Second Chance (Sweet Valley High Book 53) Page 7

  Kristin slammed her locker shut several minutes later. It had been strangely satisfying telling Bruce off. He acted as if she was the first girl who had ever criticized him! Well, if that was true, she hoped she had started a much-needed trend. It might not make up for losing the match, but Kristin felt good telling Bruce what she thought of him. She felt even better knowing that what had seemed like conflict—between her rigorously disciplined tennis life and her sudden desire to lead a normal life—hadn't really been a conflict at all. She had been flattered by Bruce's attention, but the truth was, she hated everything Bruce stood for. He seemed spoiled and immature to her. How could she have dreamed that anyone like him could ever interfere with her desire to play tennis?

  Of course, the truth about Bruce's character had come too late. Kristin had lost her chance to be on Nick Wylie's pro team. Yet Kristin reminded herself that one loss didn't mean the end of everything. With a little hard work she could make a comeback—maybe.

  In the afternoon Kristin headed over to Sweet Valley Grammar School. She had promised to meet Emily and take her out for an ice-cream cone, but she found herself dragging her feet. What would it be like, seeing Emily now that she had lost the chance to be on Nick Wylie's team? Would Emily still want to spend time with her?

  To her surprise she found Emily sitting out on the steps by herself. Her face was stained with tears.

  "Hey, what's the matter Emily, what's wrong?" Kristin asked anxiously.

  Emily's lower lip quivered. "I'm not ready to tell you yet. Can I just sit here for a minute before I do?"

  Kristin nodded. "Of course!" she exclaimed. She felt ashamed of herself then for being worried about Emily's reaction to her loss. Obviously Emily had problems of her own.

  Emily rubbed her eyes, trying to hide the fact that she was actually dashing away tears. "Something awful happened," she said miserably. "But I don't want to tell you because if I do, you won't want to be my big sister anymore."

  "Emily!" Kristin cried, putting her arms around the child and hugging her tightly. "I'll always want to be your big sister, no matter what." She could feel Emily trembling as the tears began to come. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. But don't think that anything you say will change how I feel about you."

  Emily sighed forlornly. "OK. But it's pretty awful." Her eyes were big and fearful as she studied Kristin. "I sent away for all this stuff so I could go to tennis camp. Yesterday I had the tryout, and I didn't make it." She covered her face with her hands, shuddering with mortification. "It was awful, Kris! I did everything wrong. I even knew it was wrong while I was doing it, and it still didn't help."

  "Oh, Emily," Kristin cried, still holding her tightly. "And you really think that I wouldn't want to be your big sister anymore just because you didn't get into the tennis camp?"

  "It isn't just," Emily protested. "I wanted to get in so badly, Kristin. If I had, I could have worked really hard to get better. But how can I without getting into the camp?"

  Kristin nodded slowly. "I understand how disappointed you must feel, Emily. But I want you to know that what I feel about you has nothing whatsoever to do with whether or not you're a great tennis player. Get it?" She hugged Emily tightly. "I happen to be nuts about you," she whispered, "and not because you like tennis, but because you're you."

  Emily slumped against her with relief. "I can't believe it," she whispered. "I was sure you'd hate me!"

  Kristin was about to chastise Emily for being so silly when a bell went off in her head. Wasn't that exactly what she had believed her father and Dorrie felt about her? That they were ashamed of her because she had lost the match? That they would only love her as long as she kept winning?

  She swallowed hard as she realized she had been every bit as crazy as little Emily. More crazy even, since she had known Dorrie and her father all her life.

  Of course they loved her. Her, Kristin, for what she was—and not because she won trophies or matches. Sure, they suffered when she lost, the same way she suffered. But tennis had been Kristin's choice, not theirs. She had been confusing their support and affection for pressure.

  "You know, Emily," she said slowly, "I guess maybe you weren't so crazy after all. I think I understand why you feel the way you do."

  "You do?" Emily asked, round-eyed.

  Kristin nodded. "But the thing is, you have to find a way to separate what you want from what you think everyone else wants for you. It isn't easy, Emily. And I can guarantee it won't get easier. Whether it's tennis or something else you devote yourself to, you're going to put all your heart and soul into it—because you're like me, you're that kind of person. Sometimes—when you lose, especially—you'll hate yourself. And you'll think everyone around you hates you, too. But they won't."

  Emily stared at her. "I know you lost yesterday. But it doesn't seem to bother you. You're such a champ, Kristin. Why can't I be like you?"

  Kristin took a deep breath. She remembered what Dorrie had told her about her mother. "You can't idealize me, Emily. When I've won, it's because I've worked hard. Now I know I've got to work like crazy to get my game back, and that's what I'm going to do! I'm going to work as hard as I possibly can so I'll be in shape for the next crack at the pro team." She tousled Emily's hair. "In the meantime, I'm going to be helping you, too. I happen to think, with a lot of work, you'll get into tennis camp next year. You may have tried out just a little too soon."

  "You really think so?" Emily cried.

  Kristin nodded. "I really think so. But I also think that it's only going to work if you really improve your game. So you and I can work out together. How does that sound?"

  Emily's eyes were shining. "It sounds great, Kristin!" She looked shy all of a sudden. "I'm so lucky," she whispered. "Nobody else has a big sister half as good as you are."

  Kristin had to blink back tears. There were so many things she couldn't tell Emily. And one of them was that Emily had taught Kristin far more than Kristin had taught her.

  For the first time she clearly saw that she had impaired her own tennis game by confusing love with success. She was going to have to learn the lesson that she had tried to spell out for Emily.

  The most important thing for Kristin now—even more important than sticking to her schedule or working out more strenuously—was making the decision, once and for all, that competitive tennis was what she wanted.

  Kristin had inherited her mother's love of the game, and love of competition, but the choices were Kristin's now, and she was making them for herself—not for her father, not even for her mother, only for her.

  Kristin had idealized her mother the same way little Emily had been idealizing Kristin. She had never dreamed that her mother had had doubts about tennis. Now Kristin realized that everyone had doubts. Part of life was recognizing those doubts and learning to cope with them.

  Kristin knew she would never again lose her concentration the way she had this past week. Too bad, she thought with a sudden pang, that the realization had come too late to be of any use!

  Eleven

  Kristin reread the essay she had just finished for Mr. Collins. "Not bad," she said to herself. She had actually enjoyed trying to define the American dream.

  Once Mr. Collins had finished collecting the essays in class, he made an announcement. "You all know who the Samaritans are, don't you?"

  Several blank faces gave Mr. Collins his answer.

  "Well, the Samaritans are a group of business people who get together on a weekly basis for social and professional reasons. They sponsor a number of civic activities, some of them charity-oriented, like the annual picnic for impaired children, which some of you have been to."

  Kristin had heard of the Samaritans because they occasionally subsidized events before tournaments. But she wondered what they could have to do with English class.

  "The Samaritans are sponsoring a community-wide essay contest," Mr. Collins continued. "The topic is 'Sweet Valley in the Year Two Thousand.'

 
"You can write whatever you like, as long as you think it fits the title, and your essay should be no longer than five pages. The due date is in two weeks. I wanted to give you plenty of warning."

  "What do you get if you win?" A.J. asked, looking interested.

  Mr. Collins glanced down at the brochure he had been reading from. "The first-prize winner will receive a one-hundred-dollar gift certificate at Laughton's, the bookstore downtown, as well as a medal of honor. The winner will also be crowned king or queen of the Citizens' Day Ball, a month from this Friday."

  A.J. grinned. "I could go for that," he said. "I wouldn't mind being king of the Citizens' Day Ball!"

  Kristin smiled. Her own powers of expression had been challenged enough by the American dream essay. In fact, she was looking forward to having more time to practice these next few weeks. Today was Thursday, and though only a few days had passed since her disastrous match Sunday morning, she could already feel her game improving.

  "Thanks, Kristin," Mr. Collins said to her when the bell rang and everyone filed out of the room. He nodded at her essay, lying on the top of the file. "I'm looking forward to reading this."

  Kristin blushed. She wondered if he would guess how much of herself she had put into the essay. "The American dream is different for each one of us," she had started off. "But what every dream shares is a dedication to an ideal and a willingness to make sacrifices." She had gone on to describe some of the decisions she herself had been wrestling with over the past few weeks before analyzing the theme of the American dream in the novels they had been reading. She thought she had done a good job using a personal preface to the essay, showing how the novels had helped her to see the importance of hanging on to a dream.

  "I hope you like it," she said shyly.

  In the hallway Kristin ran into Elizabeth. "Kristin," Elizabeth said with a smile, "I was hoping to catch up with you today. Enid and I are going to have a big ice-cream party next week for all the girls participating in the Big Sister program, and their little sisters, too. Do you think you and Emily can make it?"

  Kristin was about to remind Elizabeth that she had tennis practice every afternoon. Then she pictured Emily, and she stopped short. "When would it be?" she asked cautiously.

  "We were hoping to do it Wednesday afternoon," Elizabeth said. "I know you usually have practice. Maybe you and Emily could come for just a little while."

  Kristin nodded. "That might work out. She's been coming to the club with me almost every day now, to work on her tennis game." She grinned. "I guess it wouldn't hurt either of us to have some ice cream first and meet the other girls in the program!"

  Elizabeth gave her a big smile. "Great. I'll count you in, then."

  Kristin nodded. "By the way, Elizabeth, I want to thank you for getting me involved in the program. If you hadn't asked me, I never would have volunteered in a million years. And I'm really fond of Emily."

  Elizabeth's eyes were very bright. "I may have been the one to invite you to participate, Kristin, but you were the one who agreed to do it. I can only imagine what kind of impact you're having on her!" She patted Kristin on the arm. "It takes an awfully big heart to be able to give freely when you're as busy as you are."

  Kristin just smiled. She was thinking how funny it was the way things turned out. A week ago she had been a nervous wreck. And now that the worst thing imaginable had happened—losing the chance to play in the Avery Cup tournament—she didn't feel devastated at all! She felt perfectly in control. For the first time in her life, Kristin knew what she wanted, and why.

  She was going to work incredibly hard at her game, and when she got to try out again next year, she was going to show Nick Wylie what kind of tennis player she really was.

  "Darn," Mr. Thompson said when the telephone rang that evening during dinner. Dorrie was over, and Kristin had helped make lamb chops. "I wonder who that could be?" He got up and answered the phone.

  Kristin was so engrossed in listening to an anecdote Dorrie was telling that she didn't notice her father's eyebrows shoot up. "Just a minute," he said. "I'll put her on the phone."

  He covered the receiver with his hand. "Kristin, it's Nick Wylie," he said in a low voice. "I think you'd better pick it up in the other room. It sounds important."

  Kristin frowned. Just hearing Nick's name made her mouth go dry, and her heart started to pound. What could he possibly want?

  "Hello?" she said into the telephone in the living room.

  "Kristin, it's Nick Wylie," he said, his voice brisk and professional as always. "Listen, I've got a problem here, and I need to talk something over with you. Sharon Owens sprained her ankle today during her second match of the tournament."

  "Oh, no," Kristin cried. "Poor Sharon!" She could only imagine the agony the girl must be feeling. To have fought so hard to get on the team only to get injured!

  "Naturally she's very upset," Nick continued. "We all are. But the fact is, she won't be able to play in the tournament—or play at all for at least six weeks. She's seen the team doctor, and he's adamant that she stay completely off her ankle for at least a month, probably two."

  Kristin twisted the telephone cord between her fingers, barely daring to hope what he would say next.

  "Naturally we're all very disappointed for her. But we need to take steps to replace her on the team right away." Nick cleared his throat. "You're the first person on the reserve team, Kristin. Would you be interested in taking Sharon's spot?"

  Kristin could hardly believe her ears. "Yes," she said, fighting to restrain herself. "Yes, I'd be very interested." She took a deep breath. "How will it work? Do I just play until Sharon's ankle is healed?"

  "Well, my plan was to let you fill in for Sharon at first and see how you play," Nick said. "To be honest with you, I was shocked that you didn't win on Sunday. It may well have been a freak thing. If your game stays strong, I don't see why you can't remain a permanent alternate on the team after Sharon's healed. As soon as a spot opens up, you could move off the alternate list. But," he added warningly, "that all depends on how your game holds up."

  Kristin was so excited she didn't think she could contain herself. "When will my first match be?" she managed to ask him.

  "Well, that's the problem," Nick said with a sigh. "Sharon was scheduled to play on Sunday, which gives you just a couple of days to get ready. And it's going to be a really tough match. Your opponent is a girl named Rachel Rose, and to be honest with you, she's going to be difficult to beat. She's been dynamite so far in the tournament." He paused for a moment. "You can back out if you want, Kristin. I can understand if you feel you'd rather wait and try again next year."

  Kristin cleared her throat. "I'd like to play now," she said simply.

  Nick laughed. "Attagirl!" he exclaimed. "OK, we'll need to get you out to Longview first thing tomorrow to start practicing." Longview was the club near Sweet Valley where the tournament was being held. "Do you think you can arrange to get the day off from school?"

  Kristin assured him she could. When she hung up the phone she was in such a daze, she didn't think she'd be able to figure out what to do first.

  "Honey, tell us what happened!" her father was calling from the kitchen.

  All of a sudden the enormity of it all hit Kristin, and she dashed to the kitchen to engulf her father and Dorrie in a hug. "I'm playing! I'm in the tournament!" she cried, dancing around them in joyous circles.

  She could hardly believe how excited she was. And she could hardly wait to call Emily to share the wonderful news.

  Twelve

  Late Friday afternoon Elizabeth and Enid were over at Enid's house, going through the list of girls who were participating in the Big Sister program. They were checking off the names of those who were definitely coming to the ice-cream party the following week.

  "Have you called Kristin yet?" Enid asked, biting the end of her pencil.

  "I spoke to Kristin in school. She said she and Emily would both come for a little while. Maybe we should
call Emily to make sure, though."

  Enid nodded and dialed Emily Brown's number. After three rings the girl picked up the phone.

  "Emily? It's Enid Rollins calling. We're setting up a big sister–little sister ice-cream party next week, and we want to know if you can come," Enid said.

  Emily sounded incredibly excited. "Oh, I'd love that," she said. "Only I don't know if Kristin can. She's playing in the Avery Tournament," she added proudly.

  "She's what?" Enid said, her eyebrows shooting up. "But—I thought she lost her match on Sunday!"

  "She did," Emily confirmed. "But Sharon Owens sprained her ankle, so Kris is taking her place. She's playing her first match this Sunday," she added importantly, "and I get to go and watch her! And guess what? I just know she's going to win! She'd been working really hard on her game. And she's been helping me with my tennis, too!"

  "That's great," Enid said, starting to laugh. "Boy, I never thought I'd hear so much good news when I called you, Emily! Listen, when you get a chance, talk over the ice-cream party with Kristin and let us know whether or not you can come. If Kristin's free, you're both welcome, and if she's not, you can always come by yourself."

  "Kristin's the best big sister in the whole world," Emily said loyally.

  Enid smiled, her eyes softening. "It sounds that way," she said warmly. "It sounds like you're a great little sister, too. Hope to see you next week, Emily!"

  "Kristin's in the Avery Cup?" Elizabeth demanded the minute Enid hung up the phone. "I can't believe it!" She jumped to her feet. "Enid, we've got to find out when her match is and get a big support group out there to cheer for her."

  Enid nodded excitedly. "Let's call Longview and find out the schedule of matches for the weekend. Emily said Kristin's playing on Sunday," she added, starting to dial.

  Elizabeth started to stuff her things into her backpack. She couldn't believe Kristin had managed to be part of the tournament after all. Everyone at school had been so disappointed when they learned she had lost her final qualifying match. In fact, Elizabeth was infuriated when she'd overheard Bruce telling some of his friends that Kristin really wasn't that good after all. "She doesn't have the spirit of a real champ," he had said dismissively.