by David Skuy
“No problem,” Pudge said. “You up for it, Matt?”
“Thanks, but I gotta go. I’m really late now.” He turned to Charlie. “Sorry about that. It’s a weird situation … I have to be more careful … and … I gotta go. Bye.”
He ran off down the street.
Charlie cupped his hands around his mouth. “I’ll call you later,” he yelled.
He turned to face his friends. “Does anyone have a clue what’s going on with Matt? He said he was working for a roofing company — and that he’s not going to play hockey. Jake was also saying some random stuff about Matt’s dad. Pudge, you know anything?”
Pudge didn’t answer at first. He looked uncomfortable. Then he said, “I know Matt’s job is taking up a lot of time. Maybe he wants to focus on school the rest of the time.”
“He’s the smartest kid in school as it is. He could cut his marks in half and they’d still be higher than mine,” Scott said.
Pudge was the type of guy who always seemed to have the inside story. Charlie had a feeling he knew more. “You got any info?” he persisted.
“It’s not really for me to say,” Pudge said.
“We can’t help if we don’t know,” Charlie said. “And it seems like Matt could use some help.”
Pudge nodded. “You know most of it, so you may as well get the rest of the story. My dad told me yesterday. Matt’s dad worked for the same building company for years. He’s a carpenter. The company closed down in the summer, and he hasn’t been able to find a new job. I understand the family’s hurting financially … and, well, Matt’s trying to help out.”
“So that’s why he’s working for the roofers — and that’s why there’s no time for hockey. He’s also messing up at school,” Charlie said. “Hilton kept him after class to finish his book report.”
They turned the corner onto Charlie’s street.
“Is Matt’s dad a good carpenter?” he asked Pudge.
“My dad told me he did an awesome job for him at the restaurant a few years ago,” Pudge said. “Built an entire set of cabinets in, like, two days.”
“My mom’s been saying she needs a ton of stuff for the café. I could put her in touch with Matt’s dad.”
“We should all ask around,” Pudge said. “Maybe we can drum up some business for him.”
“Good idea,” Charlie said. “Ask anyone you know — parents, relatives, friends — anything’s better than yard work for Jake!”
Pudge snapped his fingers. “Why don’t I see if I can get Matt a job at the restaurant? He’d make good money, and pick his own hours too, like only work on weekends.”
“Which would leave time for hockey and school,” Charlie said. “I definitely need to speak to Dunn about Matt. If this works, and Matt’s available to play, I’m sure he’ll give him a spot.”
“Worth a try,” Nick said.
“Gentlemen, prepare to be amazed by my blazing speed,” Scott said.
He took off towards Charlie’s house. His friends followed in hot pursuit. Charlie usually relished these little challenges, but this time he was too preoccupied by Matt’s situation to enjoy the race. Matt must be feeling humiliated. If Jake ever said anything like that about his dad, Charlie didn’t know what he’d do. And the idea of Matt not playing hockey was impossible. He had to try to help him — but was there really anything he could do?
Why were things always so complicated?
7
LINE CHANGE
“Let’s go, driver. What’s the hold-up?”
The team bus jerked forward at Dunn’s command, and slowly pulled out of the parking lot. “Listen up,” Dunn said. He stood next to the driver, facing the players. “I’m gonna call out the lineup for today’s game. After I’m done, I want you to move so you’re sitting with your linemates or defence partner.”
Charlie expected Mike to be centre on the first line, so it was no surprise to hear his name called first. Then Dunn announced Zachary and Pudge as his wingers.
Pudge elbowed Charlie. “Is this for real?” he whispered. “I figured our line would be together.”
What could he say? “Season’s just started. Probably going to try a bunch of different line combos.”
“Second line — Sean is the pivot, with Jacob and Wesley on the flanks …”
Charlie pushed back into his seat. He was on the third line — the third line!
Dunn dropped his clipboard onto his seat. “It’s about a thirty-minute drive to the Tornadoes’ rink,” he said. “I wanna hear some hockey talk. Figure out what you’re gonna do on the ice. Work out some plays. I’ll give you ten minutes, and then I’ll pull out the whiteboard for a strategy session.”
Charlie dug his fingernails into the armrest. Third line — on this team!
“Move back, Joyce.” Mike was standing in the aisle. “Pudge is on my line,” he said.
“Okay … right,” Charlie stammered. He felt as if everyone on the bus was looking at him. To make things worse, he didn’t even hear Dunn call out his line. Was he even centre? He stood to let Mike sit next to Pudge and looked out the window, pretending to see something interesting. He’d let everyone else find his seat, and then he could figure out where he was supposed to sit.
“Hey, Charlie. Over here.”
Jonathon waved and pointed at an empty seat next to him. Charlie sat down, grateful for the invitation, but still reeling from being put on the third line.
“I think we were on the white team together, for the tryout,” Charlie said. “You and me played centre. I’m Charlie Joyce.”
Jonathon shook Charlie’s hand warmly. “I know. And I feel weird that I’m supposed to be centre. You played centre on the school team, right?”
Charlie nodded.
“I was at the tournament final — awesome game. And you played great. We should’ve won.”
“Thanks. It went down to the wire. I still can’t believe how it ended.”
“The whole team was bogus!” Sean glared at Charlie from where he was sitting, a couple of rows in front. “Chelsea totally dominated us. Hilton is clueless. He made the most stupid, brain-dead cuts from the team, and it was his fault we lost. He cut me after the first tryout, and Mike too! Totally lame.”
It was on the tip of his tongue to fire back that Hilton’s mistake was even letting Sean and Mike try out. Instead, Charlie said diplomatically, “Picking a team’s tough, especially when there isn’t much time. Hilton even said that he may have made some mistakes.”
“Tell me about it,” Sean fumed. “Doesn’t matter now anyway. We need to focus on this season, and not some bogus high school tournament.” He turned around and settled back into his seat.
Jonathon rolled his eyes and nodded towards Sean. Charlie had to force himself not to laugh.
Charlie’s other linemate leaned across the aisle. “Hey, guys. I’m David Simpson. Right wing on your line.” He paused and continued in a whisper. “I was cut after the first tryout for the school team too, but I deserved it.” He started laughing, which set Charlie and Jonathon off.
Sean glared at Charlie again. “I can tell you guys are thinking about the game like Coach told us! Time to get serious. I want to win this game — big time. We need to establish our rep early. The Tornadoes finished last in the league last year. Our first two lines are totally stacked. You guys on the third line need to make sure you don’t blow it and give up cheap goals. It’ll be 5–0 before the first — that is, if you guys focus.”
“I don’t know about that,” Charlie said. “We weren’t even in the league last year, and we’ve hardly practised. Besides, for a lot of guys this is their first triple-A game. I think we’re in for a serious battle.”
“First triple-A game!” Sean said. “You and your friends are all up on yourselves because you played triple-A last year. The rest of us can play too, dude. You guys act like you invented the game.”
“That’s not it at all. I didn’t say me … I mean … what I meant was …”
&nb
sp; “Hey, Mike,” Sean called. “Joyce thinks we’re gonna lose today. Thinks we don’t have enough talent, except for him and his buddies, of course.”
“I didn’t say that. Give me a break.”
“Tell Mr. Superstar that he’s on the third line for a reason,” Mike said. “Just watch and learn, and maybe I’ll let him touch the championship trophy.”
Dunn poked his head around. “Joyce, I couldn’t help hearing what you said. I will not accept defeat. I’m a winner, and so are my teams. If you’re not that kind of player, you won’t be around for too long.”
Charlie gritted his teeth and kept quiet, staring intently at the back of the seat in front of him. He was too angry to speak. He was supposed to play with Mike and Sean? He’d rather pound them into the boards! Thankfully, Sean and Mike began a heated debate over who should be on the power play.
“Forget them,” Jonathon said quietly. “You’re twice the player either of them are, and they know it. That’s really what it’s all about.”
“He totally twisted what I said.”
“You don’t have to convince me. Both of them are out of control — especially Mike. He wasn’t that easy to deal with before this team. Now he thinks he’s in the NHL.”
“I guess we have to make the best of it,” Charlie said, glad for the sympathetic words.
“I’m under no illusions,” Jonathon said. “Me and David were talking about it before we got on the bus. I admit I’m glad to try triple-A hockey — it’ll be a learning experience — but I doubt I’ll ever be more than an average player. I consider myself lucky to even get the chance. To play with you, on the same line, is awesome. I just hope I don’t slow you down.”
Charlie knew Jonathon worked hard and was unselfish with the puck. He wasn’t the best player, but he contributed to the team.
“You’re being hard on yourself. I thought you earned a spot on the team. Besides, the first game is always the toughest. Even if our line has some problems today, things will start clicking once we play together a few times.”
“I’ll take your word for it,” he said. “By the way, I forgot, a mutual friend told me to say hi.”
“Who’s that?”
“Julia.”
Charlie flushed slightly. He hoped Jonathon hadn’t noticed. “Julia?”
“You know — Julia Chow.”
Of course he knew her. Julia was in his homeroom class. She was also a terrific athlete, and had been captain of the girls junior hockey team in the school tournament. She was a very popular girl, had lots of friends, and was smart too. They’d spoken a few times, and for some reason a few of his friends liked to pretend there was a thing between them. He knew they were only teasing. Anyway, ever since he’d seen her hanging with Jake, he’d avoided talking to her.
“Of course — Julia,” he said, as casually as he could manage. “How do you know her?”
“Next-door neighbour my whole life. She’s like a sister — we practically grew up together. Anyway, she told me to say hi.”
“Hi back, I guess.”
Jonathon grinned. “I’ll deliver the message.”
They were interrupted by Dunn telling everyone to be quiet.
“Eyes front and centre, boys. Time to get serious. I wanna go over our forechecking. We’re going to be the most aggressive team in the league, slam some bodies, force turnovers, and intimidate. That’s Hawks hockey. So listen up and learn. First line will start, with Richard and Samuel on D.”
What a contrast to Coach Hilton, Charlie thought, as he listened to Dunn drone on for the next twenty minutes. Hilton simplified the game, explaining everything so clearly that you knew exactly what to do. Dunn did the opposite. The whiteboard was soon covered in a confusing mass of lines, dots, and arrows going every which way, and Charlie had a hard time making sense of any of it. He stopped listening after five minutes — and wondered if Julia had really said hi.
8
TRIPLE-A FRAY
The referee dropped the puck. The Tornadoes centre easily won the draw to his right defenceman, who one-timed the puck across the ice to his defence partner. Zachary pressured, and the defenceman banked it off the boards.
“Be there, Mike,” Charlie said, half-aloud. Centre was supposed to cover that zone. Instead, Mike stayed in the middle. The Tornadoes left winger picked it up on the fly and headed towards the Hawks’ net.
At the blue line, the winger faked inside and swerved to the outside. Richard tried to stand him up; Charlie knew he prided himself on making big hits. The inside move caused him to lose his balance, however, and the player sidestepped the intended bone-crusher. Samuel turned to give chase, only to get tangled up with his own skates and fall. The winger was in alone. Pudge had covered his winger, and was too far away to cut him off. Simon came way out of his net — too far for Charlie’s liking. A quick move and he wouldn’t be able to get back. Which is exactly what happened.
The Tornadoes attacker faked inside, and then cut hard to his forehand. The move froze Simon. As a last resort, he threw out a poke check — and missed by a mile. That left a wide open net for a pathetically easy goal. Charlie would have laughed if it hadn’t been against his own team. The game was only ten seconds old and the Hawks looked like novices.
“No worries, Mikey,” Dunn said, clapping a few times. “Bad goal. The jitters are out. Get it back for us.”
Mike promptly lost the draw again. This time he charged wildly after the puck. Zachary stayed back — smart thinking, as it turned out, because Mike went in too fast and missed the hit. The defenceman surged into the space vacated by Mike, gained the red line, and before Zachary could stop him fired the puck into the corner. Richard lumbered after it. The left winger beat him to it, and Richard tried another massive hit. This time only the boards felt it. He fell to the ice as the Tornadoes’ forechecker gathered the puck.
Zachary and Pudge covered the pointmen. Mike was way out of position, hovering up near the blue line calling for the puck. The slot was totally exposed. The right winger saw he was uncovered, and raced to the open slot. His linemate fed him a sweet pass from the corner. Samuel dropped to his knees to block a shot that never came. The winger slipped it smartly to his centre, who one-timed it past a startled Simon.
Two goals in twenty seconds. Charlie wanted to get back on the bus.
“I think Sean was right about the score,” Jonathon said in his ear, “except it’ll be 10–0 for them.”
“What’s going on?” Charlie heard Mike yell on the ice. “This is garbage. You guys aren’t doing anything,” he said to Richard and Samuel.
Dunn kept Mike’s line out. This time the Tornadoes centre pushed the puck through Mike’s feet, slipping by to gather it up. Zachary anticipated Mike losing the draw and cut him off, flipping the puck back to Richard. He cut to the boards, expecting a return pass. Whether he was unnerved by the goals, or didn’t understand what he was supposed to do, Richard ignored Zachary and tried to carry the puck himself. The Tornadoes centre stripped him of it in one motion, and would have been in all alone if Pudge hadn’t stopped and hustled back. He lifted the player’s stick, whirled around with the puck, and fired it the length of the ice. The whistle sounded for an icing. Head down, Zachary skated to the bench and called for a change. Charlie could see Zachary was angry. Sean’s line filed out.
“Take it to them,” Charlie encouraged. “Let’s get one back, Hawks.”
Mike was furious when he sat down.
“Worst shift I’ve ever seen. Is our D actually going to stop someone? Dad, I gotta get out there. This is sad. I’m going to have to kill someone before this game’s over.”
“Put it behind you,” Dunn said. “Take a quick breather and get ready to go back out there.” He looked over at Charlie. “Third line — move down the bench. You need to sit one off until we can get this game under control.”
But there was no getting this game under control. The Tornadoes continued to dominate, the puck rarely leaving the Hawks’ end. Char
lie cringed over and over as he watched. Scott, Nick and the twins did their best on defence. Unless Zachary or Pudge was on the receiving end of their passes, however, the puck invariably bounced off a Hawks stick. Richard and Samuel were having a terrible time. The Tornadoes scorched the beleaguered pair for another two goals, one when a floater got behind them for a breakaway, and another after Samuel’s foolish clearing pass from behind the Hawks’ net ended up on a Tornadoes’ stick and in the net. The score was 6–0 when the buzzer sounded to end the second period.
Charlie had never been benched in his life, and he suffered a thousand deaths watching as the Hawks were getting slaughtered. And apart from two short shifts in the second period, the third period began like the first two — with Charlie watching. The Hawks finally got some good news two minutes in. Zachary cut across the front of the Tornadoes’ net to forecheck. A defenceman hooked Zachary with his stick and caught a piece of his arm. Zachary spun around and fell, and the referee’s arm shot up for a penalty. Mike’s line had been out since the start of the period, and Dunn had to change. Sean’s line took over.
“Line one, thirty seconds and you’re back out,” Dunn bellowed. “Gotta get a goal already.”
Jonathon elbowed Charlie. “If we ever get out again, why don’t you take the faceoff?”
“I don’t think Dunn would like that too much.”
“I’ve always been a winger. Still don’t know why you’re not centering our line. I lost both draws I took today. Besides, what’s he gonna do? Bench us? We’ve only been out for two shifts the whole game.”
He had to laugh. Jonathon was right. Dunn couldn’t exactly threaten them with less ice time.
A Tornadoes defenceman stripped Sean of the puck and fired it down the ice. Dunn smashed his clipboard on top of the boards. It broke, and he threw it to the floor.
“Shaw, get me another clipboard,” he ordered.
“Sorry, Mr. Dunn. We only have the one.”
