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surprise on her face. Take that. She pivoted on one foot, aimed at the goal ring and launched the ball into the air. It hit the side of the ring, teetered there for a moment, then fell backwards. My feet moved before I could think and I caught the ball, bounced it a couple of times, then looped it up and through the ring. Taylor and Lucy clapped; Jade glared at me.
    â€˜You’re not supposed to bounce the ball in netball, stupid.’
    I shrugged. Jade was as snarly as Tam. I didn’t need a friend like her and, right then, if that meant Lucy didn’t want to be friends with me either, too bad. ‘Guess you won’t want me on the team then.’ I walked off the court just as the bell rang to end recess. Good timing. I could go straight to the classroom. But as I pushed my way through the double swing doors, my shoulders drooped. So much for finding new friends here. I missed Josie so much – her cheery face, sharing her potato chips, laughing together. Tears prickled in my eyes and I scrunched them up tight. I was not going to cry!
    Instead, I needed to concentrate on ballet practice. And sneaking into the school hall later.
    â€˜Hey, Brynna, wait! Slow down.’ Lucy ran up and put her arm through mine. ‘Don’t worry about Jade. She’s totally obsessed with the netball team, that’s all.’
    â€˜Whatever,’ I said. ‘I didn’t want to play anyway.’
    â€˜No, don’t worry, you’re in the team. Wing defence. She wanted you in, really she did. She’s just –’
    â€˜Rude?’ Up herself? Aggro?
    â€˜Well, yeah.’ Lucy giggled. ‘We’re used to her. Ms Wilson’s the coach. She’s good. Training’s straight after school.’
    â€˜But –’ I wanted to practise at home and then come to the hall. I didn’t want to waste time on stupid netball with stupid Jade.
    â€˜It’ll be fine. I’m going to come and watch.’ Lucy hugged my arm against hers so tightly that she hurt me. I pulled away as gently as I could.
    â€˜I don’t think I can come today.’ When her face fell into a frown, I added quickly, ‘Mum expects me straight home after school. She’ll freak out and I can’t ring her at work. Sorry. I really can’t do netball today.’ Or any day.
    Mrs Nguyen was writing something on the board and the bell had long gone, but still Lucy held me back by the doorway.
    â€˜Oh. But you’ll be okay for Wednesday, won’t you? Please? You’ll get to know everyone that way and make more friends.’
    I didn’t want netball friends. I didn’t mind the idea of having just Lucy as a friend, but I couldn’t figure her out. Was she really helping me? Or was she maybe thinking it wouldn’t be such a terrible thing if I was hurt playing netball?
    No, that was silly – and mean, too. Lucy didn’t have to talk to me and be nice, but she was, even after I’d walked out on Jade. ‘I’ll have to ask Mum,’ I said weakly.
    â€˜Great. The team will be so much better with you in it. And Jade’s desperate for us to win the inter-school championship this year.’
    I rolled my eyes and managed to keep my mouth shut. Just as Mrs Nguyen began ordering us all to sit down and be quiet, Lucy tugged on my arm one more time and whispered, ‘You made that goal shooting look so easy – you could be better even than Jade.’
    I slid into my seat, hands gripping the sides of my desk so hard my knuckles turned white. That was all I needed – to push Ms Kingpin out of her goal shooter position in the team. I might as well have broken my own legs there and then.

chapter 5
    At lunchtime, Mrs Nguyen wanted to talk to me about what I’d been learning at Acacia Hill, and I was glad to have an excuse not to hang around with Lucy and Jade. By the time the last bell rang, I’d got more used to my class and most of the other