When the practice was over, Henry handed out the light blue jerseys and gave everyone a printed schedule.
“Our first game is in a week,” Kevin announced. “We’ve got to work hard to get ready. A regular season is usually fifteen or twenty games. But this is just a mini-league, to give you a little taste of what hockey is all about. So we’ll have five games and then the final tournament at the end of the month. I’ll see you all here the day after tomorrow at six.”
After the team had skated off, Benny and Violet came onto the ice for their lesson with Kevin.
“Ready to work those legs?” Kevin asked.
Violet nodded.
“We sure are,” Benny said eagerly.
“I’ll go put all these things back,” Henry said, walking off with an armful of gloves, hats, and mittens.
“What do you think happened to the missing cones?” Jessie asked.
“Do you think they were stolen?” Benny asked, his eyes wide.
“Why would someone steal a bunch of orange cones?” asked Kevin. He smiled. “I’m sure they’ll turn up sooner or later.”
As Benny and Violet began their lesson, Jessie went to change out of her hockey gear. On the way to the locker room she passed her figure skating teacher, Tracey.
“What were you doing with all those hats and gloves on the ice?” she asked Jessie.
“We were doing a skating drill,” Jessie explained. “Coach Reynolds was going to use cones, but they disappeared.”
“They disappeared?” Tracey repeated.
“Coach said he put them in his office last night, and this morning they were gone,” Jessie said.
Tracey rolled her eyes. “He’s planning to build a whole new rink, and he can’t even keep track of some cones?” And with that remark, she walked off.
Jessie walked slowly into the locker room. Beth had a locker next to Jessie’s. “Hey, Jessie,” Beth said. “Do you remember me? I’m Beth Davidson. I was in your figure skating class last year. With Tracey Lippert.”
“Oh, yes! Hi,” Jessie said.
“Tracey was pretty upset when I told her I wasn’t going to be taking her class again,” said Beth.
“She was upset with me, too,” said Jessie.
“I love watching figure skating on TV,” said another girl on the team. “Do you guys wear those fancy costumes?”
“Sometimes, for competitions,” Jessie said. “But most of the time I just wear a regular skating dress with a sweater.” Jessie dug in her bag and pulled out her turquoise dress. “Like this one. And these are my figure skates.” She held them up. “I had to get different skates for hockey.”
Jessie noticed that Cathy Reynolds was on the other side of the locker room. She had finished dressing and was watching her closely but not saying anything. She had a strange look on her face that Jessie couldn’t figure out. Then all of a sudden Cathy packed up all her gear, swung her bag over her shoulder, and began walking quickly out of the locker room.
The other girls were crowded around, chatting about hockey and figure skating and who their favorite teams and skaters were.
“Cathy!” Jessie called. “Cathy!” She’d been looking forward to showing Cathy around Greenfield. “Are we going to The Scoop?”
Cathy stopped walking and turned around. She looked very upset. “Not now. I’ve got to go. There’s something I’ve got to take care of.” And with that, Cathy was gone.
Jessie was left watching Cathy walk away. “First Tracey, now Cathy. What’s going on today?” Jessie said to herself. She wondered what was so important that Cathy had to take care of.
Jessie sighed, then turned back to her locker and finished getting dressed. When she had packed up her things, she left the locker room with Beth Davidson.
A woman was waiting by the door. She was wearing a Scouts jersey with the number fifteen on it.
“Mom!” called Beth.
“Hi, honey! How was practice?” the woman responded.
“It was great!” said Beth. “Mom, this is my friend Jessie Alden. She’s on the team, too.”
“Nice to meet you, Jessie,” said Mrs. Davidson.
“I like your jersey!” Jessie told Beth’s mother.
“My mom has a jersey from almost every team,” Beth said. “A couple of them are actual jerseys the players wore, with their signatures on them. Our house is like a hockey museum! We have pucks signed by famous players and pictures with their autographs, all kinds of hockey stuff.”
“Sounds like you’re a big fan,” Jessie said.
“My husband and I love hockey,” said Mrs. Davidson. “We have season tickets for the Scouts. So I couldn’t believe it when I heard that Kevin Reynolds was moving back here!”
“Is that a real Kevin Reynolds jersey you’re wearing?” Jessie wanted to know.
“No, it’s just a copy. I’d do anything for a real one!” Mrs. Davidson said. “Or one of his signed sticks. Of course, they’re much too expensive.”
Jessie spotted Henry standing by the ice watching Benny and Violet as they finished their skating lesson with Kevin.
“Come meet my brothers and sister,” Jessie said. She led Beth and her mother over to the ice.
“Thanks, Mr. Reynolds,” Violet was saying as she stepped out of the rink.
“My pleasure,” he replied.
Jessie introduced the Davidsons to Kevin and her sister and brothers.
“I’m a big fan of yours,” Mrs. Davidson told Mr. Reynolds.
“Thank you,” he said warmly. “Everyone in Greenfield has been so great to me.”
Just then a thin, balding man walked over to join them. He moved gracefully, and the children noticed he was humming softly under his breath. “Hello, Kevin,” he said in a quiet voice.
“Hello, Scott,” Mr. Reynolds said, slapping him on the back. Kevin turned to the others. “Scott and I learned to skate together as kids. He runs this rink. And he’s letting me rent space here while I get my own rink started.” He turned back to his friend. “Do you know the Aldens and the Davidsons?”
“I’m Scott Kaplan. Nice to meet you,” Scott said to the group gathered around Kevin.
“This is a great place,” Benny said. “We love skating here. And the hot chocolate at the snack bar is the best.”
“I’m glad you like it,” Scott said, smiling. He turned to Kevin. “I was watching your practice. Why were all those hats and gloves on the ice?”
“Oh, that,” Kevin said. “I bought some cones to use for that drill, but they disappeared. So Henry suggested using the stuff from the lost-and-found bin.”
“I thought maybe it was some crazy Scouts drill,” Scott teased his old friend, a big smile on his face. “I remember you were always a little unusual, but I didn’t think you wanted the whole town to know that!”
“I was sitting with a man from the town council,” said Mrs. Davidson. “He—both of us, really—wondered what you were doing with all that stuff on the ice.”
“Better watch what you do, Kev,” Scott warned in a joking voice. “The council may not approve the plan for your rink.”
“Where is the new rink going to be?” Mrs. Davidson asked.
“On Overlook Road,” Kevin said. “There’s a big empty piece of land near the elementary school.”
“That’s what I’d heard,” said Mrs. Davidson.
“We live right around the corner from there!” said Beth. “Cool! I’ll be able to walk to the rink!”
Her mother did not look as happy. “I’m worried it will bring a lot of traffic and noise to our quiet little neighborhood.”
“We’ve taken that into consideration,” said Kevin. “We’ll make sure it won’t be a problem.”
Mrs. Davidson did not look convinced. “Are the plans final?”
“Just about,” Kevin said. “As a matter of fact, the architect just dropped off a set of plans this morning. They’re in my office. Would you all like to come see them?”
“Sure,” said Scott, speaking for everyone.
The Aldens exchanged looks. Mrs. Davidson sure looked unhappy about this new rink! |