Kylie Jean: Soccer Queen Read online

  Still crying, I ask, “Do I have to go in an ambulance?”

  Momma shakes her head. “Nope, we’re real close to the hospital, so we’ll just go in our van,” she tells me.

  That makes me feel a little better, but I’m still upset. How am I going to be a soccer queen with a broken arm?

  When we arrive at the hospital, the ER is very busy. Daddy helps me out of the van and carries me inside while Momma follows behind us. Nurses and doctors rush around us as people sit waiting in chairs.

  Daddy gets a pillow for me to rest my arm on. “Put your arm on this, princess,” he says.

  We sit down in the waiting area while Momma fills out lots and lots of papers. “How bad does it hurt if ten means it hurts the most, and zero means it doesn’t hurt at all?” she asks me.

  “TEN!” I shout.

  Momma turns in the forms. Then we have to wait and wait some more. My arm feels like the whole soccer team stepped on it! Finally a nurse calls me back to an examining room, and Daddy lifts me up so I can sit on the table.

  After a little while, a doctor in a white coat comes in. “Hi, Kylie Jean,” he says. “I’m Dr. Garza.”

  Wait a minute! He has the same last name as Ana Sofia. And I remember her telling me that her daddy is a doctor — I bet this is him!

  “Do you know Ana Sofia Garza?” I ask him.

  Dr. Garza smiles. “Yes, I am Ana Sofia’s daddy,” he says. “And I’ve heard many stories about you and your famous soccer-playing dog!”

  Just thinking about Ugly Brother makes me smile. Too bad dogs can’t come to the ER. Ugly Brother always makes me feel better! He would give me doggie kisses or do funny tricks to cheer me up.

  “How about letting me ask some questions now?” Dr. Garza says. “How bad is the pain from one to ten?”

  “Ten!” I exclaim. “Unless I can say eleven . . .”

  Dr. Garza studies my arm and says, “I think your arm is broken, so I’m going to order some X-rays.”

  I get to ride in a wheelchair to get my X-rays done. If my arm didn’t hurt so much, it would really be fun. When we get to the radiology department, lying on the X-ray table is easy, but being still is hard! Then we wait again for the results.

  Finally Dr. Garza brings the film in to show us. He points out the different bones in my arm and shows us where the broken one is. It looks just like the arm bone in my game of Operation!

  Thinking about that makes me really nervous. “Do I have to have surgery?” I blurt out.

  Dr. Garza shakes his head. “No. We can just give you some medicine, set the bone, and put a cast on your arm.”

  “How long will she need to wear the cast?” Momma asks.

  “At least six weeks,” Dr. Garza replies. “You’ll probably be out for the rest of this soccer season.”

  I start to cry big, sloppy crocodile tears. I can’t be a soccer queen from the sidelines!

  Momma pats my back and says, “Sweet pea, you can always play next year and every year after that. You can even play in high school and college!”

  Momma always knows the right thing to say.

  Dr. Garza has some good news for me too. “Did you know you can choose the color of your cast?” he says. “My daughter tells me pink is your favorite color. How would like a pink cast?”

  “I wouldn’t just like it, I would love it!” I say.

  It takes a while, but eventually I have a pink cast on my arm. If you ever have to have a cast, choose pink. It’s the best color!

  “When I was kid, I broke my ankle,” Daddy tells me. “I didn’t have a pink cast, but all my friends signed it.”

  “Maybe all of the Tiger Lilies could sign mine!” I exclaim.

  “Maybe Dr. Garza should be the first person to sign your cast,” Momma suggests.

  “That’s a great idea!” I agree. I turn to Dr. Garza. “Would you please sign my cast?”

  “Absolutely!” he agrees.

  Did you know doctors are very messy writers? I can’t even read what he wrote, but Momma says it’s just his name.

  The next morning, I have a really hard time getting out of bed with my arm in a cast. If you ask me, waking up is hard enough to do with two good arms!

  I roll over onto my side, and Ugly Brother pushes me to the edge of the bed. Then I slide over it like a wet noodle.

  Once I make it out of bed, I have to figure out how to get dressed for church. I stare into my closet for a few minutes. Finally I decide a sundress will be easiest to put on, so I pick one with pink flowers.

  I put it on and look in the mirror. “I guess if I can’t be a Tiger Lily, I might as well be a daisy,” I tell Ugly Brother.

  “Ruff, ruff!” he barks. He thinks that’s a good idea too.

  I don’t have to pack my soccer clothes in my duffel bag to change into after church because there is no soccer for me today. I am sad I’m going to miss the big championship game. Ugly Brother knows I’m feeling blue, so he gives me a big slobbery doggie kiss.

  “Are you ready for breakfast?” I ask him.

  He barks, “Ruff, ruff.”

  Ugly Brother carries my shoes downstairs for me. At the breakfast table, Momma has coffee, orange juice, eggs, biscuits, and a big old skillet of sausage gravy ready to eat.

  T.J. is loading up his plate, but when he sees me, he offers to fix my plate too!

  “Here you go, Lil’ Sis,” he says, setting it in front of me. T.J. put so much food on my plate that there’ll be plenty left to share with Ugly Brother later.

  When Momma comes to the table, we all bow our heads to say grace. Then we talk about our plans for after church. Usually we go to Nanny and Pa’s farm for Sunday dinner, but today is different. Nanny and Pa have been invited to go out to lunch with their friends, so they’re not hosting everyone. This gives me an idea!

  “Since we’re not going to the farm, we could go to the soccer game!” I suggest.

  Momma agrees, but says, “No matter how exciting the game gets, you have to stay on the sidelines with me. Promise?”

  “Promise!” I repeat.

  Ugly Bother barks, “Ruff, ruff!” I think he wants to go watch the game too!

  After church we drop off one brother at home and pick up another. Ugly Brother is very excited, so this time Momma holds onto his leash when we arrive at the park.

  We head over to where my teammates are standing. Ana Sofia sees me first and gives me a big squeezy hug.

  The rest of the girls crowd in behind Ana Sofia and start asking questions all at once. “Does it hurt? Do you have to sleep in that cast? How long do you have to wear it? Can we sign your cast?”

  “Yes, yes, six weeks, and yes!” I reply, answering all their questions at once.

  Momma takes a pen out of her game bag. Ana Sofia signs my cast first. She puts her name and under it she writes “Soccer BFFs.” The other girls line up to sign it too.

  “Did you tell them you wanted a pink cast?” Ava asks.

  I wink at Ana Sofia. “That was my doctor’s idea,” I tell her. “He already knew pink was my best color.”

  Just then Coach Belle walks up. “I’m so glad to see you here, Kylie Jean. Is there room for me to sign too?” she asks.

  “Of course!” I say. “I saved you a spot right by Ana Sofia’s name. Thank you for saving me yesterday!”

  Coach Belle smiles. “I told you everything would be okay.” She signs her name on my cast and then reminds the team it’s almost game time.

  It’s a warm, sunny day, so we find a shady place on the sidelines to cheer on the team. This time Momma sits with Daddy on the ground and I sit on her chair. Ugly Brother sits with me. He is so worried about me that he doesn’t even bother running up and down the sidelines following the game’s action.

  The referee blows the whistle, and the game starts. Right away I can t
ell that soccer camp has made us better. My teammates are passing right to each other’s feet with lightning speed. It’s amazing to see!

  Unfortunately the other team is moving the ball quickly too. Every time one of my teammates gets the ball, the other team is ready to go in hard for a tackle. They come out strong and score a quick goal before we can gain momentum. Oh, no! The score is now 1-0.

  Being behind a point really motivates my teammates, though, and they come back and tie the game five minutes later. Now it’s 1-1. I keep shouting and cheering, but the score stays 1-1 for the remainder of the first half.

  When the second half starts I just know we’re going to score. But both teams are playing a good defense, and no one can get a goal.

  “What happens if the teams are tied?” I ask Daddy.

  “In a regular soccer game, they would have to play again,” he says. “But since it’s only camp, I think they’ll probably just let it be a tied game.”

  “Come on, team!” I shout. “You can do it. Score! SCORE!”

  With only three minutes left on the clock, Ava manages to steal the ball away from a player on the other team. She immediately passes to Ana Sofia, who is wide open. Ana Sofia takes a quick touch and kicks the ball toward the right corner of the goal.

  I hold my breath as the ball sails through the air. Goal! Thanks to Ana Sofia, our team wins! Everyone goes wild! We did it!

  Ana Sofia runs over to me on the sidelines and gives me a high five on my uninjured hand. Then the rest of the team runs over to do the same. Even though I couldn’t play, I still feel like I’m a part of the team!

  To celebrate winning the championship game at camp, Momma takes Ana Sofia and me to the Dairy Bee for ice cream sundaes. It’s really busy, and the line is so long it loops around like a wiggly snake.

  While we wait, we look at the flavors. They have strawberry, chocolate, marshmallow, pineapple, cherry, caramel, or butterscotch.

  When we get to the counter, Ana Sofia and I both pick hot fudge sundaes, and Momma gets a chocolate milkshake. Then we find an empty table by the front window, and Ana Sofia carries our tray over to it.

  Scooping up a spoonful, I say, “It’s a good thing I didn’t break my right arm or eating ice cream would be really hard to do.”

  “Hey, I just realized something!” Ana Sofia exclaims. “Vanilla ice cream and hot fudge sauce look black and white. We could be eating soccer sundaes!”

  “You’re right!” I agree with a happy smile. “Speaking of soccer, what was your favorite part of camp?”

  “I liked playing the championship game the best!” Ana Sofia replies.

  I sigh. “I wish I could have played in that last game.”

  “If you hadn’t gotten that last goal on Saturday, we wouldn’t have been playing today at all!” Ana Sofia reminds me. “What was your favorite part of camp?”

  I think for a minute, then say, “My favorite part of camp was you, my new best friend!”

  I am taking my time eating the rest of my ice cream, but it’s starting to melt, so I eat more and talk less until I scoop up the last yummy bite. Then my spoon clangs against the empty sundae glass.

  Ana Sofia giggles. “You have a hot fudge mustache!” she says.

  Laughing, I wipe it off with a napkin. While she eats the rest of her ice cream, we talk about soccer strategy.

  “I’m sad that you won’t be able to play any more regular games with the Tiger Lilies,” Ana Sofia says.

  “Don’t be sad. I’ll be your number one fan!” I reply. “And even though I can’t play this year, I’ll be back next year for sure.”

  My new best friend doesn’t know it yet, but she is sitting with a future Benbrook Buccaneer! I have big dreams, and one day I’m going to be real true soccer queen, just you wait and see!

  Marci Bales Peschke was born in Indiana, grew up in Florida, and now lives in Texas with her husband, two children, and a feisty black-and-white cat named Phoebe. She loves reading and watching movies.

  When Tuesday Mourning was a little girl, she knew she wanted to be an artist when she grew up. Now, she is an illustrator who lives in South Pasadena, California. She especially loves illustrating books for kids and teenagers. When she isn’t illustrating, Tuesday loves spending time with her husband, who is an actor, and their two sons.

  anticipate (an-TIS-uh-pate)—

  to expect and be prepared for something to happen

  competition (kahm-puh-TISH-uhn)—

  a contest to see who is the best at something, sometimes done for a prize

  drill (DRILL)—

  a type of training where you practice one specific skill by repeating it

  forward (FOR-wurd)—

  a position in soccer where the person plays near the other team’s goal and tries to score

  foul (FOUL)—

  to break the rules in a sport

  header (HED-er)—

  in soccer, when a person hits the ball with his or her head

  midfielder (MID-feel-dur)—

  a position in soccer where the person plays in the center of the field and helps with both offense and defense

  motivate (MOH-tuh-vate)—

  to encourage someone to do something

  radiology (ray-dee-OL-uh-jee)—

  the examining or photographing of bones or organs with x-rays

  referee (ref-uh-REE)—

  the person who supervises a sports match and makes sure the players are following the rules

  1. What is your favorite sport? Talk about what makes it fun and interesting.

  2. Have you ever been injured and unable to participate in something as a result? What happened? Talk about how it made you feel.

  3. Have you ever gone to a sports camp like Kylie Jean? Talk about what you liked and what you didn’t like. Would you want to do it again?

  1. At soccer camp, Kylie Jean makes a new friend, Ana Sofia. Write about a time you made a new friend. How did you meet? What did you have in common?

  2. Although Lucy isn’t that interested in soccer, she and Kylie Jean still have a lot in common. Write a paragraph about something that you and a friend like to do together.

  3. Make a get-well card for Kylie Jean. Be sure to decorate it and write something encouraging!

  From Momma’s Kitchen

  This is the perfect treat for any Soccer Queen! Just make sure to ask a grown-up for help.

  Love, Kylie Jean

  BREATHTAKING BLUEBERRY PANCAKES

  YOU NEED:

  • 1 1/4 cup flour

  • 1/2 tsp. salt

  • 1 Tbs. baking powder

  • 1 1/4 tsp. sugar

  • 1 egg

  • 1 cup milk

  • 1/2 Tbs. butter, melted

  • 1 cup fresh blueberries

  • A grown-up helper

  • A griddle or frying pan

  1. In a large bowl, stir together flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar. In a small bowl, beat together the egg and milk. Add egg and milk into the flour mixture, then add melted butter and gently mix in the blueberries.

  2. Ask your grown-up helper to grease a frying pan or griddle. Scoop about 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake onto the griddle. Have your grown-up flip the pancakes when the batter gets bubbly and the edges look firm. Cook until both sides are golden brown. Serve with maple syrup or a dollop of whipped cream for a yummy breakfast treat!

  Yum, yum!

  www.capstonekids.com

  Kylie Jean is published by Picture Window Books

  A Capstone Imprint

  1710 Roe Crest Drive

  North Mankato, Minnesota 56003

  www.capstoneyoungreaders.com

  Copyright © 2015 Picture Window Books

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitte
d in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher.

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Peschke, M. (Marci), author. Soccer queen / by Marci Pescke ; illustrated by Tuesday Mourning.

  pages cm. — (Kylie Jean)

  Summary: After watching a soccer game, Kylie Jean is eager to try out for a local team, but she is disappointed that her cousin Lucy does not want to join her.

  ISBN 978-1-4795-5882-7 (hardcover)

  ISBN 978-1-4795-5884-1 (paper over board)

  ISBN 978-1-4795-6199-5 (eBook PDF)

  ISBN 978-1-4795-8147-4 (eBook)

  1. Soccer stories. 2. Cousins—Juvenile fiction. 3. Friendship—Juvenile fiction. 4. Families—Texas—Juvenile fiction. 5. Texas—Juvenile fiction. [1. Soccer—Fiction. 2. Cousins—Fiction. 3. Friendship—Fiction. 4. Family life—Texas—Fiction. 5. Texas—Fiction.] I. Mourning, Tuesday, illustrator. II. Title. III. Series: Peschke, M. (Marci) Kylie Jean.

  PZ7.P441245So 2015

  813.6—dc23

  2014022720

  Graphic Designer: Kristi Carlson

  Editor: Alison Deering

  Production Specialist: Laura Manthe

  Design Element Credit:

  Shutterstock/blue67design