Falling Hard by Megan Sparks

Author:Megan Sparks [Sparks, Megan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Curious Fox
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

Annie wrapped the towel around herself the next morning after her shower and headed to her room to get dressed for school.

“Annie Turner, what is that on your leg?” Dad gasped.

Annie twisted around and noticed a giant black and blue bruise on her thigh. She shrugged it off. “I’m fine. It barely hurts any more.”

Dad crossed his arms. “Right, and I married Pinocchio’s mother.”

“Dad, I—”

“Don’t ‘Dad’ me. This is serious. I really don’t think this roller derby thing is a good idea. That is a nasty bruise. Do you have more like that one?”

Annie hugged the towel tighter around her. He couldn’t make her give up derby, he couldn’t. “I’m fine, really. And I know how to fall now so it probably won’t happen again. Jesse says the first fall is always the worst.”

“The first fall? You mean it happens a lot?”

Annie bit her lip. The sport was played on roller skates and a big part involved blocking each other. There were bound to be falls. And many of them. “It’s not as bad as it sounds.”

Dad paced around in a circle, pulling his hair straight up like an arch over his head, and then sighed. “Don’t you find out about cheerleading today? That does seem like the better choice. Less hazardous.”

He obviously hadn’t met Kelsey. “I honestly don’t know if I’ll make it. The head cheerleader thinks I’m a freak.”

Dad narrowed his eyes then laughed when he realized Annie was serious. “If you’re what they’re calling freaks these days, then I did all right. And so will you. The squad would be crazy not to have you. Now, go get dressed before that puddle gets any bigger.”

Annie put on a black shirt and a denim skirt over black tights, a step up from her usual jeans and T-shirt. Just to look nicer in case she made the cheerleading squad, but the clothes still worked for playing roller derby later that afternoon. It was the final day of the Fresh Meat workshop and Coach Ritter was giving them a test to see if they were ready to play on the team. Annie had no idea what to expect. Even if she didn’t pass, she hoped Dad would let her sign up for more practices. Just like living here, she wasn’t ready to give up on derby.

Annie and Lexie walked to school together. Lexie was anxious about whether she should add Alice in Wonderland to the bus at Rosie Lee’s. “She’s a classic but there’s no more room for her on the bus and it would make Peter Pan less amusing if he has someone riding on top with him.”

“Maybe you can have Alice waiting for the bus?” Annie suggested.

Lexie nodded. “I’ll think about that. ’Cause it’s not just Alice. I should also have put in Frodo or Bilbo Baggins, I don’t know how I forgot a hobbit. And Mom said I have to have Churchill...”

Annie put an arm around her and gave her a squeeze. “It’s perfect the way it is.

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