Ann Martin - Baby-Sitters Club 059

I was struggling with this when Ms. Walden approached me with a slim bow made of green plastic. "Try this one, Pike," she said. "It's lighter and has a little more give in the string." I tried it and the string drew back easily. What a difference! Ms. Walden gave the command to fire. I pulled back slowly, letting the arrow rest on my fingers, studying the target, trying to keep my arm steady. Zing! The arrow sailed from my bow . . . and flew right over the top of the target.

"You're jerking the bow up at the last second," Ms. Walden remarked. "Either stop doing that, or if you can't, compensate." The next time I fired, I tried hard not to jerk. The arrow sailed over the top once again. So, the next time, I tried plan B. I compensated. I aimed below the center.

Whap! I hit the top of the target.

"Crook your elbow, don't lock it," said Ms. Walden.

"All right," I replied. This wasn't like vol-leyball. It was precise and concentrated, and I was in control. And there was something about that soft thud when the arrow hit the target that made me want to hear it again.

With my fourth arrow I aimed further down the target. This time I actually hit one of the colored lines on the top. Arrows five and six clustered by it.

Ms. Walden gave the cease-fire command, and then the retrieve-arrow command. "Nice shooting," she said to me out on the field as I pulled my arrows from the target. "But you're still locking your elbow, and next time compensate even more." Next to me, Glen Brown pulled one arrow out of the very bottom of the target. "Wow, you got three," he commented, surprised that I had done better than he had. "How'd you do it?" "Well," I said slyly as I twisted my last arrow out. "It helps if you keep your eyes open." With that, I ran back to my line. I handed the bow and arrows to Helen Gallway. Ms. Walden advised her to use the heavier bow. "Did you see how Pike drew the bow all the way back under her chin, almost to her ear?" I heard her coach Helen as I trotted toward the back of the line. "Give it a full stretch like that/' she continued.

All right! I thought gleefully. Helen had to watch me! What a switch that was.

"Hey! Way to go!" said Jessi when I was standing behind her. "You're a natural at this." "Not exactly/' I said modestly. "I was just lucky. It's not like I hit a bull's-eye or anything." "Give yourself a break," Jessi scolded cheerfully. "That was the first time you ever shot. You really look confident, like you know what you're doing." "I do?" I asked, pleased.

"Absolutely. If I didn't know, I'd think you'd done this before." When my turn came to shoot, I remembered what Ms. Walden said. Concentrating on keeping my elbow bent, I aimed below the target. The arrow hit. So did the next one and the next one. Each time I aimed lower, to compensate for the way I jerked up at the last second. Each arrow hit closer to the center. With my sixth arrow I aimed into the dirt.

It hit the bull's-eye! I'm not kidding. Dead center! Ms. Walden gave the cease-fire. "Well done, Ms. Pike," she said in front of the whole class.

"It seems a shame to pull it out. Too bad we don't have a camera." A small ripple of applause rose up. Everyone was looking at me. "Thanks," I said to Ms. Walden, trying not to look too goofy as I stood there smiling.

Class ended before I got to shoot a third time. I was a little disappointed, but glad to end the period with a bull's-eye to my credit.

"Pike," Ms. Walden called to me as we were heading back into the school.

I didn't know what she could possibly want. I hadn't done anything wrong this class.

"Pike, I'd like you to try out for the archery team this Tuesday," she said to me. "You have a lot of potential." Me? Try out for a team?

"Okay," I said. "I'll try." For the rest of the day, all I could think about were the archery try cuts. On the one hand it seemed absurd. I didn't belong on a team. Mallory Pike and teams were like oil and water.

But I kept seeing this picture in my head. It was me, standing straight and tall with the bow and arrow in my hand. It looked so right. I really, really wanted to make that team.

Chapter 15.

When I arrived at the Monday BSC meeting, Jessi had already filled everyone in on what had happened during gym. "It's Mal-lory, the huntress!" cried Dawn as I came into the room.

"I don't believe you're trying out for the archery team!" Kristy cried happily. "That is so cool!" "I probably won't make it," I said. "I just got lucky today." "Think positively," said Stacey. "You can do it!" "Sure you can," added Mary Anne.

"Not everybody can hit a bull's-eye," Clau-dia said. "I can't even hit the target. If you can hit the bull's-eye on your first day, you can definitely make the team." By the time I left the meeting, my friends had convinced me that there was no way I wouldn't make the team. That night at dinner, I told my family what had happened. Mom and Dad were just as encouraging. My sisters and even my brothers said they knew I could do it.

The next day, though, I wasn't so sure. I felt a familiar knot in my stomach, the one I get whenever I really want something and I don't think I'm going to get it. So I did what I often do. I told myself I didn't really want it.

I didn't say much at breakfast. I guess everyone could tell I was nervous. They left me alone and no one bugged me about anything.

"You'll do great," said Vanessa.

"No, I won't," I protested. "Maybe I won't even try out." Mom heard this. "You don't lose anything by trying," she said gently. "Win or lose, we still love you." I gave her a tense smile and headed for school. Jessi was waiting for me at my locker when I got there. "Today's the big day," she said excitedly.

"Maybe I won't bother. I mean, I have enough to do, with school and baby-sitting and all." "If I can fit in ballet class, you can fit in archery," Jessi said sternly. "You have to try out." "Why?" "Because you like it. And you're good at it. You're just feeling a little scared right now." When you have a friend who knows you as well as Jessi does, you can't get away with much. "I'll think about it," I told her.

"Think about it while you're trying out," said Jessi.

I felt as if my friends and family had put me in such a position that I had to try out. Either try out, or look like a wimp. I was glad. Otherwise, I might have chickened out.

That afternoon, I did go to the tryouts. Most of the kids there - both boys and girls - were seventh- and eighth-graders. There were only seven other sixth-graders.

The late afternoon had turned cold, and we stood around with our hair blowing and our hands jammed into our pockets. As I waited for my turn, I noticed that the rest of the kids were pretty good, unlike in gym. Most of the arrows hit the targets.

But not one of them hit a bull's-eye.

Unfortunately, I didn't hit one again, either. I did shoot every single arrow into the target, though.

That was good enough. When Ms. Walden read the names of the ten kids who were on the team, my name was among them! I almost danced off the field, I was so happy. I was heading for home when I heard someone calling me. I turned and saw Ben.

"Hi," he said, catching up to me. "I had a meeting for the school paper again. What are you doing here so late?" Before I could answer, he frowned with concern. "You didn't have detention again, did you?" "Nope," I said. "I was trying out for the archery team, and I made it!" "All right! Congratulations!" he cheered.

"Thank you." We walked home together. I was glad he was there. It's much nicer to be happy with someone than alone. "I guess your brothers better look out now," Ben joked. "They're living with a marksman, or markswoman, I should say." "That's right!" I laughed.

Ben walked me to my house, and then went back to his. When I opened the door, my house was - as usual - in a state of pandemonium.