Read the selection and choose the best answer to each question.
1 Gripping my skateboard so hard my fingers ached, I whispered to myself, “You can do this,” and headed to the door. The grip tape’s sandpapery sensation was comforting despite its roughness.
2 “Do what, Sofia?” came my grandfather’s voice from behind me, causing me to jump. “I’m guessing it has to do with that skateboard you’re clutching like a lifeline,” he said.
3 Saturdays were always skate days for me, but today was different. “I’m entering a contest today,” I explained, bending down to retie my shoe. Everything needed to be perfect. “I’ve never qualified for the solo run after the jam session, but I’m going to push myself today to win the main prize.”
4 OK, so it wasn’t really about the prize at all. A pro-level board would be awesome, but actually, it was about feeling like I belonged there. None of the serious skaters gave me a hard time or anything, but I wanted to prove what I knew in my heart: that I was one of them.
5 “Well, then, maybe this will help,” Grandpa said, pulling a coin out of his pocket.
6 “Oh, the contest is free,” I hastened to add, not mentioning that a penny didn’t buy anything these days anyway.
7 He laughed and said, “This is my lucky penny, so take it and go catch some air or whatever you kids say.”
8 Giving him a hug, I took the offered penny and tucked it into my pocket, not for luck but as a symbol of my grandpa’s steady support.
9 The park was always busy on Saturdays, but today it was packed, with tons of bystanders in the skate park area. I ignored a couple of the older kids who nudged each other when, with shaking hands, I signed up for the contest. The jam session, the five minutes we had as a group to show our stuff and qualify for the solo run, was starting soon.
10 I warmed up, keeping my composure by focusing on the familiar rumbling of the wheels, the clack of the decks hitting the ledges and rails, the satisfying thud as people landed their tricks. I started off with a simple ollie, the basic trick of beginners, but quickly scaled up—ollies wouldn’t be enough to qualify, not here, not with these guys jumping the five stairs with no problem. Sometimes they fell, but it was no big deal, since every skater had to learn to fall safely. However, NO ONE wanted to fall in front of the judges. That’s why I had always played it safe in contests instead of trying new tricks, but today would be different.
11 As my jam session was called, my heart raced faster than our wheels as everyone took off aggressively. I kept my eyes peeled for openings to use the rail and did a nice slide, landing solidly. The next two minutes flew by, and when they announced the qualifiers, I heard my name called. Stunned, I accepted a few unexpected congratulations from skaters who didn’t usually talk to me at the park.
12 Waiting for my solo run, I stuffed my hands in my pockets, and my fingers brushed the penny. The penny—my stomach did a slow somersault. Maybe that’s why I’d qualified . . . but no. That was silly, wasn’t it? Maybe, but it didn’t stop me from being glad I had the penny.
13 A solo run is different from a jam session because all eyes are on you, with no way to hide a mistake in a crowd. When it was my turn, I felt like I might throw up, but I dropped my board with mock gusto and took off.
14 Did you ever dance to a song and the moves just came to you, flowing through you like the music was dancing you? That’s how this solo run felt: magical. I slid across the rail like a pro, landing with a solid thud that reverberated up my legs. After a few more comfortable tricks, I narrowed my eyes, angling for the five stairs. I’d only done the five stairs a few times before, but today—today I felt like I could do anything. I leaped over the stairs, doing a flip-kick on the way, and the shouts from the crowd felt like confetti.
15 And when I was done, my chest heaving, I stood tall, walking into the crowd of contestants like I belonged there, because I finally felt like I did. When they announced the winners and I earned third place, it felt like first.
16 “Nice work,” the first-place winner said with a nod.
17 His name was Todd, and he was a regular at the skate park, with an awesome repertoire of tricks.
18 Surprised, I nodded. “I was feeling lucky today,” I replied. I reached for the comfort of the coin I wanted to keep with me always now, but the penny was gone. Breathless, I turned my pocket inside out.
19 “Looking for this?” Todd asked, holding out his hand. In his palm was Grandpa’s penny. “It fell out before you started, so I thought you might want it back.”
20 I nodded and took the coin, laughing a little bit. “Whew. What a relief.” It was then that I realized I had won third place in the solo run truly on my own.
21 Todd looked at me and, squinting into the sun, said, “You don’t need luck, you know. You practice a lot and have a ton of natural talent. You’ll be doing six steps in no time. See you next Saturday?”
22 For the first time that day, my heart beat with joy rather than fear. “Yeah, I’ll be here.”