pushed into the gym.
Kat started to feel a little guilty, but her guilt was interrupted by a feeling far more powerful when youâre fourteenâthe thrill of seeing your crush. As they entered the gym on their hunt for Kelsey, Katâs eyes caught those of Kyle, who was busy showing Coach Scofield his stuff during a pickup basketball game with some of the other ninth-grade boys.
âI donât see her,â said Zoe scanning the gym.
âMaybe sheâs in the locker room,â said Darcy.
âYou guys check it out. Iâll wait here,â said Kat, not taking her eyes off Kyle. Darcy and Zoe headed back to the girlsâ locker room. Coach Scofield blew his whistle and told the boys to get a drink of water. Kat watched as Kyle walked past the water fountain and straight across the court toward her. Her heart caught in her throat as she took a couple of steps toward him and smiled.
âNice job out there,â Kat said, giggling a little and trying to think of something at least moderately intelligent to say about basketball. The best she could come up with was, âYouâre really good.â
âYeah? Thanks. Coach is going to announce the fall tournament team soon, so I want to be ready. What did you think, dork?â Kyle looked to Katâs left.
âPretty good, pea brain. You might actually have a shot,â replied Jules. She had been sitting on the bleachers and Kat, with all her distractions, hadnât even seen her.
âOh, hey, what are you doing here?â asked Kat, taken aback.
âWaiting for Kyle to finish practice so we can go home. What are you doing here?â asked Jules, her eye on the single pink ticket in Katâs hand.
Kat looked from Jules to Kyle, who was looking back at her with his dark piercing eyes.
âIâm, uh, I came to give out the last ticket to, uhâ¦to you! I mean, if you want it. You donât have to ifââ but Kat was cut off because Jules, in spite of herself, jumped up and gave her a huge hug that frankly shocked the heck out of Kat.
âIâd love to go!â said Jules, quickly composing herself. âI mean, you know, only if you really want me to come. I mean, itâs not a big deal, whatever.â
âReally? Cuz if you donâtââ started Kat, backpedaling a little. But before she could go onâ¦
âKat Connors! Are you passing out those tickets on school grounds?â
Kat turned to see Ms. Donovan coming at her like a freight train. The crowd of boys around the drinking fountain simultaneously looked around to find the source of the commotion, and all eyes turned, for the second time today, to Kat.
âUh, I thought it was okay as long as it was after school,â offered Kat.
âNo. It is not okay. Do you know that I passed at least a half dozen girls in tears in the hallway? Tears! This is exactly what Iââ
âHey! There a problem here?â asked Coach Scofield, who had crossed the gym to join them.
âCâcoach Scofield!â said Ms. Donovan, whirling around and realizing for the first time that she was now within inches of her own crush. Kat could see that Ms. D was trying to play it cool. Well, for her, anyway. âNo, thereâs nâno problem,â the teacher stammered, playing with her glasses nervously. âItâs justâjust teenage girls, you know, being teenage girls. Itâs, uh, adolescents trying to establish parameters for their own social cohorts. Itâs all very Goneril and Cordelia from Act I of Lear .â
âUh, maâam, Iâm sorry. You lost me at adolescents,â said the dumbfounded coach, not used to hearing so many syllables uttered at once that didnât involve the zone defense.
âEverythingâs cool, Coach.â Kat jumped in, seeing that Ms. Donovan could use a lifeline before she turned completely into girl-nerd crush goo. âCoach Scofield, do you know Ms.
Kat started to feel a little guilty, but her guilt was interrupted by a feeling far more powerful when youâre fourteenâthe thrill of seeing your crush. As they entered the gym on their hunt for Kelsey, Katâs eyes caught those of Kyle, who was busy showing Coach Scofield his stuff during a pickup basketball game with some of the other ninth-grade boys.
âI donât see her,â said Zoe scanning the gym.
âMaybe sheâs in the locker room,â said Darcy.
âYou guys check it out. Iâll wait here,â said Kat, not taking her eyes off Kyle. Darcy and Zoe headed back to the girlsâ locker room. Coach Scofield blew his whistle and told the boys to get a drink of water. Kat watched as Kyle walked past the water fountain and straight across the court toward her. Her heart caught in her throat as she took a couple of steps toward him and smiled.
âNice job out there,â Kat said, giggling a little and trying to think of something at least moderately intelligent to say about basketball. The best she could come up with was, âYouâre really good.â
âYeah? Thanks. Coach is going to announce the fall tournament team soon, so I want to be ready. What did you think, dork?â Kyle looked to Katâs left.
âPretty good, pea brain. You might actually have a shot,â replied Jules. She had been sitting on the bleachers and Kat, with all her distractions, hadnât even seen her.
âOh, hey, what are you doing here?â asked Kat, taken aback.
âWaiting for Kyle to finish practice so we can go home. What are you doing here?â asked Jules, her eye on the single pink ticket in Katâs hand.
Kat looked from Jules to Kyle, who was looking back at her with his dark piercing eyes.
âIâm, uh, I came to give out the last ticket to, uhâ¦to you! I mean, if you want it. You donât have to ifââ but Kat was cut off because Jules, in spite of herself, jumped up and gave her a huge hug that frankly shocked the heck out of Kat.
âIâd love to go!â said Jules, quickly composing herself. âI mean, you know, only if you really want me to come. I mean, itâs not a big deal, whatever.â
âReally? Cuz if you donâtââ started Kat, backpedaling a little. But before she could go onâ¦
âKat Connors! Are you passing out those tickets on school grounds?â
Kat turned to see Ms. Donovan coming at her like a freight train. The crowd of boys around the drinking fountain simultaneously looked around to find the source of the commotion, and all eyes turned, for the second time today, to Kat.
âUh, I thought it was okay as long as it was after school,â offered Kat.
âNo. It is not okay. Do you know that I passed at least a half dozen girls in tears in the hallway? Tears! This is exactly what Iââ
âHey! There a problem here?â asked Coach Scofield, who had crossed the gym to join them.
âCâcoach Scofield!â said Ms. Donovan, whirling around and realizing for the first time that she was now within inches of her own crush. Kat could see that Ms. D was trying to play it cool. Well, for her, anyway. âNo, thereâs nâno problem,â the teacher stammered, playing with her glasses nervously. âItâs justâjust teenage girls, you know, being teenage girls. Itâs, uh, adolescents trying to establish parameters for their own social cohorts. Itâs all very Goneril and Cordelia from Act I of Lear .â
âUh, maâam, Iâm sorry. You lost me at adolescents,â said the dumbfounded coach, not used to hearing so many syllables uttered at once that didnât involve the zone defense.
âEverythingâs cool, Coach.â Kat jumped in, seeing that Ms. Donovan could use a lifeline before she turned completely into girl-nerd crush goo. âCoach Scofield, do you know Ms.
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