Free Team Play by Bonnie Bryant

little,” he said. “But it’s okay. You are a very generous person, Stevie. Everything you are doing here is for somebody else.”
    “Yeah,” Stevie agreed, and without thinking, she added, “and her name is Veronica diAngelo.”
    “Who?”
    “Oh, nothing. I mean, nobody,” Stevie stammered.
    Marco looked at her curiously, but he let it pass.
    Fortunately, someone interrupted them right then. Somebody who looked very familiar was waving frantically to get Stevie’s attention.
    “I think we’d better get back,” Stevie said. “Somebody seems to need me.”
    “Who is it?” Marco asked.
    “I can’t remember,” Stevie said. “I’ve just forgotten his name.” She squinted and tried hard to remember. “Oh, yes,” she said. “It’s Bobby Effingwell. He’s the guy running against me for Middle School President.”
    Stevie waved back at Bobby and walked quickly to thefairgrounds with Marco. When she got there, it turned out that Bobby wasn’t the only one who needed to talk to her. A dozen questions awaited her. She was very pleased to find that she could supply a dozen answers in return. She turned to Bobby.
    “Listen, my parents are making a big thing about this. I’m sorry to bother you,” he said. Stevie decided right then and there that anyone as mousey as Bobby didn’t have a chance of succeeding as Middle School President, much less winning the election. She hoped her face didn’t betray her thoughts. “But my grandmother wants to hear my speech tomorrow and she can’t get here by noon when we’re supposed to go on,” Bobby continued. “Can we do it later?”
    Stevie’s mind raced. Tomorrow was filled with activities and it all had to go like clockwork. Changing the time of something like that could cause problems. Still, maybe she could work something out.
    “Let me think,” she said. “The pony rides will be over by three-thirty. We could do it after that, say, at four?”
    “Hey, great!” Bobby said. He dashed off to give the news to his parents. For a second, it crossed Stevie’s mind that Bobby might have some political scheme in mind which made it more desirable for him to deliver his speech later in the day. But as she watched his receding figure wave gaily to his parents, she dismissed the thought. She had the feeling she was looking at a boywhose grandmother was going to see him lose badly in the school election. She was almost sorry she’d agreed to change the time of the speeches.
    “And what’s going on in your busy mind now?” Marco asked. Stevie had nearly forgotten he was there.
    “I was just thinking about Bobby,” she replied. “He’s a nice boy, you know. He’s so nice, he probably won’t even resent me when I beat him in the election. Heck, he’s so nice, he’ll probably even vote for me.” Marco laughed. “Come on. Let’s get to work.” Stevie returned her attention to the fair. “Do you know how to set up a ring-toss game?”
    “Why don’t you just show me what you want me to do and it will get done,” Marco said.
    “
Andiamo!
” Stevie said, leading the way.
    “Oh, Stevie!” a voice called, interrupting them yet again. It was Veronica diAngelo, who had apparently gotten her voice back. “I’ve been looking all over for you!” she said sweetly. She spoke to Stevie, but her eyes were glued on Marco. Stevie wasn’t surprised in the least.
    “Well, here I am,” Stevie said. “What can I do for you?”
    “Oh, it’s not what you can do for me. It’s what
I
can do for
you
,” Veronica cooed.
    “Yes?” Stevie said.
    “Well, I know you’re working hard with all this fair business. I thought maybe the Italian boys would enjoy a little peace and quiet, perhaps over at my house?”
    “Oh, but there’s work to do,” Marco said.
    Veronica looked around her. For the first time she saw something other than Stevie and four good-looking boys. She saw that the four good-looking boys were working very hard on her school’s Fair and her