Undergrounders (17 page)

This time he stopped it and wound up. I spotted a lane to the net and went for it just as the shot came in. A Red Wings winger tried to slow me down but I was like a madman. Derrick was pounding with a defenceman on the other side and Jacob, who was usually a wimp, was bulling his way to the net.

The puck whistled past me and hit the goalie in the
chest. He dropped to the butterfly to try and freeze the puck, only Jacob dove and knocked it free. It dribbled toward me and for a second I thought I could jam it in the short side but a defenceman dropped to his knees and I had nothing to shoot at.

“Jonathon. Back!”

That sounded like Peter. I whirled with the puck on my forehand and there he was all by himself at the top of the circle. Great players help their teammates score — that’s what Malcolm said — so I slid the puck back, not too hard, so he wouldn’t miss. And he didn’t. He reared back and blasted it over the goalie’s shoulder and into the net. Peter actually scored — his first goal since I’d joined the team. Another miracle.

We all huddled to celebrate. Everyone was screaming and high-fiving. It was totally mental. I snuck a peek at the clock — twenty seconds. There was still time. We lined up, and Derrick won the draw. Peter passed to Rasheed who one-timed it into their end. I’d never skated so hard in my entire life. The Red Wings defenceman had it on his forehand. I was two metres away. If I could just knock it away we had a chance.

But the defenceman had other ideas. He wristed the puck way high. It flew over everyone and bounced at the red line and dribbled toward our net.

Collin raced back for it, but the Red Wings forecheckers were all over him, and then the buzzer sounded to end the game. I almost couldn’t understand. We’d lost; and the series was over; and so was the season.

No more miracles.

Next thing I felt an arm around my neck.

“Nice game, Jonathon,” Rasheed said.

He didn’t look happy, but he didn’t look like he was going to cry, either.

“Unbelievable pass,” Peter said to me. “Tough one. We just ran out of time. We could have beaten these guys.”

“Next year for sure,” Collin said, tapping everyone’s shin pads with his stick. “We keep this team together, we can do it.”

I wondered if that included me.

I waited for Rasheed and Collin to pile out of the van.

“You guys head in,” Rick told them. “Give me a sec with Jonathon.”

“Sure, Rick,” Collin said, and they went into Johnny’s. I could see a few of the other Rangers through the window, already in there.

Rick turned around in his chair to face me. “You can head on in also,” he said to Alisha.

She shook her head. “I’ll wait.”

“I need to speak to Jonathon in private, Alisha.”

“I’m okay,” she said, arms crossed. “Besides, I don’t want to go in with a bunch of dumb boys.”

“Alisha, please!”

“I don’t mind,” I jumped in. I really didn’t. I liked the idea of her staying.

“Well, this affects her too, so why not? Jonathon, Cynthia met with a woman from Child and Family Services — think of her as a social worker.”

My throat went dry suddenly.

“A few options were discussed. Certainly, you need a safe and secure environment in which to grow up, and you need to go back to school. We also believe that playing hockey is important, not only because you’re a great player, but also because it gives you a chance to
meet other boys and keep fit.

“Cynthia reviewed some possible foster homes. Some were too far from the city, others had older kids, and I think one had little ones.”

I could tell he was beating around the bush. He didn’t want to tell me. I looked over at Alisha. I was really going to miss her — and Rasheed — and all the Rangers.

“Anyway, to get right to it, Cynthia and I want you to give this some thought: we believe that the best place for you right now is with us. We have the extra bedroom, and you and Rasheed and Alisha seem to get along well, and we would like to do it. And, well, what I mean is, we want to be your foster parents — that is, if you are comfortable with the idea.”

My brain had trouble taking it in. What did he want with me? How was this possible? I mean — what exactly was he getting at? Rick was obviously waiting for me to say something.

“Please say yes, Jonathon,” Alisha said. “It’s perfect. Why go somewhere else when you belong right here?”

I wanted to talk, only I couldn’t. It was as if the words wouldn’t hop over my teeth, and then if you can believe it a few tears leaked out of my eyes. I knew I was acting dumb, and I was lucky Rasheed and Collin weren’t here. I wiped them away double quick with my sleeve, although actually it was Rasheed’s since he lent me this shirt.

The silence was getting real awkward. Alisha was looking at me with those big eyes, and Rick just sat
there the way adults do when they want you to talk to them, and be honest, and all that kind of emotional Reggie stuff. That made me think. When did I stop being a Reggie? And why was I still thinking like an Undergrounder?

All the street kids told me you couldn’t trust a Reggie, especially Lewis. Maybe that was true about some of them. But it couldn’t be true about all of them. I knew now that Lewis was wrong about a lot of things, and maybe that included Reggies.

I guess I just could not believe Alisha was lying. It was impossible, or at least I didn’t want to think it was possible. And I guess I really wanted to believe Rick and Cynthia were being honest too. Was this really happening? It was like every Undergrounder’s dream, to have a house to live in, and food, and a bed. And Rick was offering it to me. So what was my problem?

I was going to have to give them some sort of answer.

“We could do it for a few days … or a week … whatever. I don’t mind, I guess … until it’s a problem … or you find somewhere else …”

All of a sudden I lost my train of thought. I was getting lamer by the second.

Rick had this weird smile on his face, not a laughing smile but one that seemed serious. It was weird and nice at the same time. Alisha had the same smile. I had no idea how my face looked — probably goofy.

“Cynthia thought it would be best if we all agreed that you would stay with us for six months,” Rick said.
“She feels, as I do, that it would be better for you to stay in one place, in our home, for a solid chunk of time. If things don’t work out, we can look at other options, other places to stay. It’s up to you. But I would really like you to say yes.”

“Jonathon!” Alisha pleaded. “This is silly. Could you just say yes so we can eat?”

Six months? It wasn’t that long really. I could always leave if I wanted. He said there were other places. And I would really have trouble saying goodbye to that bed …

I decided not to make a big deal of it. “If you think it’s a good idea, I guess I will. Thanks, I guess. I mean, it’s nice of you … you don’t have to … but if you want to, then … Okay. I’ll try it.”

Rick nodded. “I’ll take that as a yes. Welcome to our home. Now let’s eat.”

We all got out and went into Johnny’s.

“Do you want the usual?” Rick asked me.

He really was in a weird mood because I had only been here once, so how could I have a usual? But since he was being so nice about the foster parent thing I said, “Sure.”

“Yo, Jonathon, come on over.” Collin was standing at a table waving at me. He was with Rasheed, Derrick, Jacob and Peter.

“Go ahead,” Alisha said. “I’ll wait with my dad.”

I went over and sat next to Derrick.

“We were talking about next year,” Collin said. “You’re going to play with us, right?” he asked me.

Rick had said he wanted me to play hockey; he
could only have meant with the Rangers. “I’d like to — if there’s a spot.”

They roared so loud I thought the owner would kick us out. “We’ll see if we can squeeze you into the lineup,” Collin said.

“Have you figured out where you’re going to stay?” Derrick asked suddenly, and all the boys stopped laughing.

I felt my face get all hot. “I think I might be going to stay with Rasheed, I mean, with Rasheed’s family.”

“Did you give it the okay?” Rasheed asked me.

I nodded.

“How awesome is that?” Rasheed said. “Jonathon is going to stay with us. It’ll be like having the brother I’ve always wanted, and I won’t have to put up with an irritating sister by myself.”

“She’s not irritating,” I began.

They made a big deal about that and whooped it up and joked about me and Alisha beating up on Rasheed.

The guys started to talk about the season, and Rasheed told the story of playing shinny with me that first time, and how he got the idea of asking me to join the Rangers. Then they made me tell the story about the drunks and the sleeping bag, and everyone laughed their heads off. Reggies sure think that story is funny.

Lou and Rick carried over a couple of trays and laid them on our table.

“Go for it, animals,” Lou said.

The smell of the food hit me, and for the first time
in ages I didn’t get dizzy and my mouth didn’t start watering like a river. I was hungry, sure — but not like before. I let the others go first and then grabbed my burger.

“This is yours too,” Rasheed said, giving me another one. “Gotta do the double double.”

I tore into the first burger. We all got quiet as we started eating. I guess I wasn’t the only hungry kid. I munched away, looking out the window to watch the snow fall. It was getting kind of heavy, almost like a storm. I would sure hate to be outside tonight.

I raised my eyes to the ceiling and imagined my mom looking down.

I’m okay, Mom, I thought. I think things will be better now.

David Skuy spent most of his childhood playing one sport or another — hockey, soccer, football, rugby. When he wasn’t playing sports, he was reading books about them. Now he is a writer and lawyer who lives in Toronto, Ontario, with his wife and two kids. He still plays hockey once a week and remains a diehard Maple Leafs fan.

He began writing books for young readers to try to capture the competition, the challenges, the friendships and the rivalries that make sports so much fun.

The Game Time series

Off the Crossbar

Rebel Power Play

Making the Cut

Overtime

Double Shift