Free T is for...he's a TOTAL jerk (Grover Beach Team #3) by Piper Shelly Page B

look away. And he didn’t look pissed as usual. Just…expressionless.
    I gritted my teeth and turned around again. Anthony Mitchell, I’m done with you.
    Class was over fast, but not a lot had registered. When the bell rang, I had to ask Laura Evans, the girl sitting next to me, about the homework project. She let me quickly copy her notes, then I stuffed my things into my backpack and headed out after a small group of people.
    Outside, I ran into Allie. “Hey, Sam,” she said. “We’re going to meet up for training on the soccer field in a few minutes. You coming?”
    Some dancing was just what I needed after getting a stiff neck in class, and since I had decided to give the cheerleader thing a shot after all, I nodded and followed her to the trimmed lawn a few hundred meters off the campus. We were the first to arrive and I slumped down under a tree while we waited for the others. By and by, they joined us, and in the end we were a total of eight girls.
    Liza sat down Indian style next to me and bumped her shoulder against mine. “How was Arts? Did the oaf behave?”
    “Yeah, everything was cool.” I shrugged. “No insults for once.”
    “Good. I told him I’d kick his ass from here to Nebraska if he was mean to you ever again.”
    I was right about them having another argument last night then. It hadn’t been necessary, because I’d be out of his path from now on anyway, but it was nice to hear that Liza was standing up for me. I bumped her shoulder back. “Thanks.”
    A moment later, Allie had us stretching our muscles before we started the training. I planted the sole of my right foot against a tree trunk and did some stretches like I used to do in ballet class as a child, reaching for my toes and touching my forehead to my kneecap.
    But looking at my pants was boring, so I turned my head to the side and let my gaze roll out on the soccer field. Some boys and girls were running out on the field. So it was co-ed training today. Twisting my upper body to one side and laying my temple on my knee now, I tried to find Susan in the crowd. She must be there somewhere, but I couldn’t spot her. Instead, I caught a glimpse of Anthony Mitchell.
    He wore the white shorts and blue jersey again, and now I saw that there was an angry red shark on everyone’s back. The same as on the banner hanging from the bleachers that spelled Grover Beach Bay Sharks .
    Tony swung around, his gaze landing on our small group. Too late, I realized that I had started to watch him kick ball with Nick, and he sure noticed, because his eyes narrowed when our gazes met for a second before he turned away and ran off toward the goal.

TONY
     
     
    As I ran out with Hunter and the others to the field, I was still gnashing my teeth over my lack of attention when the little troll had dumped my stuff on my desk and actually rendered me speechless for a second.
    Nick aimed a shot at me. “Do some kicks for warm-up?”
    We kicked back and forth for a minute, running along the side of the field, trying hard not to get into Cloey’s line. Well, I did. I had enough craze going on since last night and didn’t care for bumping into her, too.
    At the far end of the grounds, Nick and I switched positions, and there I spotted the girls. Allie had made it a point to train with the girls while we were training, too, so we could give them feedback afterward. Nothing I was really eager about. Girls dancing was, well…if you were a guy you would like it, no matter if they were pros or not.
    Normally, I enjoyed them for a few minutes but then concentrated on the game and afterward told them they were cool. But this time I knew Liza would be with them, and my blood pressure rose in anticipation of seeing her cheering for us.
    I had been dumbstruck when she’d announced it yesterday during lunch. But then she’d joined the soccer team for me last summer, so why not go cheerleader for Hunter now? I searched the small group for her beautiful, long hair. What