CHAPTER NINE
Joey, Derek, Nicky, and Alex were downstairs in Joey's basement apartment. "We almost forgot something - a bachelor party," Joey said as Michelle walked downstairs.
"Joey, can I talk to Nicky and Alex," Michelle asked. The twins looked so cute in their matching gray suits.
Joey held up a finger. "In a minute. Now, boys, before you get married, you need to do something crazy."
"I know." Nicky began making gross noises with his armpits. Soon, Alex, Derek, and Joey were copying him.
"Cool," Alex shouted as they tooted. "This is a fun bachelor party."
"Now I know what I'll do at mine," Derek declared.
Michelle laughed. Joey loved acting like a kid. That was what made him a great comedian. He would know the wedding was pretend. But, would Nicky and Alex?
"Boys, listen. I just wanted to make sure you understood..." Michelle paused. "You see, whichever of you is marrying Suzie..."
"I am," Nicky said.
Alex turned to his brother, smiling. "Hey, my wife's gonna be Suzie, too!"
Michelle's mouth hung open. What was happening? "Wait a minute..." Oh, no! As if things couldn't get worse. "Guys, there's only one Suzie."
"You mean we're marrying the same girl?" Nicky asked.
"Can we do that," Alex asked Joey.
Joey was at a loss for words. He held up a finger. "No. You see...how should I put this?"
"I know how we'll decide. Let's flip for it." Nicky did a somersault.
Alex pulled a nickel out of his pocket. "I've got a nickel."
Michelle was shocked. She held out his hands. "You can't decide who you're going to marry by flipping a coin."
Joey nodded. "She's right. It's best if you do rock, paper, scissors."
The twins shook their hands and opened them. Nicky held his fingers like scissors, Alex held his hand down. "Scissors cut paper," Nicky said.
Alex shook his head. "Nuh-uh, Uncle Joey says paper covers scissors and rock." The twins called Joey Uncle Joey.
Jesse walked down to the basement. "Have mercy, you guys look incredible." He snapped a picture.
"Daddy, Alex said paper covered scissors," Nicky complained.
Jesse looked puzzled for a second. "Well, yeah, paper covers walls if it's big enough," Jesse said. Michelle stood back and enjoyed the silliness.
"But paper's supposed to cover rock," Nicky said.
Joey loved cartoons. He referred to one of his favorites. "Did the Flintstones have any wallpaper in their cave? No."
Jesse understood what his boys meant now. He glared at Joey. They made a great comedy team. They loved to tease each other. But they knew it was all in fun. "Well, think, Joey. That's because it all got cut by the scissors." Michelle laughed.
"No," Joey said decisively, "because if the Flintstones had wallpapered their cave, the wallpaper could easily cover the scissors until the Flintstones were done papering." He held a finger to his chin. "Unless a rock got thrown through the paper."
"Come on, Joey, kids on every playground in America know...." He rolled his eyes. "Listen to this, I'm arguing with a grown man over 'rock, paper, scissors.'"
"Yeah, but you guys have fun with it," Michelle said. "I hope Rachel and I are like that someday. I love joking around if it's not mean."
Jesse motioned his boys upstairs. "Come on, let's go. You guys can have your play wedding and then decide who really got married."
Michelle followed everyone else upstairs. Turning aside to Derek, she said "I'm glad we're just playing football to have fun. Because the way things are going, we might not even get to the field till right before game time."
CHAPTER TEN
Michelle dashed up to her room to see Rachel sliding a linen tablecloth into the neck of Suzie's dress. Mark was helping. "Doesn't she look gorgeous, Michelle?"
"Yeah, Rachel. Suzie, listen...about your groom..."
Nicky and Alex ran upstairs, too. "Come on, Suzie," Nicky shouted.
Suzie was shocked. "What? There's two of you? I didn't know you were twins."
"That's what I wanted to tell you." Michelle paused. "Well, one of the things, actually."
"Let's go," Alex said. He and Nicky each grabbed one of Suzie's arms, and walked downstairs with her.
"But wait...I thought there was just one of you plus a younger brother. I don't want to marry both of you." She looked at both as she got to the foot of the stairs. The rest of the Tanner household and the Johnsons were watching. "How will I decide who's gonna pay the bills and call me 'honey' and kiss me when he leaves for work?"
Mary walked over to Suzie. "Honey...you know this is pretend, don't you?"
"But, Rachel said it was real."
Michelle could tell Suzie looked sad. She walked over, and put an arm around her. "Suzie, Rachel probably said some things to make you think it was real. Didn't she?" She glared at Rachel.
"Only a little," Rachel said. "Come on, I was just having fun."
Michelle smiled. "Remember that time I told you about with Steve?" Suzie nodded. Michelle snickered as she said, "D.J. was doing the exact same thing. Just having fun, because she thought it would be cute. That's part of the fun of having a big sister."
"Didn't that make you mad when you got teased," Suzie asked simply.
"It's pretty funny now. But D.J. could tell right away I felt bad. And she apologized. Just like Rachel's going to do. Right, Rachel?"
Rachel hesitated for a moment, then finally muttered a tiny "I'm sorry."
"You've got lots of years to decide. And when it happens," Mary said, "it'll be so wonderful, you won't be able to believe it."
Nicky turned to Alex. "I guess we're not getting married."
Alex nodded. "When we get older, let's marry twins."
"That will solve the problem," Nicky agreed.
Michelle grinned as she thought of something else to hearten Suzie. "You still get to eat cake. My dad baked a big one last night."
"Oh, boy," Suzie shouted. She and her brothers were off like a shot toward the kitchen.
"And then, we all need to get changed fast," Michelle remarked. "So we can get to that football game."
CHAPTER ELEVEN
The temperature was quite warm for that time of year. Both teams had large supplies of water and other cold drinks on hand. Michelle made lots of substitutions, to give the players plenty of rest.
Suddenly, Jeff Farrington tripped over an opponent. "I'm okay," Jeff said as he limped over to the sidelines. "I just have to rest this ankle for a minute."
Michelle looked warily at him. "I don't think so. Their coach just took a guy out for the rest of the game because he felt light-headed. We'd better play it safe."
"But, you need me, don't you? We won't have enough receivers if I go out," Jeff said.
"Don't worry. I wouldn't let the team down. I talked to their coach about letting non-roster players play. We've both had lots of injuries, so we agreed it would be fair." Michelle smiled. "We are here to have fun, after all."
Michelle walked past the cheerleaders. Rachel was leading Cassie, Mandy, and Suzie in cheers - and doing a very good job. Michelle grabbed a spare helmet, put it on, and fastened the chin strap. "Does someone want to help me get these pads on?" she called to her friends.
Before Cassie and Mandy could start, Michelle heard her dad's voice. "Michelle, come here a minute," he instructed her urgently.
What could he have to say that's so important, she wondered as she walked up to him. "What is it, Dad," she wondered.
"Hnoey, I'm sorry," he said, putting both hands on her shoulders. "But I can't let you play."
"But Dad, we're out of receivers. They need me," Michelle explained .
Danny glared intently. He must really mean business, she told herself.
"Listen. You had a very serious concussion when you fell from your horse. Luckily, there was no damage. But, football isn't like other sports I let you play," he added. "Baseball, soccer, and horseback riding don't involve the physical contact this does."
Michelle remembered a pro quarterback with San Francisco's team. "But, Dad, Steve Young played after a whole bunch of concussions."
"And if I'd been his dad, I wouldn't have let him play after the first, either. The threat of serious damage is much greater if you get a second concussion," he finished.
Michelle sighed. She really wanted to play. Her team was down ten and looked desparate. But, she knew she had to listen. She didn't want to risk permanent damage. Besides, if she insisted on playing, she might end up sitting in the stands next to her dad for the rest of the game. "Okay, Dad."
Michelle took off her helmet as she walked back to the sidelines. "Dad won't let me play because of my concussion."
"We understand," Cassie said.
"That was a year and a half ago. Still, I can see his point," Mandy said.
"I can, too. But, now who do we..." Michelle glanced over at Rachel. She wasn't on the official roster. But, perhaps she could play, anyway.
She walked over to the other sideline. "Excuse me, Sir," Michelle said. "We're running out of players with this heat, and then the other injuries. I'd like to be able to add Rachel Tilly, that cheerleader in the long brown hair.".
The coach smiled. "Okay, thanks. That's fair, as long as she's under the age and weight limit. Hard to believe a girl could run a football team. But, you're doing a good job."
"Thanks." Michelle jogged back to her sidelines. "Rachel, how about putting on some pads." She thought for a second. "Oh, wait. We'd better weigh you first," she kidded her.
They found a scale in the locker room. "Good thing they have weight limits. Otherwise, you'd have put a horse into the game," Rachel teased back.
"Or our dog, Comet. He's good at catching treats in his mouth," Michelle said as they met with the other coach to weigh Rachel.
Mark overheard the name. "Michelle, you named your football team after a dog?" The others - including Rachel - laughed.
Once the other coach affirmed that Rachel could play, she put on her pads. "Don't worry, Michelle. I won't let you down," she pledged. "With me in there, this game's as good as won."
Michelle rolled her eyes and turned to her friends. "She may be getting friendlier, but she's as boastful as ever."
The Comets were down by three at midfield near the end of the game. With time running out, Michelle decided to see what Rachel could do. She was one of their tallest players.
"Guys, come here a second," she said during a timeout. Once the team was huddled around her, she drew with a stick. "Okay, it's fourth and ten. This could be our last chance. Here's what we'll do. Rachel, you've caught two balls, but you are still a girl. So, they won't be looking for you."
"Are you kidding. One of those was for a touchdown," Rachel said.
"Just listen." She diagrammed her idea in the dirt. "Now, look. You run straight up this way, while we send the other three receivers out on the right. You three will go like this. Lee will block after looking he'll run. Derek will run over the middle. We'll throw to you along the sidelines, Rachel. Derek, make sure you're far enough for the first down."
"Oh, perfect. I can outjump anyone," Rachel shouted. "Just watch me score," Rachel said as she left the huddle. Michelle cheered loudly as the team lined up, and the quarterback snapped the ball.
Simon dropped back to throw. With Rachel running, he threw the ball toward her. She leaped in the air, but the defender jumped just as high.
Michelle gasped in horror. The two players had tipped the ball. They fell, and the ball was dropping toward the ground. CHAPTER TWELVE
Out of nowhere, Derek raced up to the ball. He'd streaked toward the pass as soon as it was thrown. He scooped it up just before it hit the ground. The startled teams watched as he dashed the remainder of the way. "Touchdown," Michelle and her friends screamed.
The final seconds ticked off the clock. The Comets had won the league title! Michelle's team mobbed her on the sidelines.
"Michelle, look out," Mandy cried. Michelle looked behind her and gasped. Rachel and Lee poured a huge bucket of Gatorade on her.
"Cool, do that to me," Derek said as the teams went onto the field to shake hands. "Maybe then I won't have to take a bath tonight."
"Are you kidding," Rachel said as she laughed. "That stuff's so sticky, Michelle's going to need an extra shower just to get it out."
"More like two or three," Michelle joked back. Once back on the sidelines, she took a cup and poured some water on Rachel. Pretty soon, the whole team was splashing each other with the last of their water.
After a moment, Michelle turned to Rachel. "Hey, look at us. We're laughing together and having fun."
"Hey, yeah." Rachel smiled. "You know, I could get used to this."
Danny walked over to them. "Great job, everyone. Michelle, would Cassie and Mandy like to come with us. We're going with the Johnsons to celebrate before they leave."
"Sure." Michelle looked at Rachel. Did she dare to try it? Sure, why not. Rachel was getting a lot better. "Care to come along, Rachel?"
Rachel grinned. "Sure. But, why don't you all come to my dad's place? Tilly Pastries just opened a sit-down shop. I'm sure there's enough room."
Suzie's eyes grew wide. "Your dad runs a pastry shop? You are so lucky!'
"I'm even luckier than that. This being friendly stuff is getting to be fun," Rachel said.
The families were seated at five four-person booths in Tilly Pastries. Michelle was in awe of the situation. She was seated with her two best friends. And, Rachel sat beside her! Rachel was becoming fun to be around. She never would have believed it was possible just a week ago.
Cassie was finishing a funny story. "...Meanwhile, I'm thinking it's Mandy's grandma who's hurt, and not Michelle. So I say 'Your grandmother is eight years old.'" She made her eyes bulge with shock as she said that.
Rachel laughed. "That's a real winner, Cassie. I still remember when my brother broke his arm at school. I was about four, and I said in this meek voice 'You mean he broke it off?'"
Michelle giggled. "This is great, isn't it, Rachel?"
"Yeah. I really need to be nicer to Sidney, too. I just never learned how." She glared at Michelle, but joked playfully. "You sure have been great at pushing me to be, though."
"Yeah. We promised at camp this summer to pray for you every night. And, we have," Mandy said.
"You...you did that for me?" Rachel was very stunned. "I've never had anyone do that."
Michelle looked down, remembering what Suzie had said. "Rachel, at first, after you were so nasty, I didn't want to be friendly to you. But, I realized you can't learn to be nice unless someone's nice to you. And..."
A lump formed in Michelle's throat. It wasn't a pleasant subject. But, if she'd made this offer in the beginning, things might have been easier. "I know you think it'll never happen. I know it's scary for you. But, I meant what I said last spring. If anything were to happen to your parents, I'll be there for you. And you can talk, or cry, or whatever you have to do. I'll understand."
Rachel nodded slowly. "Thanks, Michelle," she mumbled. She was very pensive as they ate their pie and ice cream. Suddenly, she looked into the kitchen, and rose from the table. "Oh, there's my mom. I'll be right back."
Suzie noticed Michelle grinning broadly as she walked over to their table a moment later. "Where's Rachel?" Suzie asked.
"Being thankful." Suzie looked strangely at her. "She's giving her mom a long overdue hug," Michelle explained.
"I just wanted to give her this ballerina. I colored it myself." Suzie showed Michelle a picture. It looked like almost like a star with hands and a face. It looked like something Nicky or Alex would draw. Michelle hoped Rachel would appreciate it. She still wasn't sure how far this new Rachel would go in being nice.
Rachel jogged back to the table and sat. "Hey, Suzie. What's that?"
"I drew it for you. You can have it."
Rachel stifled giggles. "I guess I'm supposed to accept this, huh?" she muttered toward Michelle
Michelle nodded slightly. "It's a ballerina," she whispered back.
"What a lovely ballerina. Thanks." Rachel put in in her tiny purse. "I'm glad you came. You've been a real help to us." She put her hand on Michelle's shoulder.
"I thought Michelle said you weren't very good friends."
"We are now, thanks to you," Michelle told her.
Suzie looked puzzled. "Mommy, how did I make them become friends? I wasn't even trying."
Mary smiled. "Just by being there, honey."
"It's one of those things we won't understand till we get to Heaven," Joe said. "But, the things we say can really build people up, or help them understand each other."
"Yeah, speaking of Heaven..." Rachel grinned at Suzie. "I finally gave my mom that big hug you said you had to give yours. Can you believe this, Michelle?" She turned back to face her classmate. "This is the first time I've really thought about thankfulness. And, it's a pretty good feeling, too."
Michelle realized a lot of things about being nice were new to Rachel. But, she didn't say that. Instead, she smiled at Rachel and the Johnsons. "I've made lots of new friends this week. It's been so much fun. And, the best part, Rachel, is that you can keep growing nicer."
"And, I bet you can show me how, huh," Rachel said. It had none of the sarcasm it would have had earlier. She sounded genuinely interested.
Michelle nodded. "You bet. Because, in this world, nothing beats having friends."
Joey, Derek, Nicky, and Alex were downstairs in Joey's basement apartment. "We almost forgot something - a bachelor party," Joey said as Michelle walked downstairs.
"Joey, can I talk to Nicky and Alex," Michelle asked. The twins looked so cute in their matching gray suits.
Joey held up a finger. "In a minute. Now, boys, before you get married, you need to do something crazy."
"I know." Nicky began making gross noises with his armpits. Soon, Alex, Derek, and Joey were copying him.
"Cool," Alex shouted as they tooted. "This is a fun bachelor party."
"Now I know what I'll do at mine," Derek declared.
Michelle laughed. Joey loved acting like a kid. That was what made him a great comedian. He would know the wedding was pretend. But, would Nicky and Alex?
"Boys, listen. I just wanted to make sure you understood..." Michelle paused. "You see, whichever of you is marrying Suzie..."
"I am," Nicky said.
Alex turned to his brother, smiling. "Hey, my wife's gonna be Suzie, too!"
Michelle's mouth hung open. What was happening? "Wait a minute..." Oh, no! As if things couldn't get worse. "Guys, there's only one Suzie."
"You mean we're marrying the same girl?" Nicky asked.
"Can we do that," Alex asked Joey.
Joey was at a loss for words. He held up a finger. "No. You see...how should I put this?"
"I know how we'll decide. Let's flip for it." Nicky did a somersault.
Alex pulled a nickel out of his pocket. "I've got a nickel."
Michelle was shocked. She held out his hands. "You can't decide who you're going to marry by flipping a coin."
Joey nodded. "She's right. It's best if you do rock, paper, scissors."
The twins shook their hands and opened them. Nicky held his fingers like scissors, Alex held his hand down. "Scissors cut paper," Nicky said.
Alex shook his head. "Nuh-uh, Uncle Joey says paper covers scissors and rock." The twins called Joey Uncle Joey.
Jesse walked down to the basement. "Have mercy, you guys look incredible." He snapped a picture.
"Daddy, Alex said paper covered scissors," Nicky complained.
Jesse looked puzzled for a second. "Well, yeah, paper covers walls if it's big enough," Jesse said. Michelle stood back and enjoyed the silliness.
"But paper's supposed to cover rock," Nicky said.
Joey loved cartoons. He referred to one of his favorites. "Did the Flintstones have any wallpaper in their cave? No."
Jesse understood what his boys meant now. He glared at Joey. They made a great comedy team. They loved to tease each other. But they knew it was all in fun. "Well, think, Joey. That's because it all got cut by the scissors." Michelle laughed.
"No," Joey said decisively, "because if the Flintstones had wallpapered their cave, the wallpaper could easily cover the scissors until the Flintstones were done papering." He held a finger to his chin. "Unless a rock got thrown through the paper."
"Come on, Joey, kids on every playground in America know...." He rolled his eyes. "Listen to this, I'm arguing with a grown man over 'rock, paper, scissors.'"
"Yeah, but you guys have fun with it," Michelle said. "I hope Rachel and I are like that someday. I love joking around if it's not mean."
Jesse motioned his boys upstairs. "Come on, let's go. You guys can have your play wedding and then decide who really got married."
Michelle followed everyone else upstairs. Turning aside to Derek, she said "I'm glad we're just playing football to have fun. Because the way things are going, we might not even get to the field till right before game time."
CHAPTER TEN
Michelle dashed up to her room to see Rachel sliding a linen tablecloth into the neck of Suzie's dress. Mark was helping. "Doesn't she look gorgeous, Michelle?"
"Yeah, Rachel. Suzie, listen...about your groom..."
Nicky and Alex ran upstairs, too. "Come on, Suzie," Nicky shouted.
Suzie was shocked. "What? There's two of you? I didn't know you were twins."
"That's what I wanted to tell you." Michelle paused. "Well, one of the things, actually."
"Let's go," Alex said. He and Nicky each grabbed one of Suzie's arms, and walked downstairs with her.
"But wait...I thought there was just one of you plus a younger brother. I don't want to marry both of you." She looked at both as she got to the foot of the stairs. The rest of the Tanner household and the Johnsons were watching. "How will I decide who's gonna pay the bills and call me 'honey' and kiss me when he leaves for work?"
Mary walked over to Suzie. "Honey...you know this is pretend, don't you?"
"But, Rachel said it was real."
Michelle could tell Suzie looked sad. She walked over, and put an arm around her. "Suzie, Rachel probably said some things to make you think it was real. Didn't she?" She glared at Rachel.
"Only a little," Rachel said. "Come on, I was just having fun."
Michelle smiled. "Remember that time I told you about with Steve?" Suzie nodded. Michelle snickered as she said, "D.J. was doing the exact same thing. Just having fun, because she thought it would be cute. That's part of the fun of having a big sister."
"Didn't that make you mad when you got teased," Suzie asked simply.
"It's pretty funny now. But D.J. could tell right away I felt bad. And she apologized. Just like Rachel's going to do. Right, Rachel?"
Rachel hesitated for a moment, then finally muttered a tiny "I'm sorry."
"You've got lots of years to decide. And when it happens," Mary said, "it'll be so wonderful, you won't be able to believe it."
Nicky turned to Alex. "I guess we're not getting married."
Alex nodded. "When we get older, let's marry twins."
"That will solve the problem," Nicky agreed.
Michelle grinned as she thought of something else to hearten Suzie. "You still get to eat cake. My dad baked a big one last night."
"Oh, boy," Suzie shouted. She and her brothers were off like a shot toward the kitchen.
"And then, we all need to get changed fast," Michelle remarked. "So we can get to that football game."
CHAPTER ELEVEN
The temperature was quite warm for that time of year. Both teams had large supplies of water and other cold drinks on hand. Michelle made lots of substitutions, to give the players plenty of rest.
Suddenly, Jeff Farrington tripped over an opponent. "I'm okay," Jeff said as he limped over to the sidelines. "I just have to rest this ankle for a minute."
Michelle looked warily at him. "I don't think so. Their coach just took a guy out for the rest of the game because he felt light-headed. We'd better play it safe."
"But, you need me, don't you? We won't have enough receivers if I go out," Jeff said.
"Don't worry. I wouldn't let the team down. I talked to their coach about letting non-roster players play. We've both had lots of injuries, so we agreed it would be fair." Michelle smiled. "We are here to have fun, after all."
Michelle walked past the cheerleaders. Rachel was leading Cassie, Mandy, and Suzie in cheers - and doing a very good job. Michelle grabbed a spare helmet, put it on, and fastened the chin strap. "Does someone want to help me get these pads on?" she called to her friends.
Before Cassie and Mandy could start, Michelle heard her dad's voice. "Michelle, come here a minute," he instructed her urgently.
What could he have to say that's so important, she wondered as she walked up to him. "What is it, Dad," she wondered.
"Hnoey, I'm sorry," he said, putting both hands on her shoulders. "But I can't let you play."
"But Dad, we're out of receivers. They need me," Michelle explained .
Danny glared intently. He must really mean business, she told herself.
"Listen. You had a very serious concussion when you fell from your horse. Luckily, there was no damage. But, football isn't like other sports I let you play," he added. "Baseball, soccer, and horseback riding don't involve the physical contact this does."
Michelle remembered a pro quarterback with San Francisco's team. "But, Dad, Steve Young played after a whole bunch of concussions."
"And if I'd been his dad, I wouldn't have let him play after the first, either. The threat of serious damage is much greater if you get a second concussion," he finished.
Michelle sighed. She really wanted to play. Her team was down ten and looked desparate. But, she knew she had to listen. She didn't want to risk permanent damage. Besides, if she insisted on playing, she might end up sitting in the stands next to her dad for the rest of the game. "Okay, Dad."
Michelle took off her helmet as she walked back to the sidelines. "Dad won't let me play because of my concussion."
"We understand," Cassie said.
"That was a year and a half ago. Still, I can see his point," Mandy said.
"I can, too. But, now who do we..." Michelle glanced over at Rachel. She wasn't on the official roster. But, perhaps she could play, anyway.
She walked over to the other sideline. "Excuse me, Sir," Michelle said. "We're running out of players with this heat, and then the other injuries. I'd like to be able to add Rachel Tilly, that cheerleader in the long brown hair.".
The coach smiled. "Okay, thanks. That's fair, as long as she's under the age and weight limit. Hard to believe a girl could run a football team. But, you're doing a good job."
"Thanks." Michelle jogged back to her sidelines. "Rachel, how about putting on some pads." She thought for a second. "Oh, wait. We'd better weigh you first," she kidded her.
They found a scale in the locker room. "Good thing they have weight limits. Otherwise, you'd have put a horse into the game," Rachel teased back.
"Or our dog, Comet. He's good at catching treats in his mouth," Michelle said as they met with the other coach to weigh Rachel.
Mark overheard the name. "Michelle, you named your football team after a dog?" The others - including Rachel - laughed.
Once the other coach affirmed that Rachel could play, she put on her pads. "Don't worry, Michelle. I won't let you down," she pledged. "With me in there, this game's as good as won."
Michelle rolled her eyes and turned to her friends. "She may be getting friendlier, but she's as boastful as ever."
The Comets were down by three at midfield near the end of the game. With time running out, Michelle decided to see what Rachel could do. She was one of their tallest players.
"Guys, come here a second," she said during a timeout. Once the team was huddled around her, she drew with a stick. "Okay, it's fourth and ten. This could be our last chance. Here's what we'll do. Rachel, you've caught two balls, but you are still a girl. So, they won't be looking for you."
"Are you kidding. One of those was for a touchdown," Rachel said.
"Just listen." She diagrammed her idea in the dirt. "Now, look. You run straight up this way, while we send the other three receivers out on the right. You three will go like this. Lee will block after looking he'll run. Derek will run over the middle. We'll throw to you along the sidelines, Rachel. Derek, make sure you're far enough for the first down."
"Oh, perfect. I can outjump anyone," Rachel shouted. "Just watch me score," Rachel said as she left the huddle. Michelle cheered loudly as the team lined up, and the quarterback snapped the ball.
Simon dropped back to throw. With Rachel running, he threw the ball toward her. She leaped in the air, but the defender jumped just as high.
Michelle gasped in horror. The two players had tipped the ball. They fell, and the ball was dropping toward the ground. CHAPTER TWELVE
Out of nowhere, Derek raced up to the ball. He'd streaked toward the pass as soon as it was thrown. He scooped it up just before it hit the ground. The startled teams watched as he dashed the remainder of the way. "Touchdown," Michelle and her friends screamed.
The final seconds ticked off the clock. The Comets had won the league title! Michelle's team mobbed her on the sidelines.
"Michelle, look out," Mandy cried. Michelle looked behind her and gasped. Rachel and Lee poured a huge bucket of Gatorade on her.
"Cool, do that to me," Derek said as the teams went onto the field to shake hands. "Maybe then I won't have to take a bath tonight."
"Are you kidding," Rachel said as she laughed. "That stuff's so sticky, Michelle's going to need an extra shower just to get it out."
"More like two or three," Michelle joked back. Once back on the sidelines, she took a cup and poured some water on Rachel. Pretty soon, the whole team was splashing each other with the last of their water.
After a moment, Michelle turned to Rachel. "Hey, look at us. We're laughing together and having fun."
"Hey, yeah." Rachel smiled. "You know, I could get used to this."
Danny walked over to them. "Great job, everyone. Michelle, would Cassie and Mandy like to come with us. We're going with the Johnsons to celebrate before they leave."
"Sure." Michelle looked at Rachel. Did she dare to try it? Sure, why not. Rachel was getting a lot better. "Care to come along, Rachel?"
Rachel grinned. "Sure. But, why don't you all come to my dad's place? Tilly Pastries just opened a sit-down shop. I'm sure there's enough room."
Suzie's eyes grew wide. "Your dad runs a pastry shop? You are so lucky!'
"I'm even luckier than that. This being friendly stuff is getting to be fun," Rachel said.
The families were seated at five four-person booths in Tilly Pastries. Michelle was in awe of the situation. She was seated with her two best friends. And, Rachel sat beside her! Rachel was becoming fun to be around. She never would have believed it was possible just a week ago.
Cassie was finishing a funny story. "...Meanwhile, I'm thinking it's Mandy's grandma who's hurt, and not Michelle. So I say 'Your grandmother is eight years old.'" She made her eyes bulge with shock as she said that.
Rachel laughed. "That's a real winner, Cassie. I still remember when my brother broke his arm at school. I was about four, and I said in this meek voice 'You mean he broke it off?'"
Michelle giggled. "This is great, isn't it, Rachel?"
"Yeah. I really need to be nicer to Sidney, too. I just never learned how." She glared at Michelle, but joked playfully. "You sure have been great at pushing me to be, though."
"Yeah. We promised at camp this summer to pray for you every night. And, we have," Mandy said.
"You...you did that for me?" Rachel was very stunned. "I've never had anyone do that."
Michelle looked down, remembering what Suzie had said. "Rachel, at first, after you were so nasty, I didn't want to be friendly to you. But, I realized you can't learn to be nice unless someone's nice to you. And..."
A lump formed in Michelle's throat. It wasn't a pleasant subject. But, if she'd made this offer in the beginning, things might have been easier. "I know you think it'll never happen. I know it's scary for you. But, I meant what I said last spring. If anything were to happen to your parents, I'll be there for you. And you can talk, or cry, or whatever you have to do. I'll understand."
Rachel nodded slowly. "Thanks, Michelle," she mumbled. She was very pensive as they ate their pie and ice cream. Suddenly, she looked into the kitchen, and rose from the table. "Oh, there's my mom. I'll be right back."
Suzie noticed Michelle grinning broadly as she walked over to their table a moment later. "Where's Rachel?" Suzie asked.
"Being thankful." Suzie looked strangely at her. "She's giving her mom a long overdue hug," Michelle explained.
"I just wanted to give her this ballerina. I colored it myself." Suzie showed Michelle a picture. It looked like almost like a star with hands and a face. It looked like something Nicky or Alex would draw. Michelle hoped Rachel would appreciate it. She still wasn't sure how far this new Rachel would go in being nice.
Rachel jogged back to the table and sat. "Hey, Suzie. What's that?"
"I drew it for you. You can have it."
Rachel stifled giggles. "I guess I'm supposed to accept this, huh?" she muttered toward Michelle
Michelle nodded slightly. "It's a ballerina," she whispered back.
"What a lovely ballerina. Thanks." Rachel put in in her tiny purse. "I'm glad you came. You've been a real help to us." She put her hand on Michelle's shoulder.
"I thought Michelle said you weren't very good friends."
"We are now, thanks to you," Michelle told her.
Suzie looked puzzled. "Mommy, how did I make them become friends? I wasn't even trying."
Mary smiled. "Just by being there, honey."
"It's one of those things we won't understand till we get to Heaven," Joe said. "But, the things we say can really build people up, or help them understand each other."
"Yeah, speaking of Heaven..." Rachel grinned at Suzie. "I finally gave my mom that big hug you said you had to give yours. Can you believe this, Michelle?" She turned back to face her classmate. "This is the first time I've really thought about thankfulness. And, it's a pretty good feeling, too."
Michelle realized a lot of things about being nice were new to Rachel. But, she didn't say that. Instead, she smiled at Rachel and the Johnsons. "I've made lots of new friends this week. It's been so much fun. And, the best part, Rachel, is that you can keep growing nicer."
"And, I bet you can show me how, huh," Rachel said. It had none of the sarcasm it would have had earlier. She sounded genuinely interested.
Michelle nodded. "You bet. Because, in this world, nothing beats having friends."