Free Just Add Magic by Cindy Callaghan Page B

sit-ups till I tell you to stop. That won’t hurt your blisters.”
    I sucked my bottom lip under my teeth, made fists, and did a little dance. In my head I was singing:
Go hex! She’s doing lots of sit-ups! Woot! Woot!
    Coach said, “Quinn, what are you doing?”
    I stopped my little dance. “Nothing, Coach, just excited to run, that’s all.”
    â€œGood attitude. I like a good attitude, Quinn.” Then he looked at Darbie, who was struggling with her push-ups. “Niiiiiine.” She lowered her chin back down to the ground. “Tennnnnn.” She lowered her chin again. “Elevvvennnnn.” She flopped back down onto her belly before rolling onto her back.
    Coach walked closer to Darbie. “Do me a favor and be late again next time, so we can work on those.” He took off his sunglasses, tucked them into the neck of his T-shirt, and examined Darbie’s face. “I like the bruised look. Makes youlook tough.” Hands on hips, he assessed the troops and tucked his iPod’s earphones into his ears. “LET’S RUNNNNN!”
    He led. We followed.
    I jogged with Darbie. We ran past Charlotte doing sit-ups in her school clothes. “Did you hear that?” I asked.
    â€œYeah. What do you mean, you’re excited to run?” She tripped over her own feet and I braced her with my arm before she fell.
    I said, “Not that. The blisters.”
    â€œOh,
that
.”
    Charlotte’s friend Misty interrupted us. “It just so happens that Charlotte’s dad bought her the most amazing new cleats that cost, like, a hundred dollars. If shoes are even the slightest bit too snug, like brand-new cleats are sometimes before you break them in, they can give you blisters. It’s not funny—in fact they are quite painful. You know they can get infected if they don’t stay really clean?” Then she ran past us, catching up with the pack.
    â€œYou thinking what I’m thinking?” I asked Darbie.
    â€œThat depends on what you’re thinking,” Darbie said. Again, her left foot got in the way of the right one and she lost her balance. I gave her my hand so she didn’t fall.
    â€œWhat’s your problem?” I asked.
    â€œI don’t know. I’m, like, uncontrollably clumsy.”
    I shook my head. “What I was saying was that I was thinking about the H-E-X.”
    Darbie thought about this. Her face told me that she was having trouble making out the letters I spelled.
    â€œHex,” I said. “The Hexberry Pie. We gave her blisters.”
    â€œYou know they can get infected?” Darbie mimicked Misty. “Man, hexes stink.”
    â€œOnly for the one
being hexed
. As the
hexer
, I think they rock!” I said.
    Darbie said, “And you’re not worried we’ll get what we deserve?”
    â€œYou worry too much,” I told her.
    With newfound energy I jogged my way up to Hannah and explained our good fortune.
    Nine laps later Coach called, “GATHER AROUND, LADIES!” We all collapsed onto the grass. “Get some water,” Coach said. He took a long pull on his own bottle and squeezed water onto his face. “You girls did really well today. I know the first few days of conditioning are hard. Eat a good dinner tonight. And get a good night’s sleep.” He took another drink. “Grab a colored mesh jersey; we’ll scrimmage until your parents get here.”
    â€œI might puke,” Darbie panted.
    â€œNO CHITCHAT, GIRLS! Take your positions.”
    We jogged onto the field. Everyone was dog-tired, except for Hannah. She easily dribbled down the field and scored.
    Darbie dragged. The truth was, she wasn’t looking sogood at tryouts today and I was worried she might get cut from the team. That would totally stink. We had always been on the same team. I didn’t know what was up with her—she was always a little clumsy, but not a total spaz like today,