A little while later, Benny sat on a bench at the edge of the skating pond. He was trying to lace up his skates. His hands were clumsy inside his gloves. When he took his gloves off, his fingers got too cold. “I’ll never get these laces tight enough,” he complained aloud.
Jessie was already skating. Henry and Violet had gone to look at the ski run. Benny sighed. There was no one to help him.
From the next bench, an older boy called, “Having trouble?”
It was Matt, the boy with the hair in his eyes. But now, his hair was off his face, held back by a wide black headband.
“It’s these laces,” Benny said.
Matt walked over on his racing skates. “Here, let me help,” he said. Then he bent down and carefully laced up Benny’s skates.
“I think these skates may be too small for you,” he said.
Benny was surprised. “They fit last year.”
Matt laughed. “Well, maybe they shrank,” he teased.
“Skates don’t shrink,” Benny said.
“No, but feet grow.”
Benny laughed. “Oh,” he said. “I forgot about that.”
“You can get a bigger pair at the equipment shop when Mr. Mercer gets new keys,” Matt told him. Then, he sped off.
Benny looked at the skaters. Jessie was practicing her forward crossovers. Beth was doing jumps. Jimmy was skating backward. All the people on the ice were excellent skaters. Benny was good, but not that good. He decided not to try out for skating.
Violet and Henry came back in time for the tryouts. Many of the adults came out to the rink to watch the six skaters. Mr. Alden strolled up to the children. He had just returned from driving Mr. Mercer to town.
“The locksmith is making the new keys,” he said. “The equipment shop will be open in time for the ski tryouts.”
Jimmy put his skaters through their paces quickly. Matt was the best racer; Jessie and Beth the best figure skaters.
Freddy and her group came along. They sat on a bench near the Aldens to put on their skates. Freddy watched Jimmy’s skaters carefully. She saw every turn, every pivot, every jump. She did not smile.
“Freddy doesn’t look very happy,” Benny observed.
Finally, Jimmy was ready to announce his choices. The skaters formed a circle around him.
“Beth, Matt, Jessie, and me.” Jimmy pointed to each as he called out their names. To the two losers, he said, “You’re both very good. If I could choose more than four skaters, you would have made it, too.”
The Aldens admired his kindness.
“Now, there’s a good leader,” Mr. Alden said.
Jessie skated over.
Everyone congratulated her.
“The ice makes it easy to skate well,” she said. “It’s smooth as glass.”
Freddy stepped onto the ice. “Come on,” she said to her group. “Let’s show them some real skating.” But she still didn’t smile.
Grandfather went back to the lodge to warm up. Most of the other adults decided to do that, too.
Jimmy headed for the ski hill. His team trekked along beside him.
“Have you been captain before?” Henry asked.
Jimmy shook his head. “No, this is the first time.”
“Do your parents know you’re captain?” Jessie asked.
Jimmy looked at her in a strange way. “Why do you want to know?” he asked.
Jessie sensed that she had asked the wrong question. “Oh, no reason. I just thought if they knew…” her voice trailed off.
“I’d want them to be here if I were captain,” Benny said.
Jimmy didn’t respond.
“Don’t you miss them?” Benny persisted. “I miss Grandfather when we’re away from him.”
Jimmy picked up his pace. “It’s only for a week,” he said. “And, besides, I like being on my own. Especially here. Who wants parents watching every move you make?”
The Aldens were surprised by his harsh tone. Jimmy had seemed so gentle.
After a brief silence, he added, “Don’t get me wrong. My parents are terrific. It’s just that they can be…overprotective sometimes.” His voice had lost its sharp edges.
They came to the ski hill. The run started high above them and ended near a long, low, log building.
“Wow!” Benny exclaimed. “That’s no hill! It’s a mountain.”
“It looks like great skiing,” Henry commented.
Jimmy shrugged. “It’s not bad, but it’s nothing compared to the runs in Colorado. That’s where my parents are.”
“How do you get to the top?” Benny asked.
“Rope tow,” Jimmy said. He pointed to a rope moving slowly up the incline.
To Benny, it looked like a moving snake. He trudged along behind his brother toward the log building. It housed the equipment shop and a warming room.
Mr. Mercer was just leaving. “The equipment shop is open,” he said.
People clumped across the wooden floor in colorful plastic boots. Dressed in ski clothes and goggles, they looked like moon walkers — only clumsier.
Benny doubted he could walk in the boots, let alone ski. “I don’t think I’ll try out for skiing,” he said.
“That’s a good decision,” Henry told him. “It’s a tough run for a beginner.”
“But I would like to try it,” Benny said.
“Maybe you could take a lesson,” Henry said, changing into his boots. “See you later.”
“Good luck!” Benny called out.
Henry went outside. There he snapped on his skis and glided toward the other skiers.
Benny joined his sisters near the windows in the warming house.
“Did you change your mind about trying out?” Jessie asked.
Benny nodded. “I need my energy for snow sculpting.”
Violet held up the book she was reading. “You might want to look at this,” she said. “It’s tells all about ice carving and snow sculpting. I found it in the equipment shop.”
“I know how to build snowmen,” Benny said.
“But you can build all kinds of other things, too,” Violet told him. “It doesn’t have to be a snowman.”
Benny sat down beside her to look at the book. There were lots of photographs and instructions. You could make lions, dragons, castles — anything. “I still think I’ll build a snowman,” he said.
They all moved closer to the windows to watch Henry coming down the slope. From this distance, the skiers looked like small, dark shapes. It wasn’t long, though, before they spotted Henry. In his bright red ski jacket, he led the pack.
The Aldens weren’t surprised when their big brother came inside all smiles, saying, “I made it!”
The sledding tryouts were held on a smaller hill. Everyone who tried out made it. Benny and some of the younger team members would use round plastic sleds. Henry and the other older children would be on toboggans.
That decided, Jimmy said it was time for lunch.
Benny wasn’t the only one who was happy to hear that.
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