Undergrounders Read online

  I guess I just could not believe Alisha was lying. It was impossible, or at least I didn’t want to think it was possible. And I guess I really wanted to believe Rick and Cynthia were being honest too. Was this really happening? It was like every Undergrounder’s dream, to have a house to live in, and food, and a bed. And Rick was offering it to me. So what was my problem?

  I was going to have to give them some sort of answer.

  “We could do it for a few days … or a week … whatever. I don’t mind, I guess … until it’s a problem … or you find somewhere else …”

  All of a sudden I lost my train of thought. I was getting lamer by the second.

  Rick had this weird smile on his face, not a laughing smile but one that seemed serious. It was weird and nice at the same time. Alisha had the same smile. I had no idea how my face looked — probably goofy.

  “Cynthia thought it would be best if we all agreed that you would stay with us for six months,” Rick said. “She feels, as I do, that it would be better for you to stay in one place, in our home, for a solid chunk of time. If things don’t work out, we can look at other options, other places to stay. It’s up to you. But I would really like you to say yes.”

  “Jonathon!” Alisha pleaded. “This is silly. Could you just say yes so we can eat?”

  Six months? It wasn’t that long really. I could always leave if I wanted. He said there were other places. And I would really have trouble saying goodbye to that bed …

  I decided not to make a big deal of it. “If you think it’s a good idea, I guess I will. Thanks, I guess. I mean, it’s nice of you … you don’t have to … but if you want to, then … Okay. I’ll try it.”

  Rick nodded. “I’ll take that as a yes. Welcome to our home. Now let’s eat.”

  We all got out and went into Johnny’s.

  “Do you want the usual?” Rick asked me.

  He really was in a weird mood because I had only been here once, so how could I have a usual? But since he was being so nice about the foster parent thing I said, “Sure.”

  “Yo, Jonathon, come on over.” Collin was standing at a table waving at me. He was with Rasheed, Derrick, Jacob and Peter.

  “Go ahead,” Alisha said. “I’ll wait with my dad.”

  I went over and sat next to Derrick.

  “We were talking about next year,” Collin said. “You’re going to play with us, right?” he asked me.

  Rick had said he wanted me to play hockey; he could only have meant with the Rangers. “I’d like to — if there’s a spot.”

  They roared so loud I thought the owner would kick us out. “We’ll see if we can squeeze you into the lineup,” Collin said.

  “Have you figured out where you’re going to stay?” Derrick asked suddenly, and all the boys stopped laughing.

  I felt my face get all hot. “I think I might be going to stay with Rasheed, I mean, with Rasheed’s family.”

  “Did you give it the okay?” Rasheed asked me.

  I nodded.

  “How awesome is that?” Rasheed said. “Jonathon is going to stay with us. It’ll be like having the brother I’ve always wanted, and I won’t have to put up with an irritating sister by myself.”

  “She’s not irritating,” I began.

  They made a big deal about that and whooped it up and joked about me and Alisha beating up on Rasheed.

  The guys started to talk about the season, and Rasheed told the story of playing shinny with me that first time, and how he got the idea of asking me to join the Rangers. Then they made me tell the story about the drunks and the sleeping bag, and everyone laughed their heads off. Reggies sure think that story is funny.

  Lou and Rick carried over a couple of trays and laid them on our table.

  “Go for it, animals,” Lou said.

  The smell of the food hit me, and for the first time in ages I didn’t get dizzy and my mouth didn’t start watering like a river. I was hungry, sure — but not like before. I let the others go first and then grabbed my burger.

  “This is yours too,” Rasheed said, giving me another one. “Gotta do the double double.”

  I tore into the first burger. We all got quiet as we started eating. I guess I wasn’t the only hungry kid. I munched away, looking out the window to watch the snow fall. It was getting kind of heavy, almost like a storm. I would sure hate to be outside tonight.

  I raised my eyes to the ceiling and imagined my mom looking down.

  I’m okay, Mom, I thought. I think things will be better now.

  About the Author

  David Skuy spent most of his childhood playing one sport or another — hockey, soccer, football, rugby. When he wasn’t playing sports, he was reading books about them. Now he is a writer and lawyer who lives in Toronto, Ontario, with his wife and two kids. He still plays hockey once a week and remains a diehard Maple Leafs fan.

  He began writing books for young readers to try to capture the competition, the challenges, the friendships and the rivalries that make sports so much fun.

  Other books by David Skuy

  The Game Time series

  Off the Crossbar

  Rebel Power Play

  Making the Cut

  Overtime

  Double Shift

  Scholastic Canada Ltd.

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  Scholastic Children’s Books

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  www.scholastic.ca

  ISBN: 978-1-4431-2464-5

  Text copyright © 2011 by David Skuy.

  Cover image copyright © iStockphoto.com/Andrew Penner.

  All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read this e-book on-screen. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the publisher, Scholastic Canada Ltd., 604 King Street West, Toronto, Ontario M5V 1E1, Canada.

  First eBook edition: January 2013