Never Grow Up

toes. “We’ve got this.” He grinned at Ashley. “You need bigger toes!”
“I like my small toes.” Ashley tried for more marbles, but only one stuck.
Thirty seconds… twenty… ten. Mr. Stone blew the whistle again. Twenty-eight marbles for Landon and Chris. Six for Ashley and Natalie.
“The medal is ours!” Chris made a face at Ashley and Natalie. He high-fived Landon. “Nobody has better toes than us!”
Ashley stared at the pool of marbles. More practice. That’s what she needed.
Mr. Stone had his megaphone again. “Last event. The three-legged race!” Mr. Stone led the students to a bin full of red and blue bandannas.
“Here we go, Ashley. We have to win this one.” Natalie sounded nervous. “We haven’t won a single medal.”
True, Ashley thought. And no medals meant she would no longer be Queen of Field Day. And that was a title she couldn’t afford to lose, especially not at a new school.
Ashley focused. “Okay. Just like we practiced.” She grabbed a bandanna from the bin and tied her ankle to Natalie’s. “One step at a time. In sync.”
“Right.” Natalie nodded. “In sync.”
Mr. Stone blew the whistle and three teams were off. Ashley saw her mom stand. “Come on, Ashley! You got this!”
This time her mother was right. Natalie and Ashley ran in perfect harmony, like they were born for this very race. They crossed the finish line first and jumped around, hugging and shouting until the celebration landed them on the ground.
It didn’t matter. Ashley and Natalie laughed and untied their ankles and hopped back up. “We won!” Natalie’s happy eyes looked surprised. “We actually did it!”
After all the racers finished, Mr. Stone made the announcement. “The fastest score belongs to Ashley and Natalie! Congratulations, girls!”
And so their celebration continued. As they walked up to get their medals, Ashley looked at Landon. His Marble Toe Grab medal was already hanging around his neck. “Good job.” She said the words very soft. So Chris wouldn’t hear.
“You, too.” He smiled and gave her a high five. Then he leaned in a little closer. “I knew you would win that last one. You’re faster than Chris.”
Ashley grinned. Yes, she was. She had beat Chris in a race last week at the high school football game. Mr. Stone placed medals around Ashley’s and Natalie’s necks. Ashley hurried over to Elliot. “Hey.” She flicked his cape. “Did you stay out of the grass?”
“I did.” He soared his spaceship hand around in the air again. “Plus I had more fun watching.”
“I’m sorry about your grass allergy, Elliot.” Ashley gave her friend a sad look. “Especially since winning is everything.”
“No, it’s not.” He laughed and shook his head. “Winning isn’t everything.”
“What?” Ashley blinked a few times. “Are you kidding me here, Elliot?” She put her hands on her hips. “Winning definitely is everything.”
“No, it’s not.” Elliot stopped soaring and smiled at her. “Lots of people don’t win. I couldn’t even play.” He patted his own shoulder. “And I’m perfectly happy. Winning is fun. But it’s not as fun as being happy or having a new friend or getting a good grade in reading.” He fluffed out his cape. “It’s not as fun as being yourself. I believe those things are more important, Ashley Baxter.”
For a long time Ashley stood there. She looked at Elliot and then at her medal. Then back at her unlikely friend. And like sunshine after a cloudy day the truth came over her. It felt warm and new and wonderful. “You know something?”
Elliot waited. He was still smiling.
“Elliot, my friend.” Ashley could hardly believe her next words. “I believe you’re right.”
On her way back to Natalie, Ashley thought of a bunch of things more important than winning. Working with her teammate and cheering on her classmates and seeing her mom across the field.
The truth was, she could be Queen of Field Day without a single medal.
But it was sort of fun having one.
That night before bed, Ashley drew a sketch of herself and Natalie running the three-legged race. She drew medals around their necks and a few classmates cheering them on. Oh, and Elliot on the sideline, of course. In his cape.
Because the medal wouldn’t matter after a week or so. But what Elliot had told her would last longer than that.
Maybe even forever.

5
Defense for a Dog
KARI
The fact that Kari hadn’t stopped thinking about dogs all week told her two things. First, she really wanted one. Obviously. And second, it was up to her to convince her parents to buy one.
Brooke had come home frustrated every day that week, and also every day Kari found a way to talk about dogs.
“Mother?” she asked on Tuesday. “Did you know that people with dogs are happier?”
“How wonderful, Kari.” Her mom didn’t exactly look up from the kitchen sink, where she was working.
So Kari tried again on Wednesday. She sat next to her mom during dinner. “Dogs can cheer a person up, Mother.” Kari nodded at Brooke. “And someone in this family needs a little cheering. Don’t you think?”
And on it went.
Now it was Friday and Kari had another plan. She had pasted magazine photos of dogs on a big piece of cardboard. She was in her room finishing the dog presentation when Ashley burst through the door.
“Dinner’s ready.” She flopped down on her bed and made a face. “Mom made salmon.”
Kari put the exclamation mark at the end of her last bullet point and sat up on her knees. “I love salmon.”
“Fish smell funny. They’re better in the ocean.” Ashley pointed to the board. “Impressive. A poster for your wall?”
“No.” Kari laughed. “My case for a dog. Tonight’s the night. For Mom and Dad.”
Ashley hopped off the bed and studied the board. “This is amazing.”
“Girls.” Dad called from downstairs. “Dinner!”
“Okay.” Ashley shrugged at Kari. “Let’s do this.”
Just before they got to the dining room, Kari set her dog presentation board in the hallway.
She took her seat and surveyed the room. She wasn’t sure what approach to use.