Roller Girl

Astrid gets ready for roller derby camp, which she finds “much less fun without a best friend (51). She briefly considers wearing the rainbow socks Nicole gave her but ends up slamming them in a drawer instead. Her mom asks if Nicole’s mother is picking them up, and Astrid pauses the story to address the reader directly. She admits to lying to her mom about Nicole, but she can’t bring herself to admit that her “best friend ditched [her] for a rat-faced jerk” (52). On the way to the camp, Astrid is worried and forlorn. She arrives and is greeted by Heidi Go Seek, one of the coaches for the camp. She sees the girls skating around, and they all look much older than Astrid. Astrid goes to get her rental gear and meets a girl her age named Zoey. They get their gear on and immediately start drills, beginning with the “50-Lap Killer” (56). Astrid falls over right away and is asked to do her laps outside the track instead. She tries her hardest and manages to get through one lap in the same time the others do 50.