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Authors: Matt Christopher
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help me sell more sports equipment. Where do I sign?”
Kirby showed him where, and Mr. Reilly signed with a flourish. “There! Now, let me know if there’s anything else I can do
to help.” Turning to the people walking down the street, he shouted, “Hey, everyone! Come and look at this!”
Marty gave Kirby the thumbs-up sign, along with a big smile. “Yes!” he whispered.
“Well, isn’t this something! Over one thousand signatures!” Mayor Casper Huggins rubbed a hand over his shiny bald head in
wonderment. “There are only five thousand people in all of Valemont — that’s one in five… twenty percent — my, my!”
Kirby could almost see the mayor calculating votes in the next election.
“Six hundred twenty-seven of the signatures came from us,” Lainie whispered to Kirby just loud enough for the Bad Boys, sitting
across the aisle of the town council chamber, to hear. The Bad Boys sat there and smoldered.
At the front of the room, Marty and Killer had just handed over the petition. Now, as they returned to their seats, the five
town council members gathered around and read Lainie’s statement. They nodded, impressed.
“I move we vote on this,” said one council member, taking off her glasses.
“I second the motion,” said another, raising his hand.
The vote was unanimous, and everyone in the crowd cheered. Every member of both teams was there, along with at least half
the parents. Hockey was a big issue in their families; Kirby could see that. And so could the council.
“Ahem,” Mayor Huggins said, “can we please have quiet? Thank you. Now, the council has voted in favor of the proposition.
I therefore proclaim that the parking lot be paved and temporarily put at the disposal of Valemont’s citizens, for their supervised
use — subject to the insurer’s approval, and funding, of course.” He cleared his throat again and sat down. “Anything else
before we adjourn this meeting?” he asked.
“I have a question,” Lainie got up and said. Everyone looked at her, including Kirby. “Doeswhat you just said mean that we have to pay for it ourselves?”
“Ahem,” Mayor Huggins coughed as murmuring rose in the room. “Well, yes… of course, the town budget has no provision for this.
I can’t direct town personnel to make the improvements without assuring them of payment.”
“Well, how much will it cost?” Mr. Bledsoe asked from his seat.
“Ahem, well, let’s see… somewhere in the neighborhood of five thousand dollars, plus another thousand for insurance.”
“Six thousand dollars!?” The murmur in the room became a roar, as people leapt to their feet.
“I’m willing to make a personal contribution to begin the collection of funds,” the mayor said hurriedly. Kirby was new in
town, but even he knew there was an election coming up that November, and that the mayor was running for reelection. “I pledge
five hundred dollars!” he said.
Everyone cheered. “Count me in for two-fifty!” Mr. Bledsoe shouted, to more applause. Ten minuteslater, the amount needed had shrunk to only three thousand dollars.
“We can do this,” Lainie said, turning to her teammates. “We got signatures — all we have to do is go around asking for money.
Easy!”
“Nuh-uh,” Jamal said. “Asking for money is harder. Why don’t we have a yard sale or something?”
“I could bake some things, and you could have a bake sale!” Kirby’s mom volunteered.
Kirby’s heart swelled in his chest as all the other kids thanked his mom. Kirby gave her a big hug.
“We could sell lemonade,” Jamal suggested.
“How about a car wash?” Kirby was startled to hear Killer’s voice in his ear. The big brute’s arm went around Kirby’s shoulder.
“We can do this,” Killer said, smiling at the E Street Skates.
Lainie smiled broadly. “Guys,” she said, “this is going to be a breeze!”
10
I t wasn’t a breeze. Nothing like one. It was two weeks of
Kirby showed him where, and Mr. Reilly signed with a flourish. “There! Now, let me know if there’s anything else I can do
to help.” Turning to the people walking down the street, he shouted, “Hey, everyone! Come and look at this!”
Marty gave Kirby the thumbs-up sign, along with a big smile. “Yes!” he whispered.
“Well, isn’t this something! Over one thousand signatures!” Mayor Casper Huggins rubbed a hand over his shiny bald head in
wonderment. “There are only five thousand people in all of Valemont — that’s one in five… twenty percent — my, my!”
Kirby could almost see the mayor calculating votes in the next election.
“Six hundred twenty-seven of the signatures came from us,” Lainie whispered to Kirby just loud enough for the Bad Boys, sitting
across the aisle of the town council chamber, to hear. The Bad Boys sat there and smoldered.
At the front of the room, Marty and Killer had just handed over the petition. Now, as they returned to their seats, the five
town council members gathered around and read Lainie’s statement. They nodded, impressed.
“I move we vote on this,” said one council member, taking off her glasses.
“I second the motion,” said another, raising his hand.
The vote was unanimous, and everyone in the crowd cheered. Every member of both teams was there, along with at least half
the parents. Hockey was a big issue in their families; Kirby could see that. And so could the council.
“Ahem,” Mayor Huggins said, “can we please have quiet? Thank you. Now, the council has voted in favor of the proposition.
I therefore proclaim that the parking lot be paved and temporarily put at the disposal of Valemont’s citizens, for their supervised
use — subject to the insurer’s approval, and funding, of course.” He cleared his throat again and sat down. “Anything else
before we adjourn this meeting?” he asked.
“I have a question,” Lainie got up and said. Everyone looked at her, including Kirby. “Doeswhat you just said mean that we have to pay for it ourselves?”
“Ahem,” Mayor Huggins coughed as murmuring rose in the room. “Well, yes… of course, the town budget has no provision for this.
I can’t direct town personnel to make the improvements without assuring them of payment.”
“Well, how much will it cost?” Mr. Bledsoe asked from his seat.
“Ahem, well, let’s see… somewhere in the neighborhood of five thousand dollars, plus another thousand for insurance.”
“Six thousand dollars!?” The murmur in the room became a roar, as people leapt to their feet.
“I’m willing to make a personal contribution to begin the collection of funds,” the mayor said hurriedly. Kirby was new in
town, but even he knew there was an election coming up that November, and that the mayor was running for reelection. “I pledge
five hundred dollars!” he said.
Everyone cheered. “Count me in for two-fifty!” Mr. Bledsoe shouted, to more applause. Ten minuteslater, the amount needed had shrunk to only three thousand dollars.
“We can do this,” Lainie said, turning to her teammates. “We got signatures — all we have to do is go around asking for money.
Easy!”
“Nuh-uh,” Jamal said. “Asking for money is harder. Why don’t we have a yard sale or something?”
“I could bake some things, and you could have a bake sale!” Kirby’s mom volunteered.
Kirby’s heart swelled in his chest as all the other kids thanked his mom. Kirby gave her a big hug.
“We could sell lemonade,” Jamal suggested.
“How about a car wash?” Kirby was startled to hear Killer’s voice in his ear. The big brute’s arm went around Kirby’s shoulder.
“We can do this,” Killer said, smiling at the E Street Skates.
Lainie smiled broadly. “Guys,” she said, “this is going to be a breeze!”
10
I t wasn’t a breeze. Nothing like one. It was two weeks of
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