Project 438

Chapter 7 : An interesting Invitation

The gym was my favorite hour of the day because we always played some kind of sport and I loved sports. Today, we were playing volleyball and I loved playing volleyball. I was always put in the back because I had a tendency to hit the ball harder than needed be causing the other team to struggle to hit it. Tracy was on the other team which was new for me because she was always on my team. We played a fair game without anyone getting hurt or getting mad at one another. Ally was bad at sports and the coach has learned to put her on my team so no one will really notice how bad she is.

I did not care that I was the fastest on my team or that I tended to bump my team as I lunged for the ball, but all I could think about was winning and beating the other team. I was good with my footing, but the girl next to me, Susie, always got knocked over by me, and I did apologize each time. She got over it, but after the millionth time of doing it, I figured she decided I was doing it on purpose. Coach Millie was constantly blowing her whistle at me, but I got so into playing that I never realized what I was doing. This time, however; Coach Millie ignored my mistakes and played around with her key chain. Coach Millie was a very short woman who was built like a man and took sports seriously. She was always messing with her key chain which was a rabbit foot and a small flashlight. I figured maybe she just got bored watching me constantly win each time and was trying to keep herself entertained. She was a beautiful woman who looked like maybe she was an athlete when she was young, but when she got mad at you and yelled at you, you would think she was a sergeant at boot camp. She always had a red face when we came in and it was even redder when we left. I guess that's what happens when you yell all day.

"As good as you are at volleyball, you could convince your mom you want to play that. She might actually consider it." Ally said brushing her hair in the locker room. I laughed just imagining myself telling my mom. Would she actually go for that or was it just soccer that she loved?

"Who knows? If she doesn't like it, she might find fault with it as well. My mom finds fault in anything if she doesn't like it."

"You are right. She would, but it's worth a try." Ally said fixing her hair.

Ally tossed her brush in her locker and slipped her shoes on as she shook her head. Ally's parents always tried to make Ally more athletic, but when they discovered how bad she was, they quit trying and just let her choose what she loves to do. I found myself jealous of her sometimes. If I was bad at something, my mom would keep forcing me to practice until I was good.

"I think your mom is just jealous of you. I mean she could have been a star but decided to be a mother instead. Maybe coaching a soccer team is as close as she will get to playing and maybe she knows that."

Ally. Always defending my mom and I did not understand why. My mom was strict and I am pretty sure that if she was her daughter, she would think twice. Though I did love my mom, I did get frustrated with her a lot.

Then Tracy stepped around the lockers with her arms crossed and looking at us like we were annoying her or something.

"Or you could just get over yourself and admit to your mom you're no good at soccer. That would do a lot of us some good around here. It might even stop the rest of the team from not being able to play." She smirked and walked off. Always trying to do something great, but it never happens.

I walked to my locker alone after gym only to have Paula Simpson walk up to me holding her clipboard to her chest. I looked over at her and studied her as if she was bothering me. She ignored my staring and smiled flashing all of her pretty white teeth. So she could wear lipstick without getting it on her teeth. Lucky her because I could not do that.

"Hello, Lizzie. I have learned so much about you today. I can see you're good at sports. Very athletic." So she saw me play in the gym. That is interesting.