Read Online Gracie Faltrain Takes Control by Cath Crowley - Free Book Online

the sort of person who gets squashed in the rush.
Gracie Faltrain
    â€˜You’d think they’d want to know how I’m doing,’ I say over breakfast on Monday morning. ‘Neither of them has called all weekend. Alyce didn’t even come to the game. I could be dead, for all they know.’
    â€˜You’re not dead,’ Mum says. ‘And some people do have lives that don’t revolve around you . . .’
    Ouch. Lucky for me the phone rings and cuts Mum off. She looks like she has a whole lot more to say.
    â€˜Hi,’ Alyce says when I answer. She acts as if she hasn’t done anything wrong.
    â€˜I’m sorry, who’s speaking?’
    â€˜Gracie, I just rang to say I’ll meet you at school today. I’ve got some homework to do in the library.’
    â€˜What homework is more important than me?’ I ask after I hang up.
    â€˜More importantly, what homework haven’t you done that Alyce is doing?’ Mum answers.
    â€˜None.’
    â€˜Don’t “None” me. Get to school and find out. I’ll keep fighting, but you need to stay out of trouble.’
    Alyce is sitting at one of the computers when I walk into the library. ‘What homework did we have?’
    â€˜You know – that assignment for English. You already handed it in.’
    â€˜I did?’
    â€˜Stop worrying about schoolwork and start thinking about the tryouts.’
    â€˜No point in doing that. I’m ready enough for the girls’ team.’
    â€˜Gracie, there’s nothing wrong with a girls’ soccer team.’
    Maybe that’s why Alyce has been ignoring me. She’s mad. ‘I never said a girls’ team wouldn’t be good. It’s just, it won’t be my team. I won’t be playing with Martin and Flemming and Francavilla, the guys I started with.’
    â€˜I said stop worrying. I have a feeling that everything will work out fine.’
    That’s easy for Alyce to say. I’m not like her. I can’t sit back and wait and hope that I’ll get what I want. That’s why she was alone until we became friends. It’s why she’ll never get Flemming without my help. It’s why no one likes her. That sounds harsh, I know, but the world is harsh.
    Last night on the news they showed this riot that erupted at a football game. The crowd started pushing and all these people were trampled. Dad saw the look on my face and flicked the channel.
    He doesn’t get it. I see stuff like that every day. I see Annabelle Orion walking over the top of Alyce because she’stoo little to matter. I see myself, sitting on the sidelines of the most important competition of my life, because I’m a girl.
    â€˜I’m not like you, Alyce. I can’t sit back and wait for things to be okay.’
    â€˜Gracie, you’re yelling. People are looking at us.’
    â€˜Have some backbone, Alyce. Who cares if people are staring?’
    She turns around to her computer and keeps typing. Typical. No wonder Flemming doesn’t know she’s alive. Being good gets you where Alyce is. Waiting gets you where Dad is. It gets you nowhere. If I can’t play in the Firsts then at least I’m going out with some dignity. I’ll show every boy in that competition that I’m good enough to beat them, that the only reason I’m not playing is because they’re too scared to go up against me.
    I slam the door of the library. The wood bounces against the frame. I feel better than I have in days.
    â€˜Annabelle,’ I say when I get to her locker. ‘Tell Woodbury to meet me in the park next to the school at five o’clock tonight.’
    â€˜And why would I do that?’
    â€˜Because if you don’t, I’ll tell everyone that I challenged him to a kick-off and he didn’t turn up. You wouldn’t want your boyfriend’s mates thinking he’s scared of a girl, would you?’
    â€˜Dan’s