Ron had curly hair and little feet. "I want to play kick-ball," he said.
"You can't play," said Terrence.
"Get out of here," said Deedee.
"Scram," said Jason.
"I want to play kickball," said Ron.
"Well, you're not playing," said Terrence. "Beat it!"
Ron stomped across the playground to the hopscotch area. Jenny was playing hopscotch with Louis. Jenny was on nine. Louis was still on four, but it was his turn.
79"I want to play kickball," Ron said.
"So, go play kickball," said Louis.
"Terrence won't let me play," said Ron.
Louis walked with Ron to the kickball field.
"Hey, what about our hopscotch game?" Jenny asked.
"You won," said Louis.
"I just beat Louis in hopscotch!" Jenny announced. Leslie, Rondi, and Allison flocked around her.
"Hey, Louis," Dameon shouted. "Do you want to play kickball?"
"All right," said Louis. "Ron and I will both play."
"No," said Terrence. "Ron isn't playing."
"Anyone who wants to play can play," said Louis.
"No, he can't," said Terrence. "It's my ball."
"It isn't your ball," said Louis.
"You gave it to me," said Terrence.
"I gave it to you to share," said Louis. "If you can't share it, you can't have it."
"Oh, all right," said Terrence. "But I get to pitch."
"Ron and I will stand everybody!" Louis announced.
"All right!" said Jason. "We'll kill them!"
"We'll murder them!" said Deedee.
"We'll smash them!" said Myron.
"We'll see," said Louis.
Ron pitched, and Louis played the other eight positions. Twenty minutes later, they finally got three outs. The score was twenty-one to nothing.
Ron was up first.
"Infield in!" shouted Dameon. Everybody stood within ten feet of home plate.
80"All right, Ron," Louis shouted, "kick it over their heads!"
Ron kicked the ball only three-and-a-half feet. Todd picked it up and threw him out.
Louis was up. Everybody ran back to the edge of the outfield. Still, Louis kicked the ball over their heads for a home run.
Everybody ran all the way back in again for Ron's up. He kicked the ball only two feet. Deedee tagged him out.
Louis kicked another home run.
Ron then kicked the ball a foot and tripped over it on his way to first base. Three outs.
Ron and Louis held the other team to only five runs the next inning. That was because the bell rang. Lunch was finally over.
Louis and Ron lost twenty-six to two. Ron had had a wonderful time.
The next day Ron said, "I want to play kickball."
"You can't play," said Terrence.
"Get out of here," said Jason.
"Scram," said Deedee.
"I want to play kickball," Ron told Louis.
Louis walked with him to the kickball field. "Ron and I will stand all of you."
Everybody liked the teams.
Ron pitched while Louis played the other eight positions. They lost fifty-seven to two.
After the game Louis took Ron aside. "Listen. Ron," he said, "why do you always want to play kickball? You can't kick. You can't field. You can't even run to first base. You just get smashed every game."
81"Hey, now wait a second," said Ron. "Don't go blaming it all on me. You're half the team, too, you know." And with that, he punched Louis in the stomach.
And he punched a heck of a lot harder than he kicked.