Play the Game by Nova Weetman

would have to watch Belle and Freddy together on stage, kissing, and being amazing,
for the next two months. Now I really felt sick.
    I looked at my watch. Netball training would be just about getting started. If I
rode my bike faster than I’d ever ridden before, I could still make it to the netball
centre. Maybe I could explain that I’d changed my mind, and beg to be put back on
the team. Maybe I could still play state netball after all. But I’d already told
my sister and Tess how excited I was to be playing the part. How could I admit that
I only wanted to act if I got to play the lead? If I really wanted to be an actor,
then surely I should be happy to play any role – not just the lead role?
    What was worse? Accepting the part of the Nurse – and admitting to everyone that
I wasn’t Juliet after all – or grovelling my way back onto the state netball team?
I couldn’t decide which one would be more embarrassing.
     
 

 

‘Break’s over, girls,’ yelled Coach Justine. ‘Back on the court.’
    Everyone else jumped up, raring to go, but I still had to put my sneakers back on.
I was stalling because my foot was aching. In fact, my whole body ached. I didn’t
know muscles could hurt so much.
    ‘Come on, Edie,’ said Tess impatiently. She was sipping from her drink bottle, her
face red and sweaty.
    ‘Ergh,’ I said as I examined the blister on my heel. It was a gruesome, bloody mess.
    ‘Yuck!’ said Tess.
    I ripped open a new band-aid, but it only covered half the blister.
    ‘I don’t think that’s going to hold it, Edie,’ said Tess with a smile. She started
ripping open band-aid after band-aid until my foot looked like it had been mummified.
    ‘That should do it,’ she said hopefully. ‘Actually, it’ll have to – you’ve used them
all.’ She shook the empty box.
    ‘Lucky they supply us with band-aids, or I’d be using up all my babysitting money,’
I joked. I winced as I pulled my sock back on.
    ‘I think we’re supposed to be doing drills,’ said Tess. Everyone else was already
hard at it.
    ‘Coming,’ I said, sounding cranky. I didn’t mean to. I loved training, but we’d been
at it for nearly two hours and I was ready for a real break. And maybe dinner. And
a footbath. And about ten hours of sleep.
    I managed to get my sneaker on, ignoring the pain as it rubbed against the blister.
Then I hobbled down from the stand and followed Tess back onto the court. We’d only
been training for a week, but already I was beginning to understand what Kathryn
Fraser had meant when she’d said that state netball would become my whole life. She
wasn’t kidding. Netball had even taken over my dreams.
    We trained at least twice a week for two hours, and once the season actually started
we’d be playing games all over the place. Some weekends we’d be driving for hours
just to get to the game. Tess and I were excited about that idea – we loved the thought
of sitting in a minivan together for a whole day, just chatting.
    The rest of the team seemed really nice. Most of them already knew each other from
netball camps and other teams, but they’d made us feel really welcome. The only downside
to choosing netball (apart from not seeing Freddy at rehearsals twice a week) had
been breaking it to Kerry. She made me promise I wouldn’t give up acting forever,
and that I’d come back to classes soon. But even though I’d promised, I wasn’t sure
when it would happen. As long as I was playing state netball there wouldn’t be time
for anything else – just homework, school and training.
    ‘Think quick,’ called Tess as she shot me the ball. I didn’t, and it hit me in the
face.
    ‘Ow!’ I yelped, feeling my eyes water.
    ‘Sorry, Edie,’ said Tess, jogging over to check my nose. ‘Don’t think it’s broken.’
She smiled and scooped up the ball. ‘Try it again?’
    ‘Sure.’ I groaned, wondering what sort of state I’d be in by the end of the training
session. I felt totally