My name is Teresa Richwood. I play lots of sports, but soccer is my favorite. My teammates never even get angry at me when I make the whole team lose; they just smile and say, "Next time, we'll do it. Don't give up." 

  Our next soccer tournament is in April, which gives us plenty of time to practice. But, if the weather forecast is quite right, it will be raining the week of the tournament. I suspect this is a challenge; something that can tell the referee which team is more hardworking and willing to persevere.

 I mean, I'm all for teamwork and perseverance and stuff, but a whole month of practicing in the grass, slick from rain, under dark, stormy clouds and drips? That is TOO MUCH. Too much for even me to handle. But this is one of the important-inportant-and-oh-so-much-more-important soccer tournaments, and we would at least TRY to win, NOT sit in our warm homes in front of the fire sipping hot cocoa with marshmallows, being lazy. I knew Coach Livia, she would make us train even in a tornado. That's like, the only thing I don't like about Miss Livia Caralie Smith.

 I would like to scream in her face, "AAAHHH I NEED TO SLIP STOP STOP STOP MAKING US RUN IN THE RAINN!!!!!!!!!!!!" 

  As I walked back from soccer practice, I accidentally almost crashed into my house thinking about this. I scowled and used a key to open my front door. My golden retrievers, Luna and Crescent, pounced. "DOWN!" I screamed as they started licking my face. UUUGH. EEW. "I am NOT a fan of slobber," I hissed at them. My retrievers do not like giving people personal space, in... an amazingly adorable way.

 But I couldn't stop smiling as they gave me a I will not stop, stop bragging me around STOP look. I giggled and tried pushing them off my face. They finally sat back and started wagging their tails. I stood up and went into the kitchen. I spread some cheese onto some crackers for a snack and crunched into one. Crescent started giving me puppy eyes. As I stared back at her, thinking about how adorable she was, Luna snuck up behind me and grabbed the crackers. I turned around and gave her my devil stare. They turned, wagging their tails joyfully, and left.

  Luna is like the little cute devil, and Crescent is like the angel that is conspiring with the devil. I sighed and spread cheese on more crackers and went to my room, closing the door behind me. I phoned Coach Livia and told her, "Coach, the weather forecast says that it will rain the week of our soccer tournament. How are we supposed to train, let alone compete, in such weather?" "Teresa," Livia sighed. "The weather forecast is not always right, and if it IS right, the other team will have the same problem. Anyway, I hadn't thought of that. We'll train anytime, even in the pouring rain."

  Uh-oh. I knew I had done something big. My teammates would never forgive me. Actually, it was reassuring to know that they will. They're the best teammates EVER! "Okay, that is a good answer," I replied. "See you at practice, Miss Livia."

  The next day, the field was sopping wet. All of us were barefoot. Coach Livia had phoned all of us and said, "Go to tomorrow's soccer practice...barefoot! Because shoes would make us slip easily on the sopping wet grass!" Today it was POURING.