Chapter 1: A Great TeammateCHAPTER 1 A GREAT TEAMMATE "Over here!" I shouted. My feet flew through the grass. I slid a finger behind my hearing aids to get rid of the sweat there. My best friend, Hallie, nodded. She slammed the soccer ball over to me. A kid from the other team ran up, and I pivoted to block the ball. This shot was mine . With short kicks, I dodged around him. But he wasn't giving up. He stuck a hand out to throw me off, but I twirled around it. Veejay, my other best friend, ran up. Two kids from the other team were right behind him. "Astrid!" he panted. "Pearl is open!" He was right. Pearl stood in front of the goal, waving her arms. We'd been playing soccer every recess this week, and I was getting really good. But Pearl had just started playing with us yesterday. If I passed to her, I didn't know for sure if she'd score. I knew what my feet could do. So I kept the ball close, making my way down the field. Hallie ran up. She shouted something, but I didn't hear it. I was close enough now. I could make the shot. So I pulled my right foot back and launched the ball at the goal. Excerpted from Hydroponic Hijinks by Rie Neal All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.