At nine o’clock the next morning, the Alden children and the Nettleton twins were sound asleep.
However, Watch was not sound asleep, not at all. He was wide-awake and scratching at Jessie’s bedroom door. He had heard Grandfather Alden out in the hallway. He wanted to be up and about, too.
Mr. Alden heard the whimpering and scratching. He slowly opened Jessie’s door. Watch scooted out and ran downstairs.
“I’m going out shopping today,” Mrs. McGregor told Mr. Alden when he followed Watch into the kitchen.
Mr. Alden took Watch’s leash from the hook on the back door. “Have a good time, Mrs. McGregor. I’m glad all the young people are sleeping late for a change. This basketball fever is wearing them out. As for the twins — they’ve been on the go since they arrived. Henry said they don’t have any practices or appointments until this afternoon.”
Mrs. McGregor put on her hat. “Last night, Buzz and Tipper told me not to make breakfast,” she told Mr. Alden. “They said they were going to sleep late, then surprise the children with breakfast at the diner.”
Mr. Alden smiled. “That’s just the kind of surprise my grandchildren like.”
Nearly all of Greenfield seemed to be enjoying breakfast at the Starlight Diner when the Aldens and the Nettleton twins arrived.
“Hello, Aldens!” the waitress said. “I recognize you two,” she told the twins. “I saw your picture in the paper last night. Welcome back to Greenfield.”
“Thanks,” Buzz said. “It’s good to be back. Especially here. Our whole team used to come to the Starlight Diner for your famous burgers after basketball games. I hope you have room today. It’s pretty crowded in here.”
The waitress picked up an armful of menus. She waved everyone over to the back. “You just got lucky. A group of construction workers just left. The big booth in the corner is free.”
Benny looked up at Buzz. “It’s not really free,” he whispered. “You still have to pay.”
Buzz laughed. “Good one, Benny. Well, I’m glad we don’t have practice until later, you guys. It felt good to get a couple extra winks of sleep for a change.”
Soo Lee thought about this. “I don’t wink when I sleep. I shut my eyes all night.”
Tipper squeezed the little girl’s hand. “I don’t wink when I sleep, either, Soo Lee.”
Everyone slid into the big booth and picked up a menu.
Benny didn’t have to read it. “I already know what I want,” he announced.
“Let me guess,” Buzz said. “Liver and onions, right?”
“No way!” Benny cried. “Waffles with big holes to pour the syrup in. That’s what I’m having.”
That’s what everyone in the booth was having. The Starlight Diner was famous for its waffles.
“Well, dig in!” Buzz said when the waitress set the plates down a few minutes later.
The booth was quiet while everyone ate their delicious waffles. But no one could finish them. In a short time, the children put down their forks.
“Our eyes are bigger than our stomachs,” Tipper said.
“I was hungry. But even I can’t finish these giant waffles,” Buzz said. “We won’t be able to play basketball if we’re too full. Right, Henry?”
“Right!” Henry answered. “We’ll be doing a lot of running and jumping. It’s better not to eat too much. The other players can’t wait to meet you. They keep saying how lucky I am to have my own private coach.”
Buzz set down his glass of orange juice. “I wish that were true. Tipper and I haven’t helped any of you Aldens much for the last few days. I’m not so sure I like being famous anymore. All these appointments and appearances sure get in the way of basketball.”
“I know,” Tipper agreed. “I’m getting forgetful, we’re so busy running around. I forgot the key to the gym storage room yesterday. I’d rather play basketball than be on television.”
“You would?” Benny said. “I thought you liked being on television.”
“Not as much as I like coaching the team,” Tipper told the Aldens.
“Same here,” Buzz said. “That’s really why I came back to Greenfield, not to have my picture taken all the time.” Buzz checked his watch. “We’d better get on the move. How about dropping off Henry and me at the sports center? It’s almost time for my first practice with the Blazers. I don’t want to keep them waiting.”
When Tipper drove up to the sports center, Henry noticed how empty the place looked. “No one seems to be around. I’ll run in and check if anyone from the team is here yet.”
By the time Buzz unloaded the car, Henry was back. “The doors are locked. Do you have a key?”
“Oh, no, not missing keys again!” Tipper said with a groan.
Buzz jingled something in his pocket. “Right here. Frank Fowler gave me a set yesterday. Let’s check around. It’s not noon yet. We’re a little early. Why don’t you kids get out and shoot a few baskets until the rest of the Blazers get here.”
The Aldens followed Buzz and Tipper.
Buzz put his key in the lobby door. “Tada! See, I brought my keys, not like some people I’m related to.”
Tipper didn’t like hearing this. “Don’t tease me about that, Buzz. I feel awful that I let down the girls.”
Violet slipped her hand into Tipper’s. “You didn’t let us down. We had fun. I learned a lot — how to guard people and how to always be in the ready position. We didn’t need a basketball. We just needed you.”
Inside the sports center, a few workmen were painting on finishing touches.
“Hey, there, guys,” Tom Hooper said when he saw the twins walk in with the Aldens.
Buzz gave Tom a big grin. “Good to see you again, Tom. I’m here to coach the Blazers this afternoon so we can beat those fearsome Rockets of yours.”
Tom pointed to the hall clock with his paintbrush. “You sure you have afternoon practice, Buzz? The Blazers were all here around ten o’clock this morning looking for you. I couldn’t let them into the gym. So they all kind of straggled off.”
“What do you mean, Tom?” Buzz reached into his back pocket. He pulled out a piece of paper and unfolded it. “Here’s the schedule Frank gave me a couple of days ago,” he told Tom. “Doesn’t that say noon?”
“Sorry, I’m not too good at figuring out schedules and such,” Tom said. “I just show up when somebody tells me to.”
Tipper looked over Buzz’s shoulder. “It does say noon,” she agreed when she read the schedule. “I wonder why the team came early. Maybe you can call up some of the boys and ask them to come back, Buzz.”
“Sorry, that won’t work out,” Tom said. “After you didn’t show up, the other painters decided to do some touch-up work in the gym. The paint won’t be dry for a few more hours. And tonight’s no good, either. That’s when I’m supposed to coach the Rockets in the gym. At least, I think that’s what’s on my schedule, if I can ever find it!”
Buzz looked upset. He checked the clock, then his schedule again. “I can’t figure out what happened here. I planned all my appointments around this piece of paper.”
“Try the outdoor court in back,” Tom said. “Some of the boys had a basketball with them. A few of them decided to wait for you out there. That was awhile ago, though. I don’t know if they’re still there.”
When the Aldens and twins got outside, Henry mentioned something he had been thinking about. “Tom doesn’t ever seem to know what’s going on. Wouldn’t he have a copy of the same schedule as yours?”
“I noticed the same thing,” Buzz answered. “Courtney and Frank seem to organize everything. Maybe Tom’s too busy getting the sports center ready to keep his mind on the plans.”
As Henry neared the outdoor court, he recognized a few boys sitting on a bench nearby. One boy sat there bouncing a basketball slowly, over and over. The two other boys looked up when Buzz, Tipper, and the Aldens arrived. The boys just sat there and didn’t say a word.
“Hi!” Buzz said. “I’m Buzz Nettleton, one of your coaches. I think there was some mix-up about our practice.”
The boy with the basketball stopped bouncing. “Yeah, there was a mix-up, all right. We have a schedule saying to meet for practice at ten o’clock. My dad dropped me off here early and everything. I even brought my new basketball for you to sign.”
“Sure thing,” Buzz said. He reached into his pocket for a pen.
The boy looked at Buzz. He began bouncing the ball again. “Never mind.”
Buzz didn’t know what to say. “Listen, guys, I have to apologize. I guess the schedules were changed and nobody told you. But that doesn’t mean we can’t practice out here right now. How about it?”
A car horn blew before the boys could answer.
“Our ride is here,” one of the boys said. “Besides, we already practiced. We got a whole lot of practice just sitting around waiting for you to show up.”
“I don’t blame the guys,” Buzz said after the car drove away. “Somebody gave us the wrong schedules. I don’t know if it was theirs or mine, but I plan to find out.” |