Learning to Play the Game

Learning to Play the Game

Although Ella didn't mind, her twin brother Pete did.Pete, who was sitting in the back seat with Ella, groaned, "Oof … I don't feel so good."

"Almost there," Dad said, looking at the street signs for the right turn. "Hang on for just a bit longer."

"I'm not kidding," Pete said, "I feel really bad. This truck is making my stomach hurt."

Now Dad groaned. "Come on, Pete. We're almost there."But Pete kept groaning, so Dad pulled over and put on the brakes."Ella, will you walk your little brother the rest of the way? Just follow the street to number 2729."

Ella sighed. "Fine, I'll walk him."She opened her door, unbuckled herself, and hopped out onto the sidewalk. "Come on, Petey," she said.

"I'm not some kind of family pet, you know.I can walk on my own," Pete said as he slid out of the truck.

Ella slammed the door shut. "Are you sure? It doesn't look like it from what I can see."

"You just watch," Pete muttered as they began walking up the street toward their new home.

Ella didn't answer. She heard a car rumble up behind them and honk twice.Mom waved as she drove past them in their station wagon, loaded down with stuff.

They were moving on to the newest street in the neighborhood.Out beyond their street, the land was vacant, with only some scattered trees, patches of grass,and a few signs advertising where new neighborhoods were going to be built.Half the houses they passed weren't even finished yet.Ella could see the spaces where windows and doors would go.

For a second, she wondered if she and Pete would arrive at their new house only to find out that it wasn't done, either.Ella imagined spending the first night sleeping without a roof over her head.Ugh, she thought to herself. That would be the worst!

Ella breathed a sigh of relief, though, when she got to the house with her brother.It was definitely finished! The house was bright blue with a red door,and there were windows that reflected the sunlight.Mom and Dad were already carrying boxes out of the back of the truck and into the house.

"Okay, you two," Dad said. "Go ahead and get a drink of water from inside the house.Then you can start taking in stuff from the car. Peter, is your stomach OK now?"

"It was better as soon as I got out of the truck," Peter replied with a big smile on his face.

"Good to hear," Dad replied. "Then let's get going!"

The twins went inside. "I think the kitchen's this way," Pete said, his voice echoing through the empty house.

Ella followed her brother into the kitchen.On the counter were two plastic cups full of water that Dad had filled for them.Ella handed one cup to Pete. She gulped the other one down.

"It's a big place," Pete said.

"Empty, too," Ella said. "Let's go get our stuff."

For the rest of the afternoon, Pete and Ella helped their parents haul boxes into the house.There was so much that had to be moved!Beds, furniture, clothes, appliances, towels, linens, silverware,and more all had to be brought in to the new house.

By nightfall, Ella and Peter were exhausted.They both went to their new bedrooms and instantly fell asleep.

The next morning was a Saturday.Pete asked Dad, "When are we taking the truck back?"

"We'll return it this afternoon," Dad said."Until then, you've got the whole morning to do whatever you want.Why don't you guys head over to that park on the corner.You know, the one we drove by yesterday.I think it was called Hippershill or something."

"Whippoorwill," Ella corrected. "Well, why not? Want to come, Pete?" "Sure," Pete replied.

After breakfast, Ella and Pete headed down to the park.There were lots of kids there, all talking in a group.The talk died away as soon as the kids saw Ella and Pete approaching.

"Hi," said Ella. The sudden silence made her nervous."Umm…we just moved in. I'm Ella, and this is my brother, Pete. Pete, say hello to everyone."

"Umm, hello?" was all Pete could say. Ella could tell that her brother was as nervous as she was!

A tall girl with blond hair nodded. "OK, Ella and Pete," she said."I'm Tiffany. We're going to play Two Bases. Want to play?"

"Sure," Ella nodded. "Is it like baseball?"

Tiffany shook her head. "I'll explain after we pick teams.Ray and I are captains. I pick first today."Tiffany then pointed to a short boy in a red shirt, making him the first player to be picked.Ella was chosen ninth, and Pete was taken last.He marched over to Ray's side, frowning over having been picked last.

Tiffany pulled her team together and explained the game to Ella."Each team has a base. Ours is this tower, and theirs is that bench over there.Each team has two taggers. You and I will be taggers for our team, and Ray will be one of the taggers for their team.If a tagger tags you, you go and stand at the other team's base.When one team captures all the other team's players, that team wins." Ella nodded.

"There's a ball, too," Tiffany added. "Anyone can pick it up and throw it at a player on the other team.If anyone gets hit with the ball, they get sent to the other team's base.But if you catch a ball that's thrown at you, you're safe, and you can then throw it at a player on the other team."

"Got it," Ella said. The rules didn't seem too complex.

The game started with a race to the ball, which lay in the middle of the playground. Ray reached it first.He threw it at Ella, who ducked. Behind her, someone scooped it up and started chasing Pete.Ella turned and ran back to her teams' base.Before long, Tiffany showed up with someone she'd caught.

"Who's the other tiger on Ray's team?" Ella asked her.

"The other what?" Tiffany asked. "Did you say tiger?"

"Of course I said tiger," Ella shot back.

Tiffany burst out laughing. "What's so funny?" Ella asked.

"It's tagger, not tiger!" Tiffany said, still laughing. "As in someone who tags something."

"Oh," Ella said, blushing. "Anyway, the other team's tagger is Navin.He's the one in the football shirt," Tiffany added.

The game was moving quickly.Tiffany captured another kid from Ray's team, and Ella caught Pete. Only three people were left.

Out of the corner of her eye, Ella saw the ball roll past her.She moved toward it, but suddenly noticed a boy in a blue shirt with the number 32 on it running straight for her.It was Navin! She turned and ran for her base as quickly as she could, barely touching it before Navin did.

Something wasn't right, though. The captured players from Ray's team were cheering and high-fiving.Then they started walking back toward the other side of the playground.

"Ella! What are you doing?" Tiffany hollered.

"I got here first!" Ella shouted. "Pete, get back here!"

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