having seen them.

She thought of calling after Emily to ask her who the girl was, but Emily and the other girls were already heading into the locker room.

She made another mental note, this time to keep a careful eye on that guy. He really had no right to flirt with her sister when he obviously already had a girlfriend.

“What do you think, honey? Black or beige?”

It was the following Sunday, the day of the block party. Mrs. Sackett stood at the doorway to Alex's room, alternately standing on one foot and then the other, to show Alex the two different sandal choices. Mrs. Sackett was wearing a new sundress she'd bought the day they'd all gone to the mall. It looked pretty on her. Because of her artistic leanings, her mom had an excellent sense of color and what worked well with her complexion. But as for putting an outfit together—she let Alex handle the actual fashion decisions.

Alex pinched her lower lip and frowned, sizing up her mom's outfit. “Beige, I think,” she
said. “The cross strap on the black ones shortens up your leg a bit.”

“Oh, terrific,” said her mother, in mock disgust. “Remind me never to wear
those
again.”

“No, Mom, they're great with pants!” said Alex. “I'm the one who talked you into buying them, remember?”

Her mother took off her black sandal and donned the other beige one. “Good? I know the party doesn't start until noon, but I need to cut up your father's brownies and pay a pile of bills.”

Alex slid off the bed. “Hold still. You have clay in your hair right here.”

Her mom smiled. “You can take the girl out of the pottery studio,” she said, “but you can't get the pottery clay out of the girl's hair.”

Alex smiled. “How do
I
look?” She twirled a little, causing her green sundress to swish around her.

“Gorgeous,” said Mrs. Sackett. “I love your dress. It's perfect with your eyes.”

“I just hope I'm not too dressed up,” said Alex worriedly. “I have no idea what people wear to a block party around here.”

The doorbell rang. Moxy began barking
her head off. Alex and her mom exchanged surprised looks.

“Who could that be?” asked her mom. “It's only a little after eleven. I don't even think Tommy's awake yet.”

They heard Ava clattering down the stairs to answer it. Then they heard women's voices in the downstairs hallway.

Mrs. Sackett's eyes widened. “Neighborhood ladies!” she whispered. “Thank goodness I'm already dressed!” Alex pushed her toward the door of her room. “Well,
I'm
not ready!” she whispered back. “I still have to straighten my hair and decide on accessories!”

Her mother headed downstairs while Alex flew around her room, plugging in her straightener, flinging open drawers, and rummaging around. Usually she wouldn't dream of messing up her room like this. Everything was always perfectly neat and put away—things were just easier that way. But under the circumstances, she would have to make an exception.

Ten minutes later she found her mother in the front entryway, standing with a group of women, a stricken look on her face.

“You all just met Ava,” she was saying. “This is her twin sister, Alex. Alex, this is Mrs. Kelly, Mrs. Barnaby, Mrs. Cahill, and Mrs. Valdeavano.”

Alex smiled politely at them.

“I sent Ava to grab your father from the study,” said Mrs. Sackett. “Evidently the party has started early, and we are wanted down the block!”

“But first—your mother was just about to give us a tour of the house!” said Mrs. Kelly, smiling broadly at Alex. “We just can't
wait
to have a glimpse into the Sackett family's domestic kingdom. I love what I see already! Laura, I hear you're very artistic!”

“Oh, ha ha,” said Mrs. Sackett. “I'm not so sure that translates into being artistic with home decorating. Alex is my consultant in that department. And we've been so busy we haven't had a whole lot of time to get completely settled yet.”

“Oh, no, it's lovely. Just lovely,” crowed Mrs. Cahill, as the group moved toward the dining room, which was just off the front entrance. The table was still stacked with boxes.

Mrs. Sackett gave Alex a look that said,
Rescue me!
Alex sprang into action.

“New plan!” she said brightly. “I know that Daddy is eager to get to the party early. Why
don't we have Daddy and Ava head over with these ladies now? I'll get Tommy out of bed while you go cut the brownies.”

“Good idea, Alex,” her mother said, smiling at her gratefully.

“Oh, did you bake brownies for the party?” asked Mrs. Kelly. “How nice!”

“Actually, Michael baked them,” said Mrs. Sackett brightly. “He's the baker in our house.”

Mrs. Cahill raised her eyebrows. “A man of many talents,” she said.

Alex bounded off to get her father and Ava. They were in his study, sitting side by side, watching film. Alex's eye rested briefly on Ava's outfit. Casual, of course. But at least she had a skirt on. Even if it was denim. And her V-neck T-shirt was a pretty pale blue and didn't even have a sports team's logo on it. Alex explained the urgency of the situation. Coach seemed to absorb the problem quickly, and he and Ava headed over to corral the ladies out the front door.

“Thanks, sunshine,” said her mother, sighing in relief after the group had departed.

Ava followed behind her father and the group of women. It turned out the block party was not technically on their block. It was at the little park where she'd gone to play basketball and had met Jack.

The paved area near the entrance was set up with several grills and a pit barbecue that was being manned by a couple of dads she didn't know. Behind that was the basketball court and play area, and behind that, an open, grassy field.

Little kids were playing on the playground, and a few boys her age were shooting baskets at the basketball hoop. She looked at them wistfully, and then realized she was all dressed up. She glared down at the T-shirt, skirt, and flip-flops she had on. Alex had insisted that she wear nice clothes for this dumb party, but it was not exactly easy to play basketball in a skirt.

Her father was immediately surrounded by about a dozen people. Ava still wasn't used to seeing him in this role. Not so much a celebrity, because they weren't exactly adoring fans. More like . . . a newly elected president, someone people were thrilled to be seen with and to have their picture taken with, but whom most people
were still wary about until he was able to prove himself worthy.

There was Tyler Whitley, who was easy to recognize even out of his uniform, as he was tall, broad-shouldered, and extremely handsome. There was PJ Kelly next to Tyler. He said something to one of the ladies, and Ava realized that it was Mrs. Kelly, and that she must be his mom. Did that explain her coolness toward Coach? She'd definitely been the least friendly to him. When Ava had shaken her hand, it had felt like shaking a glove filled with damp sand.

She moved closer. One of the men was asking her dad about his strategy.

“I heard you were installing the midline read option,” the man was saying to Coach. “Against a three-three stack, does the quarterback read the four technique, or who becomes the B gap player?”

She listened as her father gently deflected the question, trying to steer the conversation away from football.

“Tyler should be the X receiver,” said Mrs. Kelly, and there was ice in her tone. “Then you'd be able to get him one on one against a weaker corner. But I'm not sure Coach is thinking
along those lines, are you, Coach? Not part of your style?”

Ava couldn't hear what her father said in response, but she squirmed with uneasiness on his behalf. She could practically hear the drumbeat of anxiety quickening all around her. Why
was
Coach so hard on PJ and Tyler? Wasn't he worried about losing his job?

“Hey!” said a voice behind her.

It was Jack. He held up a squishy green football. “You up for a toss?”

Ava nodded happily and kicked off her flip-flops. So what if she was wearing a skirt. They headed toward the open, grassy field—perfect for tossing the ball around.

She fell into step with Jack. The dry grass felt warm and tickly under her bare feet. “So you live on this block? I remember the first time I met you was right here.”

Jack grinned. “Nah, I live about three blocks away,” he replied. “But they're not too strict about it—they use the term ‘block party' pretty loosely around here.” He looked past her. “There's your sister.”

Ava looked. Alex was heading toward them across the grass, her hair shiny and straight, her
new sundress pressed and perfect. She really did look nice, Ava had to admit. As Alex drew closer, though, Ava read a distinctly disapproving look on her sister's face.

“Al—I mean, Alex—you remember Jack?” Ava said as her sister approached.

Alex nodded coldly at him. “Yes,” she said. “Hi.”

“Hey, Alex,” said Jack.

Alex barely glanced at him. “So should we go get food, Ava?”