Playing Defense

Claudia Waring is sixteen and has built her life around a tidy plan that has no room for kissing, popularity, or hockey. When she is paired with Chris Winslow to tutor him, the schedule she has kept so carefully starts to slip, and she finds she doesn't mind. Chris is a practical joker and an athlete, and Claudia is certain their worlds don't overlap.

Chris's latest prank has put him in serious trouble at school. If he wants to keep his place on the team, he needs to take his grades seriously, which is a hard adjustment for a player who has always treated life lightly. He plays defense, and he has never had trouble being sure of himself, except when he is around Claudia.

Chris's real challenge is that he wants to help Claudia relax and enjoy herself. Yet every time they are together, he finds himself off balance. Claudia wonders why someone as clever as she is would fall for a boy like him.