Read Online Boxcar Children 68 - Basketball Mystery by Charles Tang, Gertrude Chandler Warner - Free Book Online
Authors: Charles Tang, Gertrude Chandler Warner
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moved our bags somewhere else.”
The girls split up. They raced through the dark halls. Most of the rooms and closets were locked.
When Violet and Jessie met Tipper in the lobby again, they were all empty-handed.
“All I can guess is that Tom or Frank took our duffel bags to the high school gym earlier,” Tipper said, checking her watch again. “Let’s keep our fingers crossed. We’d better get a move on. The game starts in about forty-five minutes.”
CHAPTER 9
Go Team!
A s she drove along, Tipper kept to the speed limit, but Jessie could see she was gripping the wheel. “I should have searched the office for a note or something,” Tipper told the girls. “If Tom or Frank took our bags, they probably left a note.”
“Maybe Mr. Fowler would, but Tom is so forgetful, I don’t think he would remember to do that,” Jessie pointed out.
When Tipper and the Aldens arrived at the Greenfield High School gym, they were disappointed. Frank had only delivered the Blue Stars’ bags. The Fast Breakers’ bags were nowhere to be seen, and the game was starting very soon.
“Finally!” Patsy Cutter said with relief when she saw Tipper and the Aldens. “The whole team was wondering where you guys were. They’re in the locker room waiting for their uniforms and basketball sneakers. The Blue Stars are already out on the court warming up. What happened, anyway?”
“I’ll tell you in a minute,” Tipper said. “Ask the girls to meet me in the hallway outside the gym, okay? I need to speak to everyone without the Blue Stars around.”
“There’s not enough time,” Patsy said. “We have to change.”
Tipper took a deep breath. “I just need five minutes, Patsy. Please bring the team out to the hallway.”
When Patsy passed back through the gym with the girls, Courtney and the Blue Stars were already warming up. They stared at the Fast Breakers. Why were they still in their street clothes? Weren’t they going to warm up before the big game?
Tipper stood in front of her team in the hallway. “There’s been a mix-up with the uniforms and sneakers,” she began. “We’re just waiting for Tom to show up. I’m counting on him to get here any minute.”
“Are we going to forfeit the game?” Patsy asked. “We can’t play without our uniforms or basketball sneakers. What’s going on?”
Tipper shook her head. “I don’t know. Sometimes I feel as if someone is making these mix-ups happen.”
At that moment, Courtney came out. “It’s less than half an hour to game time.”
“We know, we know,” Patsy said miserably to her old coach.
“Never mind us, Courtney,” Tipper said. “We’ll be there.” Tipper Nettleton wasn’t about to let this upset her girls. “Now listen. Remember the drills we did? I want you to take a couple of basketballs, then go to the outside court and warm up. Patsy and Jessie will coach you. The second the bags get here, zoom into the locker room, change, and get ready to play. We’re going to win, right?”
There was a long pause.
“Right!” Jessie and Violet shouted.
“Right!” the others finally joined in as they followed Patsy and the Aldens outside.
Inside the gym, the bleachers were packed. Buzz and the Aldens noticed that only the Blue Stars were out on the court.
“Where are the Fast Breakers?” Henry asked Buzz.
“I’m going to find out,” Buzz said. “Something’s wrong. Tipper knows how important the warm-up is. Her players will be tense for the game if they don’t practice first.”
“I’ll come with you,” Henry said.
They found Tipper by a pay phone in the hallway. She was waiting nervously for a woman to finish a call. “Buzz, Henry — thank goodness you’re both here. We may have to forfeit the game. The duffel bags with our uniforms and sneakers haven’t arrived. Did either one of you see them the last time you were at the sports center?”
Henry’s mouth dropped. “The team doesn’t have its uniforms?”
“Oh, no!
The girls split up. They raced through the dark halls. Most of the rooms and closets were locked.
When Violet and Jessie met Tipper in the lobby again, they were all empty-handed.
“All I can guess is that Tom or Frank took our duffel bags to the high school gym earlier,” Tipper said, checking her watch again. “Let’s keep our fingers crossed. We’d better get a move on. The game starts in about forty-five minutes.”
CHAPTER 9
Go Team!
A s she drove along, Tipper kept to the speed limit, but Jessie could see she was gripping the wheel. “I should have searched the office for a note or something,” Tipper told the girls. “If Tom or Frank took our bags, they probably left a note.”
“Maybe Mr. Fowler would, but Tom is so forgetful, I don’t think he would remember to do that,” Jessie pointed out.
When Tipper and the Aldens arrived at the Greenfield High School gym, they were disappointed. Frank had only delivered the Blue Stars’ bags. The Fast Breakers’ bags were nowhere to be seen, and the game was starting very soon.
“Finally!” Patsy Cutter said with relief when she saw Tipper and the Aldens. “The whole team was wondering where you guys were. They’re in the locker room waiting for their uniforms and basketball sneakers. The Blue Stars are already out on the court warming up. What happened, anyway?”
“I’ll tell you in a minute,” Tipper said. “Ask the girls to meet me in the hallway outside the gym, okay? I need to speak to everyone without the Blue Stars around.”
“There’s not enough time,” Patsy said. “We have to change.”
Tipper took a deep breath. “I just need five minutes, Patsy. Please bring the team out to the hallway.”
When Patsy passed back through the gym with the girls, Courtney and the Blue Stars were already warming up. They stared at the Fast Breakers. Why were they still in their street clothes? Weren’t they going to warm up before the big game?
Tipper stood in front of her team in the hallway. “There’s been a mix-up with the uniforms and sneakers,” she began. “We’re just waiting for Tom to show up. I’m counting on him to get here any minute.”
“Are we going to forfeit the game?” Patsy asked. “We can’t play without our uniforms or basketball sneakers. What’s going on?”
Tipper shook her head. “I don’t know. Sometimes I feel as if someone is making these mix-ups happen.”
At that moment, Courtney came out. “It’s less than half an hour to game time.”
“We know, we know,” Patsy said miserably to her old coach.
“Never mind us, Courtney,” Tipper said. “We’ll be there.” Tipper Nettleton wasn’t about to let this upset her girls. “Now listen. Remember the drills we did? I want you to take a couple of basketballs, then go to the outside court and warm up. Patsy and Jessie will coach you. The second the bags get here, zoom into the locker room, change, and get ready to play. We’re going to win, right?”
There was a long pause.
“Right!” Jessie and Violet shouted.
“Right!” the others finally joined in as they followed Patsy and the Aldens outside.
Inside the gym, the bleachers were packed. Buzz and the Aldens noticed that only the Blue Stars were out on the court.
“Where are the Fast Breakers?” Henry asked Buzz.
“I’m going to find out,” Buzz said. “Something’s wrong. Tipper knows how important the warm-up is. Her players will be tense for the game if they don’t practice first.”
“I’ll come with you,” Henry said.
They found Tipper by a pay phone in the hallway. She was waiting nervously for a woman to finish a call. “Buzz, Henry — thank goodness you’re both here. We may have to forfeit the game. The duffel bags with our uniforms and sneakers haven’t arrived. Did either one of you see them the last time you were at the sports center?”
Henry’s mouth dropped. “The team doesn’t have its uniforms?”
“Oh, no!
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