Free Win or Lose by Alex Morgan Page A

hers.
    â€œMmm, spicy!” she said, taking a bite.
    â€œWhat happened?” Frida demanded.
    Jessi filled her in.
    Anna shook her head. “If Grace wants us to listen to her as captain, she should talk to us as a team at practice. How are we to know what to believe with all these MyBook rumors flying around?”
    I groaned. “If only Coach Flores were here. If she had planned this team building exercise, the eighth graders would have come, and maybe we could have put all of this behind us.”
    Everyone nodded sadly as they chewed their pizza.
    â€œThis is a total bummer,” Brianna said. “Let’s change the subject.” She looked down the table at Zoe. “Zoe, I’m so psyched for your bat mitzvah. And I love your theme.”
    Zoe grinned. “ ‘Fashion Week.’ Yeah, I had to do that one!”
    â€œI think I found the cutest dress,” Olivia chimed in. “Did you find yours yet?”
    â€œI’ve narrowed it down to two,” Zoe replied. She handed Olivia her phone. “The black one is so beautiful. But the pink one is more fun. What do you think?”
    â€œI like the pink one,” Olivia said. She showed the phone to Sarah. “What do you think?”
    â€œPink,” Sarah agreed. “I think black is too harsh for you, Zoe.”
    Then she scrolled through the photos. “Hey, what’s this black one with the fringe? That’s really cool.”
    â€œI’m getting that one,” Frida said.
    Zoe sighed and looked at me and Emma. “You know, we really need to get back to Debi’s so that you guys can get your dresses.”
    â€œI know,” I said. “It’s just been so hard, with practice and everything, and we’ve got a game on Saturday. . . .”
    Zoe frowned. “You know, I’m starting to wish that we had never made the play-offs,” she grumbled.
    Nobody said anything right away, and there was an awkward silence at the table.
    Emma spoke up first. “Zoe, we all wanted to make the play-offs. I know you don’t mean that.”
    â€œI don’t. It’s just—it’s getting in the way,” she said, looking away from us. “I am totally stressed out. I’ve got to plan this bat mitzvah, practice soccer, and then there’s school besides. It’s too much.”
    â€œEverything will be fine,” Emma promised. “You’re a great soccer player; you’re, like, an A student; and the party is going to be amazing. I’m even wearing a dress for you.”
    Zoe smiled a little. “Yeah, that’s true.”
    â€œAnd we’ll find a way to get to Debi’s and get our dresses,” I said. “I promise.”
    â€œThanks,” Zoe said. She sounded relieved, but her worried look returned when she glanced at the eighth graders. “You know, I invited the whole team to my party. Do you still think they’ll come?”
    â€œI hope so,” I answered, even though I wasn’t sure if they would.
    Her question made me upset. I slapped my half-eaten slice onto my plate. Now I had definitely lost my appetite.
    Coach Flores was still gone. We weren’t working together as a team. And in two days we were facing our rivals, the Panthers, for the title of league champions. I didn’t think we had any chance at all of beating them now.
    But I didn’t tell my teammates that. I was their co-captain, after all, and it was my job to help lead the team, no matter how I felt inside.
    I picked up my water glass. “To the Kicks!” I said.
    â€œTo the Kicks!” everyone repeated, clicking glasses.
    Across the room I could see the eighth graders looking at us. I raised my glass toward them, too, and Megan rolled her eyes.
    I tried not to let it get to me. Maybe they weren’t going to be team players, but I still could be.

CHAPTER TEN

    â€œDevin, pinch me!” Frida held out her arm to me. We were