'Tis the Off-Season (2 page)

“Got it. Thanks,” said Corey. “Well, see you guys.” He darted down the front steps toward his bike, which was lying on its side on the front lawn.

“Bye!” the girls called after him. They watched him put on the reflective vest that all the kids in the neighborhood wore when they rode their bikes at night. Corey didn't live very far away, but he must have
really
wanted to know about the math homework.

Ava pulled Alex away from the door and then shut and locked it again. “Well, that was random,” she said. “Come on. Let's get back to the movie.”

But Alex had moved to the little window next to the door so she could watch Corey pedal away.

“Why do you think he came here to ask me about homework on a Friday night?” she asked. “Why didn't he just text me?”

Ava shrugged. “Beats me. Maybe he wanted to get in some cardio. Come on.”

“I mean, he and Lindsey are definitely broken up, so it's okay that he showed up at our house, right? Do you think he might like me?”

Ava sighed. “Al, I don't know. I don't have that kind of relationship with Corey. We're teammates. I stay out of that stuff.”

“Well, this has the potential to get complicated with Lindsey,” said Alex, slowly following her sister back to the study. “I finally feel like Lindsey and I are becoming good friends. What would she think if Corey and I started liking each other? I mean, how can I not interpret this sudden visit from Corey as an indication that he might like me?”

Ava sniffed. “Uh-oh,” she said. “I think we have bigger problems to worry about right now than whether Corey likes you.”

Alex had smelled it too. “The cookies!” she shrieked, and raced to the kitchen.

“Ave, it's not going to fit. Trust me,” said Alex. It was Monday morning, and she and Ava were at their lockers. Ava was trying to cram her basketball into the bottom part of her locker. “It's a sphere,” Alex pointed out as kindly as she could. “Which means no matter how you turn it, it's going to be the same shape.”

“Well, it needs air,” said Ava, slightly defensively. “I thought I could get it in if I squeezed it a little, but I guess that's not happening. Oh well. I'll just carry it around.”

“You'd better not dribble it inside this building,” said Alex. “Or Ms. Farmen will have your head.”

Ava had been driving Alex crazy recently, dribbling the basketball everywhere she went, including inside the house. She was working on improving her ball-handling skills.

“I've been thinking nonstop about Lindsey and Corey,” said Alex, as she folded her purple cardigan into a neat square and placed it on the upper shelf of her locker.

“I know. You've been
talking
nonstop about Lindsey and Corey too,” said Ava.

Alex slipped her math book onto the neat stack of books and pulled out her social studies book. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her sister shove a book into the crowded locker and slam it shut before the towering stack could fall out. “I want to ask Emily if she thinks Lindsey would get mad if Corey and I liked each other.”

Ava held her locker door closed with her hip while she gave her combination a spin. The door didn't burst back open, and she nodded, satisfied.

“Ava!”

Callie Wagner rushed up to them, waved quickly at Alex, and then pointed at the basketball Ava held in the crook of her elbow. “So are you going to try out for the team?” she asked eagerly. “Everyone's saying you're really good.”

“I don't know about that,” said Ava, and her face reddened. “But I'm psyched to try out.”

“She can spin it on the tip of her finger,” said Alex loyally. “Show her,” she commanded her sister.

Ava shot Alex a look, but she rotated her wrist, tossed the ball in the air, and then caught it at the tip of her finger. She let it spin for a few seconds. Then she caught it again.

“Wow! Awesome!” breathed Callie.

“Since football ended, it's been so weird, not having a practice to go to,” said Ava. “My afternoons feel so long and empty.”

Callie nodded. “Well, just so you know, during basketball season, we won't have practice right after school every day. Because gym time is in such demand, sometimes we'll be having practices at night. But you get used to it.”

Ava could tell Alex's eyebrows were raised without even looking at her.

“Gotta go, bell's about to ring,” said Callie, and she hurried off.

Ava turned to her twin. “What?” she asked. “Why are you giving me one of your looks?”

“
Night
practices?” said Alex. “Won't those conflict with your tutoring sessions with Luke? Mom and Dad are not going to be happy about that.”

“I'm doing just fine with school,” Ava scoffed. “And puh-lease, Alex. You know that basketball practice is way more important to me than tutoring!”

She flounced away to homeroom, and Alex stared after her, shaking her head. “I have a bad feeling about this, Ave,” she said quietly to her sister's retreating figure.

Alex headed in the other direction, toward her homeroom. Lindsey Davis fell into step with her. “Emily and I want to start planning this year's Christmas party,” she said. “You absolutely must be part of the planning—you're so artistic and organized.”

“Thanks!” said Alex. She flushed with relief. Things with Lindsey seemed completely fine. And she was glad Lindsey still wanted her help planning things, after some of their plans to celebrate Corey and Lindsey's anniversary hadn't panned out so well.

At the door of Mr. Kenerson's classroom, Lindsey put a hand on Alex's arm and leaned in. “Hey, by the way, how was your student council meeting last week?” she asked eagerly.

Alex looked at her blankly. “My student council meeting? It was fine. A little boring. We talked about fund-raising for the eighth-grade field trip. Why?”

“I just wondered if my name came up.”

“
Your
name?” asked Alex. “Why would your name come up at a student government meeting?”

“Oh, no reason,” said Lindsey casually. “Just wanted to see if maybe Johnny—oh my gosh, don't look. Here comes Corey.”

Corey was approaching from the other direction. Alex watched a flicker of emotions race across his broad, handsome face as he saw first her and then Lindsey. Then he looked glumly down at the ground and hurried past them without saying anything.

Is Lindsey staring at me funny? Does she suspect that something's up?
Alex could feel her face get warm.

“Whatever,” said Lindsey, shrugging with exaggerated indifference. The bell rang for homeroom, and she headed into Mr. Kenerson's classroom.

Alex took one last glance at Corey and quickly followed Lindsey in before the bell could stop ringing.

Alex planned to talk to Emily in social studies third period, but Emily got there out of breath just as the second bell rang, and then there was no time to talk during class because they were giving oral reports. At lunch Emily and Lindsey sat together across from Alex, so she had no chance then, either. She finally caught Emily alone just after the last bell rang that afternoon.

“Em! Wait up!” called Alex, running to catch up to her friend. She slowed to a walk. Running looked too desperate.

“Hey, Alex,” said Emily. “I'm staying after today. A bunch of kids are headed to the gym. Between seasons we're allowed to go to the gym and hang out, and some kids shoot baskets and stuff. You should come!”

Alex had been planning to go straight home to finalize her Christmas present shopping list, but she realized this was an important social networking opportunity. Plus, it would be an excellent chance to find out more about Corey and Lindsey. “Sounds great!” she said.

Emily smiled and hooked her arm through Alex's as they set off for the gym. Alex racked her brain for a natural way to bring up Lindsey and Corey's breakup before they joined the others, but nothing came to mind.

“So what's the deal with Lindsey and Corey?” she finally blurted out.

They'd reached the gym and were headed toward the bleachers. A bunch of cheerleaders and football players were hanging out there. Alex saw Lindsey, but, she noted with relief, Corey was not there. At the far end of the gym, Alex could see her sister playing half-court basketball with some other girls.

“I think things are okay,” said Emily. “I mean, she was upset because he broke up with her before she broke up with him, but she'll get over it. And she's pretty into Johnny Morton now—remember how she was gushing about him when we were in Austin?”

“Do you think he likes her back?” Alex was impressed that Lindsey was so confidently pursuing an eighth grader. And of course—that's why she had asked about the student council meeting. Johnny was the eighth-grade class president!

“There's Lindz! She's waving to us!”

The two girls climbed up into the bleachers, where Lindsey moved over to make room for them. Alex tried to determine whether Lindsey's smile was genuine, but she wasn't great at reading faces that carefully.

On the other side of Lindsey, Charlotte Huang and Rosa Navarro were painting each other's fingernails with a sparkly green shade. Alex wondered if Charlotte had brought the polish from New York—she'd just moved from there—and if it was the latest color.

“I'm so glad you guys are finally here!” said Lindsey. “We need to plan the Christmas party!”

“So I was thinking it should be the Saturday
after
Christmas,” said Emily. “Because no one will be able to come the weekend before—everyone seems to have family stuff to do.”

Lindsey clapped her hands and bounced in her seat. “We should totally do a Secret Santa gift exchange,” she said. “And everyone should wear an ugly Christmas sweater—we've done that the past few years and it's been so fun!”

“Alex, will you guys be back from Massachusetts the Saturday after Christmas?” asked Emily.

Alex jumped guiltily. She'd been watching the gym doors to see if Corey had arrived. “What? Oh! Yes, we will definitely be back by that night,” she said. Was Lindsey looking at her funny?

“The only thing is, my parents won't let me host it,” said Lindsey. “Because we just had that Halloween party, and my mom is still trying to get the face paint off the couch cushions.”

Emily bit her lip. “There's no way can I host it,” she said. “We're having thirty relatives for Christmas this year—and half of them are staying with us.”

“I already asked Charlotte,” said Lindsey, “but she says her parents are doing a total renovation of the kitchen.”

“That's right,” said Charlotte, who'd overheard. She waved her fingers in the air to dry them. “Like, a total renovation. We've been eating out at restaurants every single night.” She turned back to Rosa, who was waiting to paint the next coat.

There was a pause. Alex looked anxiously from Emily to Lindsey, neither of whom was looking at her.

“Why don't
I
host it?” she suggested. As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she regretted them.

“
Would
you?” squealed Emily, grasping her arm and hugging her tightly.

“That would be amazing!” said Lindsey, and her smile seemed genuine.

“Awesome!” said Charlotte and Rosa at the same time.

Alex gulped. Her house wasn't very big. And she vaguely recalled her mom saying that their flight back from Boston was midday on Saturday. That wasn't much time to get ready for a huge party the very same night. But she'd figure it out. This was an important social undertaking for her. “Sure,” she said. “My dad is a great baker, so I'll ask him to make Christmas cookies. And my mom makes this amazing turkey chili with corn bread. I used to love it, although of course I don't eat it now that I'm a vegetarian.” She remembered that the last time her mother had made turkey chili, it had simmered for hours on the stove, but she put that thought out of her mind. Her mom could make it ahead, before they left for Boston, and freeze it. That would probably be even easier than making it the day of!

“Em and I will come over to help you with the decorations, of course,” said Lindsey eagerly.

“Decorations?” repeated Alex weakly.

“Yes, and let's see,” said Emily, pulling out her notebook. “Besides Charlotte and Rosa, we'll need . . . Annelise”—she was writing the list quickly—“Madison . . . Logan . . . Jack . . . Xander . . .”

“Don't forget the Fowlers,” said Lindsey, “and Callie, and Tessa. Wow, there's a lot of people,” she said with a laugh.

Alex laughed too, but it was a hollow laugh.

“Oh, and Ava of course, and Kylie,” said Emily, still scribbling names. “And Owen, Andy, Johnny . . .” She looked up at Lindsey and grinned impishly. “I guess if we invite Johnny, we'll need to ask a few other eighth graders, so it won't look too obvious!”