While they were still up there, Miss Javros and Mr Bronsen returned, Mr Bronsen carrying a soccer ball.
I looked in disbelief. The soccer ball Mr Bronsen was holding was mine. I could see my initials. It was the ball that Fisk and I had sacrificed when getting away from the Hoods that Friday afternoon a few weeks ago.
The three girls had left the stage, and the crowd was beginning to disperse.
‘Mitch, don’t worry, you can’t be the Legend of everything,’ Luci was saying.
I didn’t answer.
‘Mitchell? What is it?’
I turned to look at Luci. Becky was with her.
‘Hey, well done, both of you,’ I said, my mind elsewhere.
They knew it, too.
‘Are you really that upset about not placing in the Legend of Soccer?’ Luci asked, looking a bit surprised.
‘No! Of course not.’
‘Mitchell, can we have a word please?’
It was Mr Zucker, with Miss Javros and Mrs Waite. Even Mr Bronsen was there, too, but politely waiting a bit behind them.
‘Is something wrong?’ Becky asked.
‘Come along, Mitchell, I’m sure we can clear this up in a moment,’ said Mrs Waite. ‘Just a quick visit to the library.’ They moved off.
‘Luci, get Travis Fisk for me, can you?’ I whispered urgently. ‘Tell him to come to the library. Please!’
‘Yeah. Sure, Mitch. Give me a ring, okay? Promise?’
‘Yes, of course,’ I said, feeling a bit happier.
‘Mitchell, I’m sure there is a simple explanation. I want this sorted out quickly. Mr Bronsen came to collect the inter-school football trophy, which is kept right here, in the library’s trophy cabinet. It wasn’t here. In its place was this soccer ball, with your name on it. Is this your ball, Mitchell?’ Mrs Waite was talking in a controlled, yet scary way.
‘Yes,’ I whispered.
‘Did you put it there, Mitchell?’
‘No, Mrs Waite.’
‘Do you know where the football trophy is, Mitchell?’ she asked.
I shook my head. ‘No, Mrs Waite.’
‘Mitchell.’ It was Miss Javros speaking. ‘Look!’
She was pointing to the far end of the library – the sporting end where the school year boxes were kept. Where the entrance to the secret room was. Books, magazines and boxes lay scattered everywhere. The place was a mess.
‘Do you know anything about this mess, Mitchell?’ she asked.
I looked Miss Javros in the eye and said firmly, ‘No, Miss Javros.’
All four teachers looked at me for a moment without speaking.
Then Mr Bronsen shook his head.
‘I think we should be looking elsewhere.’
I was just about to tell them about the secret room, the tunnel, and everything else, when Travis Fisk opened the door. He waited, standing nervously by the door. I think he feared we were discussing a certain soccer quiz result.
‘Yes, Travis?’ Mrs Waite asked, looking at him curiously.
‘Travis, my soccer ball. Who were the last kids to see my soccer ball?’
He looked at me in surprise.
‘The Hoods,’ he said. ‘Some Hoods kids, me and Gr – me and Mitchell bumped into. They took it from us.’
‘Well, it appears they have brought it back. In the last hour. And exchanged it for a football trophy. And done it, what’s more, while the library has been locked. Now,’ Mrs Waite continued, ‘who is going to explain that?’
Travis Fisk looked at me, totally bewildered. It obviously wasn’t going to be him.
It was a crazy situation to be in. How had the soccer ball ended up there? More to the point, how had the inter-school football trophy disappeared?
It was a puzzling problem, and it was causing a lot of bother for a lot of people. The teachers were in a frazzle. This was something big.
I was looking forward to the next sport. The Legend of Basketball was supposed to be the most popular competition of the whole series. Someone new, who hadn’t figured in any of the previous Legends events, was bound to make a statement. It wouldn’t be long before I’d find out who.
But first there was a football trophy to find . . .
Soccer Match Scores and Ladders
(Round 1)
Green Squads
Sandhurst
0
lost to
Ascot
1
Wetherhood
6
defeated
Scornly
4
Red Squads
Sandhurst
3
defeated
Ascot
1
Wetherhood
2
drew with
Scornly
2
Green Squads
P
W
L
D
For
Ag
GD
Pts
Wetherhood
1
1
-
-
6
4
+2
3
Ascot
1
1
-
-
1
0
+1
3
Sandhurst
1
-
1
-
0
1
-1
0
Scornly
1
-
1
-
4
6
-2
0
Red Squads
P
W
L
D
For
Ag
GD
Pts
Sandhurst
1
1
-
-
3
1
+2
3
Scornly
1
-
-
1
2
2
0
1
Wetherhood
1
-
-
1
2
2
0
1
Ascot
1
-
1
-
1
3
-2
0
(Round 2)
Green Squads
Scornly
0
lost to
Sandhurst
1
Ascot
1
lost to
Wetherhood
2
Red Squads
Scornly
5
defeated
Sandhurst
3
Ascot
1
lost to
Wetherhood
Green Squads
P
W
L
D
For
Ag
GD
Pts
Wetherhood
2
2
-
-
8
5
+3
6
Ascot
2
1
1
-
2
2
0
3
Sandhurst
2
1
1
-
1
1
0
3
Scornly
2
-
2
-
4
7
-3
0
Red Squads
P
W
L
D
For
Ag
GD
Pts
Scornly
2
1
-
1
7
5
+2
4
Wetherhood
2
1
-
1
4
3
+1
4
Sandhurst
2
1
1
-
6
6
0
3
Ascot
2
-
2
-
2
5
-3
0
(Round 3)
Green Squads
Wetherhood
2
lost to
Sandhurst
3
Scornly
2
defeated
Ascot
1
Red Squads
Wetherhood
1
lost to
Sandhurst
3
Scornly
2
defeated
Ascot
1
Green Squads
P
W
L
D
For
Ag
GD
Pts
Wetherhood
3
2
1
-
10
8
+2
6
Sandhurst
3
2
1
-
4
3
+1
6
Ascot
3
1
2
-
3
4
-1
3
Scornly
3
1
2
-
6
8
-2
3
Red Squads
P
W
L
D
For
Ag
GD
Pts
Scornly
3
2
-
1
9
6
+3
7
Sandhurst
3
2
1
-
9
7
+2
6
Wetherhood
3
1
1
1
5
6
-1
4
Ascot
3
-
3
-
3
7
-4
-
Final School Points
(4 points for 1st place; 3 points for 2nd place; 2 points for 3rd place; 1 point for 4th place; ties determined by goal difference)
1st
Sandhurst
6 points
2nd
Wetherhood
6 points
3rd
Scornly
5 points
4th
Ascot
3 points
Soccer Skills Scores
(Sandhurst Green)
Name
Dribble
Long Kick
Penalties
/5
/5
/5
Lan
4
3
3
Jules
5
2
3
Mitch
5
4
3
Travis
5
5
3
Alex
3
3
3
Rebecca
3
3
4
Katie
4
4
4
Benny
2
5
3
Walt
3
3
2
Talia
3
2
2
Jimmy
4
4
3
Shane
4
3
3
Saves
Accuracy
Throws
TOTAL
/5
/5
/5
/30
2
4
3
19
2
5
2
19
4
4
4
24
3
4
5
25
2
3
3
17
2
4
3
19
3
4
3
22
1
2
5
18
2
4
3
17
2
4
3
16
3
4
5
23
2
5
3
20
(Sandhurst Red)
Name
Dribble
Long Kick
Penalties
/5
/5
/5
Danny
3
4
3
Nick
4
4
2
Franko
5
4
4
Miles
5
3
3
Richard
4
5
1
Luci
4
3
3
Ling
2
3
2
Chaz
5
4
4
Bubba
2
4
3
Penny
4
3
3
Mia
4
3
3
Cara
5
2
3
Saves
Accuracy
Throws
TOTAL
/5
/5
/5
/30
2
3
2
17
2
2
4
18
3
5
4
25
2
5
2
20
3
3
4
20
3
4
4
21
1
3
5
16
3
5
4
25
4
3
3
19
2
4
3
19
3
3
4
20
2
4
3
19
Soccer Game Points
(Sandhurst Green)
Jumper
Name
Game 1
Game 2
Game 3
#
(v Ascot)
(v Scornly)
(v Hoods)
TOTAL
Score/10
Score/20
Score/20
1
Lan
6
14
16
36
2
Jules
7
15
16
38
3
Mitch
8
17
19
44
4
Travis
8
18
15
41
5
Alex
6
14
18
38
6
Rebecca
8
17
16
41
7
Katie
7
16
15
38
8
Benny
7
15
17
39
9
Walt
7
15
17
39
10
Talia
7
15
17
39
11
Jimmy
6
17
18
41
12
Shane
7
15
16
38
(Sandhurst Red)