Free A Whole New Ball Game by Belle Payton

just gotten settled into her chair and closed her eyes when she heard Alex squeal.
    â€œThere’s Emily!”
    Alex sat up and waved wildly.
    Ava opened one eye. Emily was waving back from the other side of the pool, beckoning to them. Or was it just to Alex? Ava was so accustomed to being friends with Alex’s friends. It had always been convenient for quiet, reserved Ava, not having to make small talk and flit around at birthday parties. She usually liked Alex’s friends just fine, and they her, but here it seemed like a whole new ball game. Ava hadn’t spoken to Emily very much, so she couldn’t really assume Emily already wanted to be her friend. Maybe she was just beckoning to Alex.
    â€œLet’s go over there,” said Alex excitedly.
    â€œNow?” said Ava. “We just got settled here.”
    â€œAve,” said Alex in her most matter-of-factvoice. “This is an important social opportunity for both of us.”
    Ava sat up and swung her legs around to stand up. “You go ahead,” she said to Alex. “I just saw Coach Byron and his kids, Jamila and Shane—the ones we see at practice sometimes. I’m going to go say hi.”
    â€œOkay,” said Alex. “I’ll be over there.”
    Ava sighed. Playing with younger kids seemed so much less complicated. She just didn’t have the energy to delve into the Ashland Middle School social scene. Not yet.

    As Alex made her way around the pool, she spotted a boy in the water. He had reddish hair, and he was hanging out at the side of the pool, talking with Emily and her friends, who were sitting on lounge chairs. Was it Corey? Her heart thudded. She could only see him from the back. Water streamed off his shoulders as he pulled himself effortlessly out of the pool and then stood up.
    As she approached them, she silently thanked her mother for letting her buy this secondbathing suit. She knew she looked great in it.
    Corey must have thought so too, because as soon as he caught sight of her he tripped backward over a lounge chair, barely catching himself before he fell into the pool.
    Alex giggled. He was truly adorable. Her breath caught in her throat as she noticed how his bright-blue eyes seemed to glow, even from this far away.
    â€œHey!” he called to her.
    â€œHi!” she said brightly, addressing the group. She tried not to look at Corey too much, but her eyes seemed drawn to him.
    â€œDon’t you look cute as a bug!” said Emily, leaping up and hurrying over to Alex. She crooked her elbow through Alex’s and led her to a free chair in the midst of the group. Alex could see Corey out of the corner of her eye as he headed over to a group of his friends and sat down. She was pretty sure he was still gawking at her.
    â€œWhere’s that twin sister of yours?” asked Rosa, sitting up on one elbow and smiling at Alex.
    Alex looked around. She spotted Ava in the kiddie pool, moving through the shallow endwith Jamila on her back and Shane chasing them. The kids were screaming with delight.
    â€œOver there,” she said, smiling. “She’s playing ‘shark attack’ with those little kids.”
    â€œAw, how sweet,” said Annelise. “We were just heading to the snack bar,” she went on. “Want to come with us?”
    â€œOh, thanks, I’m fine for now,” Alex said. Then she wondered if that had been a mistake. Should she have agreed to go with them? Had she missed an important socializing opportunity? Or would this be the perfect chance to think of a reason to say something to Corey?
    The three girls stood up. Emily smiled at Alex and tossed her a bottle of sunscreen. “Here, slather up,” she said. “You northerners need to get used to our Texas sun!”
    As Alex was putting sunscreen on her legs, a shadow fell over her. She looked up. It was Corey. Gulp.
    â€œHow’s it going?” he asked.
    â€œUm, great.”