Boxcar Children 68 - Basketball Mystery by Charles Tang, Gertrude Chandler Warner Page A

pants. “Now, what did I do with it?”
    “Do with what?” Jessie asked.
    “Frank’s piece of paper . . . mmm . . . let me see.” Tom emptied his pockets but found nothing. Finally he picked up a piece of paper from the floor. “Whew. It fell out of my pocket. Frank says this is very important. Sorry, I almost forgot.” He handed Tipper a paint-splattered, wrinkled note.
    Tipper read it aloud.
    Dear Tipper,
    The Blue Stars’ coach just came down with the flu. Since the Fast Breakers team has two coaches, you and Courtney, I have assigned Courtney to coach the Blue Stars until the championship game.
    Frank Fowler
    “Looks as if it’s just us Fast Breakers chickens,” Tipper told the girls.
    Violet and Jessie looked at each other. They didn’t mind this new change of plans at all. They knew one thing: Practice with Tipper alone would be a lot more fun from now on.

    All their other teammates, except one, cheered when Tipper announced that she was now the Fast Breakers’ only coach. Only Patsy Cutter seemed to mind. She loved Tipper, but she also loved having two coaches to give her lots of attention.
    All through practice Patsy followed Tipper around and begged for extra help. But that wasn’t Tipper’s way of doing things.
    “Sorry, Patsy,” Tipper repeated. “I know you want me to work with you on the power drill again, but that’s a one-player drill. Today we’re only doing team drills. Now that Courtney’s with the Blue Stars, I have to work more with our whole team.”
    “But . . . but . . .” Patsy protested. “If the really good players don’t get special drills, we might not be the best like you.”
    Tipper put her arm around Patsy’s shoulders. “Being the best player means helping the team to be the best.”
    Patsy sighed. She couldn’t help it. She wanted Tipper Nettleton to herself. But Patsy didn’t have any choice. She lined up behind the other Fast Breakers. It was time for a team drill.
    The Fast Breakers practiced for an hour. Then the lights flickered on and off. The girls stopped playing.
    “Time for the Blue Stars’ practice,” Courtney yelled across the gym. Her hand was still on the light switch. “It’s two o’clock.”
    Patsy, Violet, Jessie, and some of the other girls went over to say hello to their old coach.
    “I wish we still had two coaches,” Patsy complained to Courtney. “I need special help. We only have one coach now. I can’t work on my power drill or the wall drill.”
    “That’s the way it goes,” Courtney said, none too friendly to the Fast Breakers now. “Tell your teammates to move along. The Blue Stars have to practice now.”
    Right up to the playoffs, Courtney treated the Fast Breakers like strangers. If their practice ran over just a few seconds, she complained.
    “Don’t mind Courtney,” Tipper told the Fast Breakers. “Some coaches are tough like that. They want everyone to be afraid of their team. That’s the way Courtney’s old Warwick High School team played. We were terrified of them. In the end, they won some games, and we won some others. It’s two different ways of coaching.”
    “We like your way,” Violet said.
    Patsy Cutter wasn’t so sure. “I like your way, too, Tipper. But don’t you think it’s a good idea to build up some players the other team is afraid of?” she asked. “You know — make some of us so awesome, the other team gets nervous?”
    Tipper laughed. “Do you have anybody in mind?”
    Patsy finally laughed, too. “Well, if you change your mind, I can be pretty scary.”
    Tipper Nettleton laughed. “I don’t want scary players, just good ones like you who work as a team.”
    When the day of the championship game arrived, the Aldens were excited, but also a little nervous.
    At breakfast that morning, Violet pushed her scrambled eggs around her plate, unable to eat them. “I can’t believe we’re going to play in front of all those people,” she said. “I’m so nervous. I almost wish Patsy