Page 28 of Cross Check Christmas
please just go away!
O'er the fields you go home,
back to the Blizzard Dome.”
Not a bad rhyme. They’re actually pretty good. The lanky conductor waves his arms with dramatic flair, and they sway in perfect unison. I have to give them credit - their harmonies are spot-on.
"Jingle bells, hockey smells,
please just go away!
Oh what fun when you are gone
from Brookking Sound today, hey!"
"You know what? That's... actually pretty creative." I give them a slow clap. "Did Miss McAllister put you up to this?"
The rink door slams open as my actual hockey players start filing in. They stop dead in their tracks, staring at the caroling squad.
The drama kids exchange glances but keep singing.
"Joy to the world, you’re going home!
Let Brookking Sound rejoice!
So pack your bags and go
So pack your bags and go…”
I’m impressed despite myself. "You guys really committed to this, huh?"
The conductor drops his arms with a huff. "We practiced for three hours."
"I can tell. Good job."
The boy in front pipes up: "You're supposed to feel bad and leave town!"
"Sorry to disappoint, but it'll take more than some modified carols to chase me out. Though I gotta say, the luggage one was catchy."
"Miss McAllister says we're expressing ourselves through the power of song." A tiny freshman girl with braces grins. "We wrote these ourselves!"
They take deep breaths for another round, but I hold up my hands in surrender. "Okay, okay! Message received. Now scram - I've got a practice to run." I wave them toward the door. "And tell Miss McAllister that if she wants me gone, she'll have to do better than weaponizing her students against me.”
The hockey team have their skates on by the time the last drama kid files out.
"Alright, show's over! Let's get moving!" I clap my hands, while my players shuffle onto the ice. "Five laps, then we'll work on passing drills."
The team groans in unison, but they start skating. Well, most of them do. Jake Miller, our starting center, stays put, arms crossed.
"Something on your mind, Miller?"
"Yeah, actually." He glances at his teammates. "How're we supposed to take advice from someone who won't even play for his own team?"
"What was that?"
"My dad says you're holding out for more money," pipes up Danny from the blue line. "Says you're probably getting traded anyway."
"Saw on Twitter you're getting traded to Vancouver.” Jake says, crossing his arms. “Or was it Montreal? Hard to keep track when you're holding out for more millions."
