Mallory's always hated gym. But she's beginning to hate boys even more!

The next thing I knew Robbie was leaping in front of me, hurling himself at the ball. His arm jabbed me in the side. His foot came down hard on mine. Suddenly I lost my balance and was flying over backwards. I landed with a thud on the gym floor.

And was everyone all concerned about me? Oh no! They were cheering because we had finally made a point!

"Pike, are you okay?" asked Ms. Walden, who was moving from game to game.

I didn't know which was worse, the pain in my foot , or the embarrassment. Hot tears tingled just below my eyes, but I didn't want anyone to see them. "I'm all right," I mumbled, climbing to my feet.

"Get in there after that ball," she told me. "You're wimping out on your team."

Thanks for making that so clear, I thought bitterly. Just in case anyone wasn't aware of that.

Once my team had the ball it wasn't so bad. At least every serve wasn't directed at me. And I discovered that if I hopped up and down with my arms in the air, I could pretend to be a functioning member of the team.

I didn't fool Ms. Walden, though. "Pike! Don't just flap your arms!" she'd yell. "This is your ball, Pike! Get it!"

So, thanks to Ms. Walden's big mouth, all eyes were on me every time the ball flew past me.

The game seemed endless. I couldn't help but wonder what terrible thing I'd done to deserve this torture.

The girls on my team weren't too bad. They weren't that into it. But the boys were total animals! You'd think they were engaged in a war, the way they yelled, leaped, pounded the ball, and spiked it over the net. Didn't they realize it was just a game?

After what seemed like a thousand years, the game ended. As I slunk off the court, I realized Jessi had been right. Gym hadn't been as bad as I thought.

It had been much worse.

Mallory Hates Boys (and Gym)
Published by Scholastic Inc. 1996
ISBN: 0590456601