D2: The Mighty Ducks Novel

COACH MACKAY

     Jan wasn't wrong. After what seemed like hours of driving through a completely unfamiliar city, Marria finally pulled into the parking lot of Bel. mont High. Gordon and Jan jumped out.

     "Let me go check around the side," said Gordon. He disappeared around the corner of the school.

     "Jan, maybe you should go look on the other side," suggested Marria. He gave her a suspicious glance. "I'll wait here," she promised. Jan nodded reluctantly.

     But Team USA was nowhere to be seen. Nor, for that matter, was Marria when Gordon and Jan reappeared in front of the school yard. They were stranded

     Gordon cursed himself. He had been set up. That much was obvious. Game time was less than an hour away. Team USA was already demoralized. Without a coach they'd be . . . sitting ducks. Gordon and Jan started walking. They had to get to the rink, but they had a problem. They had no idea where it was.

Team USA sat on the bench nervously waiting for their coach to show. "The Star-Spangled Banner" had been sung. Their opponent, Team Germany, was about to take the ice. The ref skated over to the bench.

     "I'm sorry," he said. "Without a coach behind the bench, you can't play. That's all there is to it."

     "No," argued Charlie. "You can't do that. We have a coach."

     "Where?"

     "There!" said Charlie, pointing. The kids turned and glared.

     "Ms. MacKay!" shouted Charlie. "I mean . . . Coach! Coach MacKay!"

      Charlie led the confused Ms. MacKay to the bench.

     "Charlie, what are you doing?" she asked.

     "Pretend you're our coach or we forfeit the game," begged Charlie.

     "I don't know anything about coaching," Ms. MacKay replied.

     "Pretend or we're out of the tournament," insisted Charlie. He duckwalked her up to the ref.

"Here she is," Charlie said. "Here's our coach. "MeMacKay gave the ref a timid smile. He appeared unconvinced. She looked apprehensively at the kids, then at the crowd filing into the arena. She was a nervous wreck. It's now or never, she told herself, screwing up her courage.

     "What are you waiting for?" she snapped at the ref finally. "The ice to freeze? Let's play!" The kids cheered as the ref turned and skated back to center ice.

     It was game time.

     Gordon and Jan waited at a bus stop. They had been waiting an awfully long time, and Gordon was pacing furiously back and forth. A car came down the street. Gordon ran over to the curb and held out his thumb, but the car zoomed by.

     "Thanks a lot, buddy!" shouted Gordon. "You just let your country down!"

     Gordon looked at his watch. His shoulders dropped. It was game time. He walked dejectedly back to the bench.

     "That's it," Gordon said to Jan. "The game's started. I've blown it. I'm not there for them."

     "No," agreed Jan. "But you tried to be."

     "It doesn't matter," said Gordon. "I guess I didn't try hard enough. Jan, they're all I've got."

     Jan put his arm around Gordon's shoulder. "It's not over," he whispered.

      Just then their brooding was interrupted by the blaring of a car stereo. They looked up. A car was cruising slowly down the street. The kids inside the car were staring straight at Gordon and Jan.