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“Knehat?”

Kelli ignored the question “Why are you answering your phone?”

A if you don’t want me to answer?”

“Because I knew you would,” Kelli retorted “I didn’t want to be right, but I kneould be Shouldn’t you be in a locker rooh for the both of us?”

“How do you know I’m not?”

“Like you’d answer if you were” A pause followed and in herher head “You’ve worked yourself into a state of self-doubt, haven’t you? Why do you always do this to yourself?”

“I’ht A events work her into a ball of nerves, so et sick Every year, the first day of school had been greeted with a horrible cold and a red nose Before a swim meet, she’d have abdominal cramps froed to perform so well, time after time

“Right,” Kelli said “I wasn’t born yesterday You’re standing on the wrong side of that door talking yourself out of this dream”

“Okay, so I am or I was or—”

“Stop trying to think of excuses You’ve wanted your own colu you’ve talked about with excite You can do this You’ve been doing it for years”

A Her knee injury had stolen her aspirations Shoving away the thought, she reminded herself that period in her life was history and should be buried The here and now counted and she had new mountains to climb Or, rather, locker rooms to conquer

“I covered high school events,” she re out of the path of passersby and leaning against the wall “These are professional ballplayers”

“You’ve dealt with plenty of professional athletes”