I kicked the ball all the way to the other side of Harris Park.  Jackson ran to get it, so did Fred and Dash. While they were doing that I ran to first base, then second. Billy was waiting for me there. I ran past Billy to third base.  Jackson was on my tail. I was almost to home base but Jackson was so close I had to slide to make the home run. 

My whole team cheered for me as they shouted, “HOME RUN!” I felt proud and hot as the bright waves of sun shined on my face. I went home that day feeling prouder then ever, I had never made a home run in my life! 

The next morning I woke up, I put my clothes on, ate my breakfast, and brushed my teeth. Then I grabbed the beat up white kickball with grass and dirt stains on it and headed to Harris Park. Since it was so early in the morning it was cold as the gloomy dark sky made it even colder, but once we were playing we would warm up.

When I got to Harris Park everybody was already there. We picked teams, and the teams were: the out field team [my team] had Dash, Billy, Dan, Daniel, and me. The kicking team was Jackson, Fred, Larry, John, and Sam. Jackson was first up to kick. Dan pitched the ball and it started out ok. Then the ball went up, not across and the ball went so far up it landed on Mrs. Macys apartment.

“JACKSON!” Billy said with rage. 

“Sorry!” Jackson said with embarrassment. Everyone else was screaming at Jackson. I stopped listening, I mean I was mad at Jackson, but what if we never got to play kickball again because of Jackson. Or what if I wouldn’t get to be a professional kickball player! I went home with my head hung, my feet were dragging on the cement road, I felt like gloomy clouds were over my head as I entered my house with sadness. After a while of texting with the boys, we decided to have a meeting tomorrow at Harris Park. Then mom called me in for dinner, I saw the most amazing dinner ever. It was my moms Macaroni and cheese. When I tasted it, it was like all my worries in my head went away, and what filled my head was amazing. My head was full of beautiful thoughts, thoughts that felt like a party in my mouth. I had seconds then thirds, I tried to have fourths but I was to full. After that I went to sleep dreaming about my moms Macaroni and cheese. 

The next morning I went straight to Harris Park for the meeting. Like always I was the last person there. “Who was the first person here?” I asked.

 “Jackson,” Dash said. “Surprise surprise,” Billy said sarcastically. To be honest I thought Jackson was going to be here first too, maybe because he felt bad or maybe because he didn’t want to be late since he thought he would make us madder. “So what are we going to do now that we don’t have a ball to play because of Jackson?” Billy said glancing at Jackson “I’m sorry ok! Wouldn’t you just let it go!” 

“Sort of how you let the ball go onto Mrs. Macys apartment roof!” Billy said.  Billy and Jackson started to fight. 

Alright you two break it up!” Sam shouted.  

“Wait” Larry said “Ted don’t you have a ball?” 

“Yeah,” I said. 

“Well, go get it, we can use it right?” he said “Yeah! ”all of the boys shouted, but that ball was my prized possession. I had butterflies in my stomach, my guts were doing cartwheels, I felt like I was going to faint at the thought of it. I couldn’t just let it go to the boys, right? I couldn’t let it get all muddy and dirty and grassy and wet, right?

  “I, I can’t.” I said.

 “Fine.” Larry said.

 “we can just use the ball to get the other ball down right? That way it doesn’t get dirty!” 

“Ok,” I said in a weak voice.  I walked back to my house slowly, grabbed the ball and walked back to Harris Park. 

When I got back Jackson edmeitly said, “I’ll do it!”

 “NO!” all of us said.

 “I’ll do it,” Fred said and I handed the ball to him.

 “Be careful,” I said.

 “ I will,” he said and without a beat he threw it. My heart was racing I felt my life flashing befor my eyes as the ball landed on the roof with the other ball. 

“FRED!!!!!!” All of us said at the same time. My face was turning red, my hands clamped up into fists as I glared as Fred. I sprinted after Fred with rage

 “I‘m sorry!” Fred said.

 “I don’t believe you! That ball was everything to me!!” The whole team was running after me trying to stop me from hurting Fred but my anger said otherwise.  Dan and Dash had to hold me back like I was a prisoner and they were policemen.  

When I got home I looked at all my texts from the boys until Daniel texted  what if we go onto Mrs. Macys roof to get the balls back? Yes! I texted lets go tomorrow.

 The next morning me and the boys went to Mrs. Macys apartment. I rung the doorbell and Mrs. Macys daughter answered the door 

“What  do you want?” she said

 “ We want to come inside.” Billy said “why?” she said

 “To go onto the roof.” he said 

“No,” she said. She started to close the door when Billy put his hand against the door stopping it from closing. Then he pushed the girl out of the way and stomped into the building, the boys and me followed him. “HELP!” The girl yelled “WERE GETTING ROBBED!” 

“Hey!” Mrs. Macy said “Get out of here!” Billy pushed Mrs. Macy out of the way too. 

“Look there are the stairs to the roof!” Sam said we went up the stairs to the roof and then we saw a sign that said 

NO CHILDREN ALOUD!! “No!” I shouted, I felt tears forming in my eyes, then Mrs. Macy came up the stairs panting 

“You all are in lots of trouble!” She said 

“You guys suck!” Mrs. Macys daughter said

 “ Sorry!” Billy said in a weak voice. 

Next thing I know I was in my house with my mother yelling at me 

“You’re grounded!” She shouted. The next morning I woke up and looked at the corner that my ball used to be in but it wasn’t there. I felt like I was going to cry but I wasn’t going to cry, had to think of something but what? I started to play Minecraft, my favorite game of all time. I was walking around in Minecraft, when I saw a baby chicken stuck on a mountain, but I couldn’t climb up the mountain so I thought to myself I need a ladder. I got a ladder and saved the baby chicken and the egg that it layed.  But then I thought of it… I was going to get a huge ladder and get the balls down. Yes!!! I thought to myself. My feet hit the ground as I jumped up and down. I felt like my gloomy dark life was filled with bright and beautiful colors, I felt like a rainbow was coming through my window, I felt like I had tasted my moms Macaroni cheese again! I felt like my cheeks were scwinting  and the ends of my mouth were raised up to my eyes as I had a big bright smile on my face.

 Yes!!! my mom and the boys both said when I told them. “l’ll ask Robbie if we can borrow his!” my mom said. Robbie was our neighbor and he had this huge ladder because his cat Rosie once got stuck in a tree so he had to buy one. 

I watched my mom go to knock on Robbie’s door. She knocked on the door and Robbie came out. They talked for a while. She came back to the house with her head hung to the ground.

 “Oh no,” I said.

 “What happened?”

 “Well, I hate to break your heart but he said no.” she said in a quiet voice then she started laughing “Are you ok?” I said “Yes!” she said between laughs “then why are you laughing?” I said “Because I’m  joking Robbie said we could borrow his ladder! Hahahahahaha!” “Oh.” I said in a deep voice glaring at Mom.

 The next day my mom and I went to Harris Park. Robbie and the boys were already there 

“Hey Ted!” Fred and Jackson said at the same time. “Why are you two acting so weird?” I said. 

“Well, because we are really sorry. And we got us into this mess and now you’re getting us out of it.” Fred said looking down at his feet 

“Yeah!” Jackson said “If I hadn’t kicked the ball on Mrs. Macys roof, we wouldn’t need your ball to get it back down.” 

“Thank you!” I said “I forgive you, but never do something like that again please!”

 “We won’t.” Fred said 

“can’t make any promises!” Jackson said laughing 

“Well now that,that is over Ted would you like to do the honors.” Robbie said

 “I would love to,” I said Robbie and Mom held the ladder as I walked up it. As my feet touched the wooden steps on the ladder it was like getting the thing that you really want that you’ve lost for so long back. When I got to the top I threw the white ball down with grass and dirt stains on it first, then I lunged my hands down to pick up my ball. When I did I felt like I was going to cry with happiness and I did cry but I wasn’t sad_, I was happy.

 As soon as my foot touched the ground it was like all of the butterflies that were in my stomach fluttered out at once. I felt like I was lying in a field of daisies with the bright sun shining on my face and with my ball next to me 

“Yay!” all of the boys, Mom, and Robbie shouted “Congrats Ted! Now Let’s go home. All of us need a break,” my mom said 

“That sounds like the best idea ever,” I said.