over her shoulder. She stopped at the water fountain, set her bag down, and rested her stick on top of it. Then she bent over to get a drink.
She had just finished getting the drink when she saw a small woman with a bouncy brown ponytail and a cheery smile coming down the hall. It was Tracey Lippert, her figure skating teacher for the past five years.
“Hello, Jessie!” Tracey called out. “Are you here to start working on a new routine?”
“Actually, I’m here to play hockey,” Jessie said.
“Hockey?” Tracey repeated. “You’re joking, right?” Then she noticed Jessie’s bag with the hockey stick laid across the top and could see that it was not a joke. Suddenly Tracey’s face clouded over. “You’re playing on that mini-league team? The one Kevin Reynolds is coaching?”
Jessie nodded slowly, wondering why Tracey was upset. “Yes, I thought I’d give it a try.”
“Then when are you going to have time for your figure skating?” Tracey asked abruptly.
“You could have won a medal in the All-County Championships this year.”
“Do you really think I could have won a medal?” Jessie asked, her voice quavering. She’d never seen her teacher angry like this.
“Yes, you could have,” Tracey said. “You’re making a big mistake.” And with that she walked off, her ponytail swinging behind her.
“Wow, she certainly was upset about something,” said Violet, coming up behind Jessie.
Jessie stood stunned, looking after Tracey. “She doesn’t want me to play hockey.”
“Why not?” asked Violet.
“She says I won’t have enough time for my figure skating,” Jessie said. “But I don’t know why she was so upset.”
Violet looked thoughtfully after Tracey. “I don’t know, either,” she said. She took a sip of water from the fountain.
Jessie picked up her stick and hoisted her big bag over her shoulder.
“Want some help getting your equipment on?” Violet asked.
“Thanks.” Jessie smiled. “That would be great.” Together the two girls entered the locker room.
Jessie set her bag and stick down in front of an empty locker and began taking out her various pads and pieces of clothing. There were so many! She was used to wearing just a little dress and tights when she skated. But now she had to wear pads to protect her from being bumped by other players or hit by sticks or the puck. Over the pads, Jessie pulled on her practice jersey. She felt big and awkward. “I hope I’ll be able to move in all this stuff!” she said with a laugh.
Henry was on the ice, talking to Mr. Reynolds. Benny stood by the glass, watching. Even though it was so early, several men and women were sitting in the bleacher seats to watch the practice. Some were there to see their daughters skate. Others wanted to see Kevin, the hockey star, up close. A few were members of the town council, there to learn more about the man who intended to build the new rink.
“Coach Reynolds is about to start practice,” Benny called to Jessie.
Jessie made her way out to the end of the rink, where several girls had gathered around the coach.
A tall blond girl came up next to Jessie. “Hi, I’m Cathy Reynolds,” she said.
“You’re the coach’s daughter, aren’t you?” Jessie said with a friendly smile. “I’m Jessie Alden.”
“Yeah, that’s my dad,” Cathy said.
“Welcome to Greenfield,” said Jessie. “Where did you live before?”
“In New York City,” Cathy said. “We just moved here last week. Maybe you could show me around.”
“I’d love to,” said Jessie. “Greenfield is a great town. After practice I’ll take you to my favorite ice-cream place, The Scoop.”
“Sounds good to me,” said Cathy.
One by one, other girls emerged from the locker room with their hockey equipment. At last the whole team was assembled.
“In case you don’t know me, I’m Coach Reynolds.” His voice was loud and friendly. “The name of our team is the Polar Bears. My assistant, Henry Alden, is
She had just finished getting the drink when she saw a small woman with a bouncy brown ponytail and a cheery smile coming down the hall. It was Tracey Lippert, her figure skating teacher for the past five years.
“Hello, Jessie!” Tracey called out. “Are you here to start working on a new routine?”
“Actually, I’m here to play hockey,” Jessie said.
“Hockey?” Tracey repeated. “You’re joking, right?” Then she noticed Jessie’s bag with the hockey stick laid across the top and could see that it was not a joke. Suddenly Tracey’s face clouded over. “You’re playing on that mini-league team? The one Kevin Reynolds is coaching?”
Jessie nodded slowly, wondering why Tracey was upset. “Yes, I thought I’d give it a try.”
“Then when are you going to have time for your figure skating?” Tracey asked abruptly.
“You could have won a medal in the All-County Championships this year.”
“Do you really think I could have won a medal?” Jessie asked, her voice quavering. She’d never seen her teacher angry like this.
“Yes, you could have,” Tracey said. “You’re making a big mistake.” And with that she walked off, her ponytail swinging behind her.
“Wow, she certainly was upset about something,” said Violet, coming up behind Jessie.
Jessie stood stunned, looking after Tracey. “She doesn’t want me to play hockey.”
“Why not?” asked Violet.
“She says I won’t have enough time for my figure skating,” Jessie said. “But I don’t know why she was so upset.”
Violet looked thoughtfully after Tracey. “I don’t know, either,” she said. She took a sip of water from the fountain.
Jessie picked up her stick and hoisted her big bag over her shoulder.
“Want some help getting your equipment on?” Violet asked.
“Thanks.” Jessie smiled. “That would be great.” Together the two girls entered the locker room.
Jessie set her bag and stick down in front of an empty locker and began taking out her various pads and pieces of clothing. There were so many! She was used to wearing just a little dress and tights when she skated. But now she had to wear pads to protect her from being bumped by other players or hit by sticks or the puck. Over the pads, Jessie pulled on her practice jersey. She felt big and awkward. “I hope I’ll be able to move in all this stuff!” she said with a laugh.
Henry was on the ice, talking to Mr. Reynolds. Benny stood by the glass, watching. Even though it was so early, several men and women were sitting in the bleacher seats to watch the practice. Some were there to see their daughters skate. Others wanted to see Kevin, the hockey star, up close. A few were members of the town council, there to learn more about the man who intended to build the new rink.
“Coach Reynolds is about to start practice,” Benny called to Jessie.
Jessie made her way out to the end of the rink, where several girls had gathered around the coach.
A tall blond girl came up next to Jessie. “Hi, I’m Cathy Reynolds,” she said.
“You’re the coach’s daughter, aren’t you?” Jessie said with a friendly smile. “I’m Jessie Alden.”
“Yeah, that’s my dad,” Cathy said.
“Welcome to Greenfield,” said Jessie. “Where did you live before?”
“In New York City,” Cathy said. “We just moved here last week. Maybe you could show me around.”
“I’d love to,” said Jessie. “Greenfield is a great town. After practice I’ll take you to my favorite ice-cream place, The Scoop.”
“Sounds good to me,” said Cathy.
One by one, other girls emerged from the locker room with their hockey equipment. At last the whole team was assembled.
“In case you don’t know me, I’m Coach Reynolds.” His voice was loud and friendly. “The name of our team is the Polar Bears. My assistant, Henry Alden, is
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