Lucy’s “Perfect” Summer by Nancy Rue Read Free Book Online Page B

with your feet only. Then you get to juggle, and whoever you got the ball from becomes the Hunter.”
    “I don’t get it,” Oscar said.
    “You’ll get the hang of it, and then we’ll start having the Hunter stay the Hunter with the new Hunter, and the last one left is the winner.”
    “Now I really don’t get it,” Oscar said.
    Seth blew his whistle. “Start juggling!”
    Lucy stepped on her ball, rolled it back and got her foot under it so she could pop it up.
    “Guess what?” Carla Rosa whispered. “I forget what juggling is.”
    She looked like she was about to cry.
    “It’s like we did at my house,” Lucy said as she juggled. “Just toss the ball up with your hands, and then keep it from touching the ground. Then you can only use your feet or your thighs — ”
    She bounced the ball just above her knee.
    “ — or your head.”
    Lucy headed the ball and let it drop until she caught it with her calf and bounced it up again.
    “I can’t do that!” Carla Rosa said. Her ball fell to the ground, but Veronica the Hunter was busy waiting for Gabe to dump his — which wasn’t going to happen. Gabe, Lucy knew, was as good a juggler as she was. Maybe better.
    After about five minutes of half the team dropping their balls and Veronica retrieving none of them and Seth missing it all because he was poking at his cell phone, Lucy juggled her way between Gabe and Veronica and purposely let her ball bounce at Veronica’s feet.
    “Get it,” she said.
    Veronica let her mouth hang open, and then she squealed and kicked the ball away and trotted off after it.
    “Hey, you got one,” Seth said. “Now you juggle and Lisa is the Hunter.”
    Lucy rolled her eyes all the way up into her brain..
    Veronica managed to capture the ball with her foot, only to let it roll right to Lucy who danced around it, whispering, “Try again.”
    “You can start the juggle with your hands first,” Seth said.
    “Lucy didn’t,” Veronica said.
    Dusty laughed. “That’s because Lucy’s amazing.”
    “Are you Lucy?” said someone with a deep voice.
    Lucy startled and let the ball get away from her. Two large hands scooped it up. A pair of bright blue eyes sparked at her from over a hooked nose. That must be why they called him Hawke.
    “Are you Lucy?” he said again.
    Lucy wished she wasn’t. His voice boomed even without the microphone. She nodded.
    “Coach, I’m taking Lucy.”
    “Was Lacy the Hunter?” Seth said to the rest of the team.
    “Guess what?” Carla Rosa said.
    Lucy didn’t have to hear the rest. Besides, her thoughts were pounding so loud in her ears, she wouldn’t have anyway. Was she about to get busted after only one day? And for what? Maybe it was some rule she didn’t even know about yet. Red cards dangled before her eyes.
    Hawke strode in long-legged steps to a bench at the side of the field where several teams were doing their drills. Anybody between them and the bench stepped aside like Hawke was a king.
    “Sit with me,” Hawke said to her.
    Heart slamming like a screen door, Lucy dropped obediently onto the bench, He put his foot on it and leaned on his knee.
    “So you’re the famous Lucy,” he said.
    “Famous?” Lucy said.. How could she be famous already?
    “Your coach from Los Suenos — Coach Auggy — isn’t that what you call him?”
    “Yes.” Lucy almost added, “Your Majesty.” He even wore his ball cap like a crown over his silver hair.
    “He’s says you have talent, so I thought I’d come by and see for myself. Do you know what I found out?”
    Lucy swallowed and waited for him to go on, but he was obviously expecting an answer.
    “The only reason I dropped my ball was because Veronica was never going to get one if I didn’t,” she said. “She needs the juggling practice.”
    Hawke’s lips parted in a wide smile. “That’s exactly what I saw. You’re out of there, Lucy.”
    Lucy was sure all the color was draining from her face, leaving her exactly sixteen