Twice the Talent by Belle Payton Read Free Book Online Page B

sister’s face. She could see the nervousness behind her confident statement. But she knew that once Ava was determined to do something, there was no talking her out of it. She had fought hard to become the only girl on the boys’ football team. And she had never given up when their parents refused to let her play basketball. Besides, she really had been amazing during cheerleading tryouts.
    â€œI’m sure you’ll be great,” Alex said supportively.
    The school bus made a noise like a groaning dinosaur and pulled up in front of school. When Alex got off the bus, she spotted Emily’s blond head among the crowd of students walking into school.
    â€œSee you later,” Alex told Ava, jogging toward her friend.
    â€œEmily!” she called out.
    Emily turned. She didn’t smile when she saw Alex, but she didn’t look upset, either. She marched right toward her.
    â€œDo you really think our dance routine is lame?” Emily asked directly.
    â€œThat’s what I wanted to explain,” Alex said. “Why I texted you last night. But you didn’t text back.”
    Emily sighed. “Lindsey was texting me like crazy too, and I didn’t want to get into some text war. So why don’t you explain, then?”
    The girls walked into the school and leaned against a wall in the front hallway.
    â€œI’m so sorry,” Alex said. “We were in social studies class, and Lindsey was saying mean things about Max. She’s been saying mean things about him for days now. I think she’s still mad at him for embarrassing her.”
    â€œYeah, I know,” Emily admitted. “I’ve been wanting to say something to her about it, but . . . what does that have to do with our dance routine, anyway? That’s the part I don’t get.”
    â€œWell, she said it was lame that I was working on my project with Max instead of joining your dance act, and that Max was lame, so I just said that the dance routine was lame,” Alex said. “I didn’t mean it. Lindsey just pushed me too far.”
    Emily nodded. “Rosa said it happened something like that. I understand.”
    â€œSo does that mean we’re good?” Alex asked. “Because I really, really, really am sorry.”
    Emily smiled. “Yeah, we’re good.”
    Alex smiled back, relieved—until she remembered that just because Emily forgave her didn’tmean Lindsey would. “I know you’re good, but what about everybody else?”
    â€œI think Rosa understands,” Emily replied. “Annelise and Charlotte will too, once I explain it to them. But Lindsey is really fuming about it.”
    Alex nodded. “I’ll make it right with Lindsey, I promise.”
    The first morning bell rang, and the girls scurried to their lockers. Alex felt comforted knowing that Emily understood and was still her friend, but she knew that making things right with Lindsey wouldn’t be easy. She and Lindsey had gotten off on the wrong foot right from the start, and it had taken months for them to finally become friends. This might be the last straw in their friendship.
    Alex’s hunches were right. In social studies, Lindsey made a point never to look in Alex’s direction. And when Max approached Alex and said he would meet her in the library after school, Lindsey whispered something to Rosa and then laughed really loudly.
    At lunch Lindsey made it very obvious that she was talking only to Annelise, Charlotte, Rosa, and Emily. She acted like Alex was invisible at the table. Alex knew that talking withher then wouldn’t have done any good, so she spent most of the lunch hour listening to a conversation Ava and Jack were having about college basketball and tried to act like everything was normal. She started to wonder if apologizing to Lindsey was even worth it. She could be such a difficult person!
    Do I really need a friend like that? Alex wondered. But the