Game Time Mallory! Read online

  To Amy Fitzgerald, an incredible editor!

  Thanks for keeping Mallory in the game.

  —L.B.F.

  For Jinx, our sweet dog from 4 Paws for Ability, and for Elliot, Max, Makayla, Carter, Alex, Grace, Ben, Anthony, Alec, Abbie, Nelson, Finn, Noah & Madison, whose amazing families are on this journey with us. You will have a special place in my heart, always.

  —J.K.

  CONTENTS

  A Word from Mallory

  Count Me In

  Ready, Set, Shoot!

  Teammates

  Practice Imperfect

  Game Day

  The Longest Season

  The Girl Who Never Scored

  Disaster at the Gym

  A Pep Talk

  V is for Victory!

  Another Win

  A Scrapbook

  Basketball Lingo

  A Recipe

  A Word from Mallory

  My name is Mallory McDonald, like the restaurant, but no relation. I’m in fourth grade. I have a cat named Cheeseburger and a brother named Max, and my best friends—Mary Ann, Joey, and Chloe Jennifer—all live on my street. It’s called Wish Pond Road, and it has a real wish pond on it that I can go to whenever I need to make a wish.

  All that’s great, but today, things got even better because of a letter that came in the mail. It said there’s a new basketball league in Fern Falls for fourth- and fifth-grade girls. All you have to do to play in the league is try out, and then you get placed on a team.

  Joey plays on a soccer team, and Max has played on a baseball team for as long as I can remember. I’ve never been on a sports team, and I knew this could be my chance.

  “Max, you’ve always loved being on a team. Now I’m going to be on one too! It’s going to be so, so, so much fun!” I got so excited just picturing myself playing basketball and having a great time with my friends that I started jumping up and down in the kitchen.

  It made Mom laugh, but not my brother. “Being on a team isn’t all fun and games,” said Max. He shook his head just like he always does when he thinks I’m being dumb.

  But I don’t care what Max thinks! The only two people’s opinions I care about are Mary Ann’s and Chloe Jennifer’s. I bet they’re going to be just as excited about playing basketball as I am, and I can’t wait to talk to them! I hope they’ll have just one thing to say.

  It’s the same thing I’m saying, which is—SIGN ME UP!

  COUNT ME IN

  “What do you mean you don’t want to sign up?” I say.

  I stick my head inside Mary Ann’s bedroom window. We always use the window when we have something extra important to say to each other. But Mary Ann looks like she thinks what we’re talking about isn’t extra important at all.

  “Mallory, I have a hip-hop show at the end of the month. I don’t have time to play basketball. And to be honest, it doesn’t sound like much fun to me anyway.”

  I try not to pass out when she says that. I don’t want to be known as the girl from Wish Pond Road who fainted outside her best friend’s window. But I just don’t get how Mary Ann thinks playing in this league won’t be fun.

  Mary Ann and I have always done things together—painting our toenails the same color, chewing the same kind of gum, and even saying things three times. Now we have a chance to do something really fun and new together, and I want to convince her we should do it.

  I fish the letter out of my back pocket and hold it out in front of her. “Of course it will be fun. We’ll get to meet girls from other schools. We’ll have our own uniforms. People will come to cheer for us. It’ll be exciting!”

  Mary Ann shakes her head like that isn’t enough to sell her on the idea, so I keep going.

  “Besides, since this is the first time most girls will be playing basketball, there are only five games in the regular season plus the playoffs. It won’t take up that much time. You’ll still be able to do hip-hop.”

  Mary Ann rolls her eyes like that’s not a good reason either. “Mallory, the games are on Saturday, which means we wouldn’t be able to watch Fashion Fran when it comes on.”

  I can’t believe Mary Ann thinks watching a TV show, even though it is our favorite one, is more important than playing basketball.

  “C’mon!” I say. “It’s only for a few weeks.”

  “Why do you want to do this so badly?” Mary Ann asks. “You don’t even know how to play basketball.”

  I blow a piece of hair off my face. “That’s the whole point,” I say. “I want to learn how to play. I want to try something new. And you should too!”

  Mary Ann snort-laughs, which I know means she thinks the idea of learning to play basketball is silly. “Sorry, Mallory,” she says. But I can’t tell if she’s sorry or not.

  “I’m going to talk to Chloe Jennifer,” I say. Maybe Mary Ann doesn’t want to play, but I have my toes crossed that Chloe Jennifer will.

  I can hear Mary Ann closing her window as I walk off. She’s my best friend, but sometimes, she can be so frustrating.

  I walk to Chloe Jennifer’s house and ring her doorbell. “Did you get the letter about the new basketball league?” I ask when she opens the door.

  Chloe Jennifer nods. “I got it.”

  “Great! So you’re going to play.” I knew Chloe Jennifer would want to. “Let’s start practicing right away so we’re ready for tryouts!” I say.

  But Chloe Jennifer shakes her head. “Mallory, I can’t play in the basketball league. I have dance lessons every Wednesday and Saturday and a big recital at the end of the school year. Plus, I have piano lessons on Tuesdays. I don’t have time to play basketball.”

  I put my hand on my hip. This is NOT what I expected to happen!

  “Mary Ann doesn’t want to play either,” I tell Chloe Jennifer. Then I give her my best basketball-would-be-a-whole-lot-more-fun-if-my-best-friends-were-playing-it-with-me look. “Don’t you think it will be fun to be part of a team?”

  “I’m sure it would be,” says Chloe Jennifer. Then she pauses like she feels bad and is trying to think of just the right thing to say. “I’m sorry, Mallory. I can’t play, but I’m sure a lot of our other friends will want to.”

  The good news is that Chloe Jennifer is right. When I get to my classroom the next morning, it’s what everyone is talking about.

  “I’m playing,” says April.

  “Me too,” says Zoe.

  “Me three,” adds Grace.

  “I’m in,” says Danielle.

  “So am I,” says Arielle. “And so is my big sister, Olivia. She played in another league for a year, and she’s awesome. She’s going to teach Danielle and me everything she knows.”

  April, Zoe, Grace, and I look at each other as Arielle and Danielle high-five each other.

  Zoe rolls her eyes at me.

  I know she’s thinking what I’m thinking—which is that Arielle and Danielle can be so obnoxious and that basketball would be a whole lot more fun if they weren’t playing. But I don’t care. Basketball will still be lots of fun.

  The only thing that would make it more fun is if Mary Ann and Chloe Jennifer were playing too. I’m just glad some of the other girls in my class will be.

  When I get home from school, Mom asks if I want a snack.

  “No time for that,” I say. I go in Max’s closet to look for his basketball. I need to start practicing for tryouts.

  “Hey! What do you think you’re doing?” Max asks when he sees me in his room.

  “Basketball tryouts are next week,” I tell my brother. “I want to be in tip-top shape.”

  I come out of his closet with his basketball in my hand. I toss it up and catch it. “Want to shoot some hoops with me?” Max rolls his eyes and shakes his head
like I just asked him to do something really crazy, like jump off a tall building.

  But I don’t have time to worry about who is or isn’t playing basketball with me. I, Mallory McDonald, have some hoops to shoot!

  READY, SET, SHOOT!

  When I get to the gym, I squeeze into a seat on the bleachers with April, Zoe, and Grace. I look around the Fern Falls High School gym, which is filled up with fourth and fifth graders who are trying out for the league. There are lots of girls I know from my school, but there are two other elementary schools in Fern Falls, so there are lots of girls I don’t know.

  I watch as Arielle and Danielle sit down in the row behind us. Arielle leans forward. “Are you guys nervous?” she asks.

  “I’m so nervous,” I say. Even though I’ve been practicing on the basketball hoop in my driveway every day for a week, I’m still not sure I’m ready.

  “I’m nervous too!” says April.

  Zoe nods her head like we can add her name to the nervous list.

  “I could hardly sleep last night,” says Grace.

  Arielle grins like she’s not scared at all. “I’m ready,” she says.

  “So am I,” adds Danielle.

  “They would say that,” April mumbles to me.

  I make an I-totally-agree face. The truth is that they might be saying it, but I don’t think they mean it. As I look around the packed gym, I don’t see how they couldn’t be nervous about trying out in front of so many people.

  “Some of the girls are really tall,” says Zoe.

  “I was thinking the same thing,” says Grace.

  When a whistle blows, the gym gets quiet.

  “Girls, may I have your attention, please.” A woman in a blue sweat suit with the initials FFGBL on it and a whistle around her neck walks to the center of the floor. There’s a lineup of six men and women standing behind her, all wearing the same sweat suit she’s wearing. “I’m Coach Nelson, founder and director of the new Fern Falls Girls Basketball League. Welcome, everyone.”

  The gym fills with clapping and a few whistles.

  Coach Nelson nods like she appreciates the enthusiasm. “There will be six teams in the league. During tryouts, all of you will be evaluated based on your ability and placed on a team.”

  She pauses and looks down at a clipboard she’s holding, and then she keeps talking.

  “There will be one week of preseason practice, then five games during the regular season, with each team playing all the other teams once. When the regular season ends, the top four teams will go to the playoffs and the two winning teams will advance to the finals. The winning team will be the league champion.”

  There’s another round of clapping and cheering. Coach Nelson waits until the clapping dies down. Then she points to the other men and women wearing FFGBL sweat suits. “I would now like to introduce your coaches.”

  She turns and faces the lineup of coaches. “Coaches, please wave as I call your names and team names.”

  All the coaches grin like they’re excited to get started. I watch as Coach Nelson introduces the coaches for the Fever, the Liberty, the Storm, the Mystics, the Sparks, and the Dream.

  When she’s done, Coach Nelson explains how tryouts will work. “When your name is called, you will come to the floor and take three shots. You will start by attempting a three-point shot, then move up to the free throw line and shoot a free throw, and then you will run toward the basket and go for a layup. When you have taken all three shots, you will run and dribble the ball to the other basket and shoot a layup there as well.”

  Coach Nelson pauses. “Girls, you have four chances to show us what you’re made of. Good luck, and let’s get ready to play some basketball!”

  The gym fills with whistles and claps again. It’s easy to see that lots of girls are excited about tryouts.

  Coach Nelson calls out the first girl, Catherine Abbott. I watch as she shoots her first three shots, then dribbles across the court to make her fourth shot. Catherine makes two out of four shots. “Not bad,” April whispers in my ear.

  I nod. I’d be happy to make two out of my four shots.

  “Do you think they’re going in alphabetical order?” asks Zoe. But before I can answer, we hear Coach Nelson say “Zoe Anderson,” into the microphone.

  “They must be,” says Grace.

  “Good luck!” I say to Zoe. Usually I don’t like having to wait until my name is called, but today I don’t mind that McDonald is in the middle of the list. April, Grace, and I squeeze hands as Zoe shoots. She makes two of her four shots, just like the girl before her.

  We all high-five Zoe when she walks back over to us. Then we settle in on the bleachers and watch as Coach Nelson calls up girls whose last names begin with B, C, D, and E. Lots of girls make one and two points. Only one girl doesn’t make any points, and two girls make three points.

  Coach Nelson calls out Arielle Fine when she gets to F.

  “Go, Arielle!” Danielle screams from behind where April, Zoe, Grace, and I are sitting.

  I watch as Arielle makes one, then two, and then three shots. She misses her last shot, but she looks happy.

  “Good job!” Danielle says when she sits down.

  Her older sister, Olivia, pats her on the shoulder. “Way to go, Sis!” As Olivia walks to the floor to take her turn, I can’t help but think how nice she was to her little sister, who is just starting to play basketball. I wish I could say the same thing about Max.

  We all watch from the bleachers as Olivia shoots and makes all four baskets.

  “She’s awesome,” Zoe whispers in my ear. I nod. Arielle and Danielle both high-five her as she walks back to her seat.

  Coach Nelson continues calling girls in alphabetical order. Zoe, Grace, and I scream and clap like crazy when she calls out “April Johnson.” We watch as April shoots. She makes a free throw and her second layup.

  “Great job!” I say as she sits down.

  Zoe hugs April. “We both made two shots!”

  I try to swallow, but I feel like there’s a basketball stuck in my throat. I know my turn is coming up soon, and I hope I do as well as my friends did. The closer Coach Nelson gets to the letter M, the more nervous I get. When she calls Natalia Lopez, I feel myself starting to sweat, even though I haven’t started playing yet. I know I should be watching Natalia shoot, but I close my eyes, pretend like I’m at the wish pond on my street, and make a wish.

  I wish I will make at least two baskets, just like my friends.

  When Coach Nelson calls my name, I can hardly feel my legs as I walk to the three-point line. I tell myself to stay calm. I made lots of baskets when I practiced in my driveway.

  “Go, Mallory!” I hear my friends yell.

  Coach Nelson blows her whistle. That’s my cue to start shooting.

  I shoot my three-point shot and miss. I still have three shots that I can make. I go to the free throw line and take the ball one of the coach’s hands to me.

  I aim. I shoot. I miss!

  “C’mon, Mallory!” I hear April yell.

  I know this is not a good time to be nervous. I still have two chances to make baskets, and that’s what I’m going to do.

  C’mon, Mallory. I dribble toward the basket for my layup—and miss again! I can’t believe I missed my third shot. I have to make my last one. I don’t even stop to think. I dribble it across the court and shoot. I watch as the ball circles the rim. Go in! I silently beg it to go through the hoop, but it rolls off the rim and hits the ground.

  I try not to groan. Coach Nelson thanks me as I walk to my seat.

  “Don’t worry,” says April when I sit down.

  “You were so close on that last shot,” says Zoe.

  “Close doesn’t count,” Arielle says from behind me.

  Zoe turns around and gives Arielle a you-should-know-when-to-shut-your-mouth look. That is clearly something Arielle doesn’t know. But the truth is that she’s right. I can’t believe I missed all four shots.

  When Co
ach Nelson calls “Grace Reyes” and then “Danielle Rose,” I watch as they shoot. Both of them only make one basket, but still, they each made one more than I did.

  That’s what I’m still thinking about as the last girl who is trying out takes her turn. Even though there are several girls who didn’t make any of their shots, I don’t like that I’m one of them.

  “Thanks to you all for coming out today,” says Coach Nelson. “You will be getting phone calls on Tuesday night from your coaches to welcome you to the team you’re on and give you details for your practice schedules. Good luck! I hope it’s a great season for all.”

  I hope it will be a great season too, and it’ll be especially great for me if I’m on a team with at least one of my friends. It would be so much fun to play with Zoe or April or Grace. I cross my toes inside my sneakers and make my second wish of the day.

  I wish I’ll be on a team with at least one of my friends.

  I sure hope this wish comes true.

  TEAMMATES

  “Mallory, telephone!”

  I run to the kitchen when Mom calls me. I take the phone from her. I’m hoping this will be my new coach calling to tell me what team I’m on. I cross my toes that he’ll also be telling me that at least one of my friends is on it with me.

  “Hi, Mallory,” a man’s voice says into the phone when I answer. “I’m Coach Darren from Fern Falls Girls Basketball, and I’m calling to let you know you’re on my team, the Dream.”

  Coach Darren sounds serious but nice. “Great!” I say like I’m excited to be on the Dream. And I am. Sort of. I’m glad to know who my coach is and what team I’m on. Now I just want to know who is on it with me.

  Coach Darren must be a mind reader because before I can ask, he tells me. “Mallory, there are eight girls on the team—four fourth graders and four fifth graders.” Then he reads off the list of names.

  “The fourth graders are you, Arielle Fine, Danielle Rose, and Liz Chen. The fifth graders are Olivia Fine, Bree Williams, Daisy Sanchez, and Amanda Moore.”