Face Off

Why did I let Jodi and Greg mix my drinks? And why did I drink them?

   Jodi offers me her cup. "How about a sip of the water of life?"

   "I''ll have a coke," I say.

   "Come on, Jessie Mac. Freakin'' summer is right around the corner."

   Mark scowls at me. What right does he have to approve or disapprove of everything I do?

   On impulse, I grab Jodi''s drink, and I guzzle it. Every last drop. It leaves a warm glow all the way down.

   "All right, Jessie!" Jordan holds up his palm for a high-five.

   "What do you say?!" Greg holds up his as well.

   I smack both their hands, ignoring the sensation of Mark''s eyes scorching the back of my neck.

   "Got any more?" I ask.

Jessie McIntyre, 15, has it made. She''s got the world''s best boyfriend, great teammates, and a hockey coach she really looks up to. But a bad decision at a party changes everything. Worse, some of the guys at school seem determined not to let her, or anyone else, forget it.

Face Off is a recipient of a Moonbeam silver medal. Power Plays (Book 1 in the Jessie Mac Hockey Series) won a Moonbeam gold medal and was a finalist for the Saskatchewan Book Awards, Snow Willow Awards, and BC Young Readers Choice (Stellar) Awards.