Timberwolf Revenge (4 page)

The Timberwolves were ahead five to three!

Time ran out for the Calgary Cougars. The Timberwolves had won the tournament!

In the dressing room after the game, the players were very excited. There was a lot of noise and backslapping. Everyone was talking about the big plays that had won the game.

Johnny dressed quickly. He didn't seem to be as excited as his teammates. He looked around the room and saw that no one was watching him. He stepped outside and ran down the hallway. He opened the door that led outside.

He reached into the snow and pulled out a plastic bag that he had hidden there before the game.

Hah,
Johnny thought.
This will get Tom back.

The bus ride from Calgary to Howling took about two hours. By the time they were getting close to home, the boys were tired of celebrating their win. The bus had been quiet for about ten minutes.

“Hey, does anybody smell anything weird?” Tom said. He'd been sleeping for the past half hour.

“Yes, I do smell something,” Johnny said.

The other players all looked away so that Tom could not see them smile. Johnny had told all of them about his latest trick.

“What do you smell?” Tom asked.

“I smell a winning team!” said Johnny Maverick.

All the other players laughed.

“No,” Tom said. He sniffed the air. “It stinks! It smells like fish.”

“You must be imagining things,” Johnny said. “Why would there be fish in a hockey bus?”

Tom sniffed the air again. “This is very strange.”

He closed his eyes again and tried to go back to sleep.

“See?” Johnny whispered to Stu. “Nothing went wrong. And I still have my Ian James hockey stick.”

“Just wait,” Stu said. “Revenge is never a good idea.”

Tom sat up again. He sniffed the air.

“Guys,” he said. “I'm telling you. I smell fish.”

This was too much for the other players. They all began to laugh.

“What?” Tom said. “What?”

“Remember the loonies and toonies you took from my coat pocket and dropped in the toilet?” Johnny asked him.

“Yes.”

“Well, I put something back in your pocket.”

Tom reached into his coat pocket. He pulled his hands out very quickly.

Everyone laughed again.

Tom smelled his fingers. “Fish? In my pocket?”

“Sardines!” Johnny said. “I bought them before the game. They were frozen at the start of the trip. But they thawed out just like I planned.” All the other players laughed. Even Coach Smith. Coach Smith was in a good mood because the team had won.

“Very, very funny,” Tom said. “But you'd better watch out. There is still time for me to do something to your Ian James hockey stick.”

“Not a chance,” Johnny said. “I'm not going to let it out of my sight. Besides, look ahead. There are the lights of Howling now. We're almost home. What could you possibly do now?”

When the bus stopped at the rink, Johnny looked out the window. He could see all of the parents were waiting under the lights. Coach Smith had phoned ahead to let everyone know that the Howling Timberwolves had won the tournament. Even Mayor Thorpe was there.

The players stepped off the bus. Johnny, of course, was still holding his Ian James hockey stick.

“Hah,” Johnny said to Tom. “I told you. It's too late to get even now.”

Before Tom could say anything back to Johnny, Coach Smith spoke to the whole team.

“Line up, guys,” Coach Smith said. “Mayor Thorpe wants to give each of you a town pin for winning the trophy.”

Johnny lined up with the rest of the players. Tom stood beside Johnny. Johnny was the only player holding a hockey stick. He was not going to let go of it. He was still afraid that Tom might try something.

One by one, Mayor Thorpe shook hands with each player and gave each a pin.

When Mayor Thorpe reached Johnny, he gave him a pin and shook his hand.

“Good job,” Mayor Thorpe said. “I heard that you scored three goals in three shifts against the son of Ian James.”

“Yes,” Johnny said. “ He even came into our dressing room after the game.”

“I heard that too,” Mayor Thorpe said. “And I heard he gave you a stick that is signed by all the Calgary Flames.”

“Yes,” Johnny said. “This is it.”

“May I look at the stick?” Mayor Thorpe asked.

Johnny gave him the stick.

“This is wonderful,” Mayor Thorpe said. “Imagine, a stick signed by all the Calgary Flames. If I had something like that, I would hang it in my office.”

“Mayor Thorpe?” Tom spoke up from beside Johnny. “I think you will be very happy.”

“Why?” Mayor Thorpe asked.

“Well,” Tom said, “on the bus Johnny and I were talking about you and what a good job you do as mayor in our town.”

“Thank you,” Mayor Thorpe said.

“You're welcome,” Tom said. “You will be very happy to know that Johnny told me he wanted to give you that stick for you to hang in your office.”

Before Johnny could say anything, the Mayor shouted to all the parents.

“Look at this!” Mayor Thorpe said. He held up the Ian James hockey stick for everyone to look at. “Johnny Maverick gave me the Ian James hockey stick to hang up in my office!”

All the parents clapped. All of the hockey players started laughing.

Mayor Thorpe shook Johnny's hand. “Thank you! Thank you!” Mayor Thorpe said. “This is the best thing I can imagine!”

Mayor Thorpe walked away. He brought the stick over to the other parents so they could look at it.

“I can't believe it,” Johnny Maverick said to Tom. “I can't believe it. My stick. It's gone.”

All of the other players were still laughing.

Stu looked at Johnny.

“I have four words for you,” Stu said.

“What?” Johnny said.

“I told you so.”

“You're right,” Johnny told Stu.

“Don't worry,” Tom said. “Tomorrow I'll go to Mayor Thorpe's office and tell him I played a trick on you. I'm sure he will understand. You'll get your stick back then.”

“No,” Johnny said. “He should keep it. That way I'll never forget that Stu was right. Revenge is never a good idea!”

“Getting even isn't a good idea either,” Tom said.

Johnny stuck out his hand.

“Truce?” Johnny asked.

“Truce,” Tom said. They shook hands. “So I better tell you something.”

“Yes?” Johnny said.

“Remember the sardines you put in my coat pocket?” Tom asked.

“Yes,” Johnny said. “How could I forget?”

“I put them in your duffel bag when you weren't looking,” Tom said. “You'd better take them out before you get home.”

Sigmund Brouwer is the best-selling author of many books for children and young adults. He has contributed to the Orca Currents series (Wired, Sewer Rats) and the Orca Sports series, which also debuts this fall.

Sigmund enjoys visiting schools to talk about his books. Interested teachers can find out more by e-mailing [email protected].

Johnny Maverick and his friends play for the Timberwolves peewee hockey team in the small town of Howling. Tom Morgan has just moved from Toronto and is a talented player. Tom is also very competitive and seems determined to pick on Stu Duncan, who is slightly overweight. Johnny suggests a race between Tom and Stu. Tom eagerly accepts; Stu is reluctant, but Johnny convinces him to trust his best friend's advice. On race day Tom is surprised by both the race and its outcome and learns that teamwork pays off.