Goalkeeper in Charge (3 page)

After the break, Danielle took over Tina’s group. She set up a shooting drill in which two players tried to set up shots while
a third girl acted as goalkeeper. Danielle used cones to mark off a goal.

Tina passed to Zoe, who slammed a hard shot past the girl in goal. A few minutes later, Tina aimed a shot at the corner of
the goal, but it was just wide.

Then it was Tina’s turn to act as keeper.

On the first shot — kicked by Zoe — Tina dived to one side and stretched out to catch the ball. Out of the corner of her eye,
Tina saw Danielle give an approving nod. A few minutes later, Zoe and a girl Tina didn’t know moved in, passing back and forth
until they were five yards away. Tina moved toward the girl with the ball, who tried to kick it past her. Tina just got a
hand on it and knocked it away. She stopped all but one shot attempt during her turn as goalkeeper.

On the last shot, Zoe tried to chip the ball over Tina’s head. Tina leaped up as high as she could, punched the ball straight
up, and stepped back to grab the ball as it came down.

“Good save!” Danielle called.

Tina smiled weakly, knowing that her face was bright red.

Practice ended soon after the goalkeeping drill. As Tina was getting ready to leave, Danielle called to her.

Tina felt nervous for no clear reason, but walked over to the coach.

“Have you ever been a goalkeeper?” the coach asked.

Tina shook her head. “No. I’ve usually been a midfielder.”

“Interesting,” Danielle said. “You have good goal-keeping instincts. Instead of backing away from a shooter, you knew when
to go
toward
her and cut down her target. You’re also fast when you move to either side.”

“Uh … thanks,” Tina mumbled. She didn’t like where this conversation was going.

“Are you interested in goalkeeping?” the coach
asked. “It’s an important position, and our top keeper from last year is gone.”

Tina didn’t want to simply say no, even though that was how she felt. Finally, she said, “Well… I don’t know.”

“It’s all right,” said Danielle. “I don’t need a definite answer right now, but I’d like you to think about it, okay? If you
decide you’d rather not, fine. You’ll be a good addition to the Wildcats in any position.”

“Thanks,” said Tina. Walking away, she was worried. The more she thought about goalkeeping, the less she liked it. It was
the one position where you couldn’t be invisible. Keepers even wore different-colored uniforms, so players could distinguish
them from their teammates. Playing keeper carried more responsibility.

On the other hand, Danielle said that the Wildcats needed a good keeper. The thought that she might be letting the team down
was troubling to Tina. She didn’t know what to do. Why did things have to get so complicated?

W
hat did Danielle want?” asked Meg as the girls headed home. “You look like you just got bad news.”

Tina sighed. “She thinks I should be a goalkeeper.”

“Really?” Meg said. “That’s great! Isn’t it? You’ll be awesome! I wish I was as quick as you. I’d love to be a keeper.”

“Well, not me,” said Tina. “Goalkeepers are always in the spotlight. If they make saves, they’re heroes, and if the other
team scores, they’re booed. I’d hate it either way.”

“But it isn’t just the keeper’s fault when the other team scores,” objected Meg.

“No, but a lot of people think it is. I don’t want to stand out. I just want to fit in.”

“I know how you feel,” said Meg. “Except the thing is, Danielle’s right. You’d be so good! We’d
be a better team with you there. Will you think about it?”

“Yeah, I’ll think about it,” Tina said, looking unhappy.

“Here’s something else to think about,” Meg added. “If you’re an awesome goalkeeper, like I think you’ll be, it’ll be good
for you.”

“Yeah?” Tina replied. “How?”

“You have trouble with people paying a lot of attention to you. But if you become an important player on the Wildcats, people
are
going
to pay more attention to you.”

Tina stared at her friend. “How will that be good for me?”

Meg said, “Think about it, Teen! You don’t like being in the spotlight, because you’re not used to it. But the more you’re
in
the spotlight, the more you’ll get used to it! As you get used to it, you’ll have an easier time with it. Wait and see.”

Tina thought about what Meg had said as they reached Tina’s house.

“You really think so?” she asked.

But Meg didn’t answer. She was looking toward Dave’s house.

“Is Dave around?” Meg asked.

“How should I know?” Tina snapped, annoyed. “I thought we were talking, but if you’d rather look for
Dave
, see if I care!”

Meg blinked. “I was only —”

Tina cut her off. “You were only! If you’d rather see
Dave
, go knock on his door. I thought you wanted to spend time with me, but maybe I was wrong.”

“I’m sorry, Teen.” Meg looked like she meant it. “You’re my best friend, and I didn’t mean I wanted to see Dave and not you.
But you know me. I like spending time with boys. Dave happens to be a nice boy — even you say so — and I was wondering if
he was home. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.”

Tina knew right away that she had overreacted. “It’s okay. I’m too touchy.”

Meg said, “Let’s just forget it.” She sat on the grass. “I was wondering something. Do you feel more shy with boys than with
girls?”

Tina thought for a moment. “I don’t think so. I feel that way with anyone I don’t know well, whether it’s a boy or a girl.
But I don’t know as many boys.”

“Do you have any idea why you have trouble just
relaxing around other kids?” asked Meg. Then she hastily added, “If you’d rather not talk about it…”

“No, it’s all right,” Tina assured her. She sat down next to her friend. “I think about it sometimes. I guess I’m afraid I’m
really boring, that nothing I have to say could interest anyone. When I’m with other people, I try to think of stuff to say
and I can’t and … well, then I
am
boring. Either I don’t say anything or I say dumb things, until people want to get away from me before they start yawning
in my face. Or snoring.”

“Huh,” said Meg. “That’s weird. You’re not like that at all when it’s just you and me, and no one else is around. You have
plenty to say, and you can be funny too. Too bad other kids never see that side of you.”

Tina smiled. Meg was a good friend and wanted Tina to feel better about herself, but Tina didn’t believe a word of it.

Just then, Dave came out of his house and saw the girls. “Hey! Hi!”

Meg’s face lit up, and Tina smiled as convincingly as she could.

“What’s happening?” Dave asked.

“Not much,” said Tina.

“We just had our first soccer practice,” Meg said.

“Yeah?” Dave leaned against the Esparzas’ fence. “How was it? How’s the coach? Tina, you said you were nervous about her.”

“She’s nice,” Meg said. “And she thinks Tina could be a star goalkeeper.”

“No kidding!” Dave grinned at Tina. “Fantastic! That’d be great!”

Tina shrugged, looking down at the grass. “I don’t know. Meg is exaggerating. And I don’t know if I want to.”

“Why not?” Dave asked. “I think it’d be fantastic to be a good keeper. But I don’t have the talent. I guess you do.”

“Tina’s a super athlete,” Meg said. “She doesn’t think so, but she is. How’s school? You like your teachers?”

“Yeah, they’re okay,” Dave said. “I really like my science teacher, Mr. Ryan. He’s cool. You know him?”

Tina nodded but said nothing. Meg asked, “Is Mr. Ryan the tall guy with the mustache? He seems nice.”

“Yeah, that’s him. Tina, don’t you take science?”
Dave squatted on the edge of the lawn. “It’s my favorite subject. What’s yours?”

Tina shrugged. “I don’t know. They’re all okay, I guess.”

“
My
favorite is English,” Meg said. “I love reading. Tina’s really good in English too. She’s an awesome writer.”

“Really?” Dave asked. “I wish I wrote well, but I’m not good at it. Maybe you could help me, I mean, if you have the time.”

There was a long, awkward silence. Meg turned and stared hard at Tina. “I bet Tina
could
help, right, Tina?”

Very softly, Tina said, “Maybe. I guess. I’m not really that good.”

“Oh,” Dave said. Meg cleared her throat and was about to speak when Dave suddenly stood up. “See you,” he said, walked back
to his house, and went inside.

Tina looked up, surprised. “Why did he jump up and go like that?” she asked.

Meg laughed. “You’re kidding, right?”

“No, I’m not,” Tina said. “What happened?”

Meg shook her head and spoke slowly to Tina, as
if she was talking to someone who was not too bright. “What happened is that Dave saw that you weren’t interested in him,
and he felt bad, so he left. That’s what happened.”

“That’s just silly!” Tina was puzzled by what Meg said, “Why should he care if I’m interested in him or not?”

Meg wore an expression of comic disbelief. “Tee-
NUH
! Come
on
! Are you really, truly telling me you didn’t know that Dave likes you?”

Tina was stunned. “
Likes
me? What do you mean?”

Meg shook her head. “Oh, boy. Teen, listen. Dave likes you. Couldn’t you tell? The whole time he was here, he was staring
at you. I was hoping he’d be interested in me, but no way. He talked to
you
. He asked
you
if you took science. He asked what
your
favorite subject was. He asked
you
to help him with English. You, you, you. You paid no attention to him at
all
So he got the picture and left.”

Tina was amazed. Could Meg possibly be right? “But I wasn’t nasty to him, was I? I don’t think I was, anyway.”

Meg shook her head. “You weren’t nasty. You
weren’t
anything
. You just wouldn’t talk to him or even look at him. He got the hint.”

“
What
hint?” Tina demanded, still bewildered. “I wasn’t giving him any hint.”

Meg looked a little sad. “I guess you weren’t. But when a boy has a crush on you, and you don’t talk to him, well…”

“A
crush
! Oh, stop it! That’s just silly!”

“It’s the truth,” Meg said calmly.

Tina was uncomfortable. “This is … I don’t want to talk about that anymore, okay?”

“Sure,” Meg said. “But I’m right. I
know
I am. But we can talk about something else.”

“Good!” Tina said.

“What do you want to talk about?” asked Meg.

Tina said, “I don’t know. Nothing, I guess.”

Meg sighed and said, “Well, I should go home anyway. You’re not mad at me, are you?”

“No, why should I be?” Tina felt confused and wanted to be alone. “I still don’t think you’re right, though.”

“Well, let’s not talk about Dave anymore. Except, it would still be good practice to be nice to him, and he
is
nice. But forget it. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Tina waved to Meg as Meg got on her bike. Then she lay back in the grass and stared at the sky, thinking. What should she
tell Danielle? Would she try being a goalkeeper? Could she handle it?

Was Meg right about Dave liking her?

And how did
she
feel about
Dave?

O
n Saturday morning, the Esparzas had a late breakfast. Tina had soccer practice later but had nothing to do until Meg came
by to get her. Mr. Esparza poured himself a cup of coffee.

“How’s the new team and new coach?”

“Pretty good,” Tina said. “I like the coach, Danielle. She’s nice. Except…”

“Except what?” her father asked.

“She wants me to try being a keeper.”

Mr. Esparza smiled. “Yes? Terrific!”

“I don’t know,” Tina said.

Her father said, “No? It’s an important position. It’s great that your coach wants you to play it. The goalkeeper can be the
heart of a team. I know you can be very good at it.”

Tina said, “Well, I — you do?”

“Absolutely. I’ve been watching you play for years, and I know how good you are, how strong, what kind of athlete you are.”

“But I’ve never been a star or anything.”

“It doesn’t matter,” he replied. “You have what it takes. And don’t think I’m just being a proud papa. If I didn’t think you
had the talent, I wouldn’t say it. But you do.”

Mrs. Esparza patted her daughters hand. “Your father would never say what he didn’t believe. What he tells you, he means.”

“Daddy’s right,” said Sammy.

Mr. Esparza’s face grew serious. “I know you’re not sure about goalkeeping, but I hope you try it before you make up your
mind. Your coach is sharp if she can already see how good you are. I see you’re not as sure of yourself as your mother and
I are of you.”

“And me too,” Sammy said.

“But, you know?” Mr. Esparza went on. “I’d rather have a daughter who’s a little unsure of herself than one who’s
too
sure of herself. You’ll do the right thing, I know.”

Tina was touched. “Thanks, Daddy,” she said. “And I
will
give it a try.”

Mr. Esparza nodded. “Good. See what you have in you. That’s all I want.”

There was a knock at the door. “Teen? You there?” It was Meg.

“Come in!” Tina called. ’We’re finishing breakfast.”

Meg came in with her canvas sports bag. “Hi, Mr. Esparza, Mrs. Esparza. Hey, Sammy, what’s happening?”

“Yo, Meg, what’s happening?” called Sammy, standing and raising his hand for a high-five. Meg slapped his hand with hers.

“How are you doing?” Tina asked.

“Okay,” said Meg. “Did you decide what to do about goalkeeping yet?”

“I’m going to try it,” Tina replied. “Unless Danielle changes her mind, which would be all right too.”

“Good deal!” Meg said happily. “You’re going to be great, I just know it!”

“That’s what I said,” said Mr. Esparza.

“Me too!” yelled Sammy.

The girls rode to the practice field, and while Meg put on her soccer shoes and shin guards, Tina found Danielle and Pepper.