Read Online Lucy Doesn't Wear Pink by Nancy Rue - Free Book Online Page B

teacher. Those kind always leave or they get like Mrs. Gomez and don’t care that much anymore.”
    “Didn’t you save anything for me?”
    This time it was Januarie at the table. She was more like a begging Chihuahua than ever.
    J.J. narrowed his icy eyes at her.
    “Want the rest of my pickle?” Lucy said.
    Januarie wrinkled her nose. “I wanted some sandwich. I bet you ate it all, J.J. I’m telling.”
    J.J. looked around. “Who you gonna tell? Old Man Esparza?”
    Januarie didn’t answer but hiked herself one bottom-cheek at a time onto the chair next to Lucy and scooped up some melted cheese from Lucy’s plate.
    “Who invited you?” J.J. said.
    “Mr. Auggy,” Januarie said.
    “Huh?” Lucy and J.J. said in unison.
    “He said you had to play soccer with me.”
    “That doesn’t mean you get to hang around with us all the time,” J.J. said. The “time” climbed up into outer space.
    “Go order us another sandwich,” Lucy said to Januarie, “and I’ll split it with you.”
    Januarie’s eyes grew rounder. “Your dad must be so rich. You get to order anything you want.”
    “Don’t forget napkins,” Lucy said.
    When Januarie had skipped happily away, Lucy leaned into the table again. “Don’t be too hateful to her, J.J. You’ll get in trouble.”
    J.J. aimed his gaze at Januarie’s back. “You better be right about that teacher going away, ’cause I’m not playing with her.”
    “She’s really not that bad,” Lucy said.
    “You don’t know.” And then J.J.’s mouth closed, and Lucy knew the conversation was over.
    “Don’t worry,” she said. “Mr. Augus-whatever won’t have recess duty tomorrow. They only have it every other day. We won’t even see him on the playground.”
    “Do we want double cheese?” Januarie called from the counter.
    “You just better be right,” J.J. said.

6
    By Wednesday, it was clear that Lucy was not right. Mr. Auggy played soccer with them three days in a row, even when there was another teacher on the playground for recess duty. He kept calling what they were doing a “pickup game.”
    “I’ve played pickup games all over the world,” he told them Wednesday as he was herding them toward the water fountain for a break — like Lucy hadn’t already taught them to drink plenty of fluids when they did sports. “But this is the most fun group I’ve ever played with.”
    Carla Rosa beamed. Emanuel kicked at a rock. Oscar had to know what foreign countries he’d visited. Had he been to California?
    While Mr. Auggy patiently explained that California was part of the United States, J.J. nodded Lucy away from the group.
    “I thought you said he would go away,” he said.
    “I thought he would.”
    J.J. grunted, sounding like it was all Lucy’s fault that this pushy teacher had appointed himself their soccer coach.
    “I want to throw in this time,” she heard Januarie say.
    “You got it,” Mr. Auggy said. “Is your side ready, Miss Lucy?”
    J.J. looked like he wanted to spit.
    Back on the field, Lucy, Emanuel, Oscar, Carla Rosa, and J.J. waited while Mr. Auggy instructed Januarie on how to throw in properly. “Both feet on the ground when you let go of the ball. . . . Throw it equally with both hands. . . . Both hands start from behind your head and come all the way over. . . . Your body faces the way you’re throwing.”
    Januarie didn’t get it.
    After the fifth time she messed it up, when even Carla Rosa was looking bored-out-of-her-braces, Mr. Auggy said, “Miss Lucy, demonstrate for our Miss Januarie.”
    “Me?” Lucy said.
    Mr. Auggy gave her his small smile. “Yes, you.” He pointed to the place he wanted her to stand and looked at Januarie. “You watch Miss Lucy — she has perfect form.”
    Lucy felt a strange f lush as she planted her feet and pulled the ball back. It sailed lightly toward Oscar, who was startled and bonked it with his head.
    “All right!” Mr. Auggy said. “You rock, Miss Lucy.”
    She almost felt like