Boxcar Children 68 - Basketball Mystery Read Free

end of her ponytail around her finger. She looked on as Tipper coached Patsy. “It’s not just you, Violet. Patsy sometimes forgets she’s on a team. Maybe Tipper will teach her more about passing the ball to other players instead of just making baskets herself.”
    A few minutes later, everyone looked up when three tall people walked down the driveway.
    “It’s Mr. Fowler, one of the referees who helps out with the teams,” Jessie said. “Oh, and our coach is with him. I didn’t know they were the basketball people coming over. I wonder who the other person is.”
    When Tipper saw the three visitors, she stared at the tall young woman in the group. Finally she stepped a little closer. “Hi, I’m . . . Oh, my goodness. I don’t believe it! You’re Courtney Post, right? Amazing! Are you one of the coaches for the neighborhood teams, too?”
    The Aldens looked on, puzzled. How did Tipper Nettleton know their coach?
    “Yes, I am,” the young woman answered without a smile. “I guess we’ll meet on the same side of the court for a change.”
    Buzz gave Tipper a gentle arm punch. “What do you know? You two old rivals meet again. But this time it’s friendly, not like when Greenfield High played Warwick. Hi, Courtney, I’m Buzz — the other Nettleton twin.”
    Courtney ignored Tipper and turned to Buzz. “Hi, Buzz. I guess they didn’t tell Tipper that she’ll be helping me coach the Fast Breakers.”
    “Listen, I couldn’t be happier, Courtney. Honest,” Tipper said. “I always admired your playing so much, even though I feared it! Nobody made me lose more sleep over games than you. I hope we’ll be friends.”
    Again Courtney ignored Tipper. What was going on? the Aldens wondered.
    Courtney introduced the other people with her. “Frank, Tom, come meet the great basketball legend Buzz Nettleton. Buzz, this is Frank Fowler. He referees some of the games. As for Tom, he coaches the Rockets, one of the neighborhood teams. When he’s not doing that, he works as a painter at the sports center. He’s finishing up the paint job before it officially opens.”
    Buzz shook both men’s hands. “Hey, I know you — Tom Hooper! Didn’t you play for Warwick a couple of years before my class at Greenfield High? And Frank, I know I’ve heard your name.”
    Before Buzz could continue, Frank Fowler said quickly, “No need to go into details. Now that we’ve all met, let’s sit down and get our plans organized. The kids in Greenfield are the big basketball stars now, not us.”
    “Yoo-hoo,” Mrs. McGregor called out from the kitchen window. “There’s coffee and muffins in here. You can bring in your paperwork and work around the kitchen table. Everything’s all set.”
    After the grown-ups went inside, Patsy Cutter began shooting baskets again. “Tipper just showed me a couple of new moves. Look how great I’m getting already!” she yelled as she made basket after basket.
    Everyone else waited for Patsy to share the ball. But she never did. Finally the other players gave up.
    “I’ll get us some juice,” Henry told everyone. “After that, let’s have a half-court game.”
    Henry went inside to fetch juice and cups from the kitchen. He noticed everyone seemed awfully quiet around the table.
    “Gee, you’d think they were talking about insurance or something boring — not basketball,” Henry told the other children when he returned. “If I were famous players like them, I’d be going over all the great old games. They don’t seem to care for one another much.”
    “Not like us, right, Henry?” Soo Lee grinned at her cousin.
    “No, not like us,” Henry agreed. “I hope Grandfather doesn’t notice that they’re not too friendly. He donated a lot of money to the sports center so people would have fun together.”
    Henry poured out juice for everyone. “My coach at school told me that when Buzz was a senior at Greenfield High, he broke Frank Fowler’s record for the most points ever made.