The spinning was catching up to Ashley. “No falling for me.” She kept doing circles, arms out to her sides. “Dancing to the clouds is the best leaf activity for this happy Tuesday. You don’t know what you’re missing, Natalie.”
“Stop, Ashley!”
Suddenly dizziness came over Ashley like a heavy blanket. “That’s… why I—” Ashley blinked a couple of times and came to a sudden stop. “Whoa. I need to sit.” She bent over her knees but she couldn’t stop herself. And in a sudden thump she collapsed to the ground.
Very much like a leaf, actually. A heavy leaf.
Natalie hurried over. “I told you!”
“I’m fine. Just a little woozy.” Ashley exhaled. She caught a glance of the rest of the class near the kickball area. Apparently no one had noticed.
“Are you okay?” Natalie stooped down and stared. “Your cheeks are green.”
Ashley pulled her knees to her chest and squeezed her eyes shut. “Whew!” The world was still spinning. “I should not have had that second slice of pizza.”
“It was my slice.” Natalie raised her eyebrows.
“But you don’t like pizza.” Ashley opened one eye and squinted at her friend. “So a second slice for me made perfect sense.”
Natalie still looked worried. “Maybe not on a twirling day.”
“True.” The spinning playground was finally slowing down. Ashley leaned back, using her arms as support beams. She still felt sickish, but her pizza was staying in place. So that was good.
All of a sudden she started to giggle. Soft at first.
Natalie raised her eyebrows. “Ashley?”
“I’m fine.” Ashley’s giggle became a laugh. “These things always happen to me, Natalie. Have you noticed that? Which is kind of funny, right?”
“You’re the only person I know who wants to be a dancing leaf.”
“A leaf dancing to the clouds.” Ashley tilted her head back and stared at the sky. “I was so close.”
Natalie got down on the ground next to Ashley. She leaned her head back and looked up as well. The two of them sat there, watching leaves drift to the ground. “Ashley, you’ll make it to the clouds next time.” She smiled. “There’s no better leaf than you.”
“Thanks.” Ashley stood, brushed her hands on her jeans, and helped Natalie to her feet. “That’s why we’re friends, Natalie. You see the real me.”
“I’m glad you didn’t break your leg.” Natalie put her hands on her hips. “You need to be healthy for Field Day tomorrow.”
“What?” Ashley almost dropped to the ground again. “Field Day? How could I forget?” She ran in place for a few seconds. “That’s my very best day of the year!”
Natalie laughed again. “Better than Christmas? Or your birthday?”
“Okay, not the very best.” Ashley ran in place again. “But it’s up there.”
A familiar voice called from behind her. “Are you okay?”
Ashley did a half spin and saw Landon Blake. He had a basketball on his hip. Landon had been a menace at the start of this year. But not anymore. He had become another unlikely friend.
But in that moment, Ashley realized there was a problem here.
If Landon had seen her fall, then the whole class probably had, too. Ashley used her most dignified voice. “I’m fine, thank you very much.”
“It looked like you fell.” Landon stared at the dirt on her knees. “See?”
Ashley felt her cheeks get warm. In a quick rush she cleaned the dirt from her knees. Natalie hadn’t moved since Landon showed up. Like she was in shock.
Ashley tilted her head. “I was a twirling leaf. Dancing up to the clouds.” She paused. “But like all leaves, I’m supposed to end up on the ground.”
Natalie let out a little laugh.
“Okay.” Landon grinned. “Sure. That makes sense.”
“Right.” Ashley nodded. “Good. I’m glad we figured that out.”
“What are you doing for Field Day?” Landon dribbled his basketball a few times.
Was he trying to battle her? “A lot.” She crossed her arms. “At my old school I was pretty much Queen of Field Day.”
“Funny.” Landon tossed the basketball to Ashley. His eyes were still smiling. “Because around here, I’m King of Field Day.”
“Really?” Ashley caught the ball and took a step closer to Landon. “I guess we’ll have to see about that.” She tossed it back to him. “And yes, that’s a challenge.”
Landon dribbled the basketball between his legs. “Challenge accepted.” His friend Chris was calling him from the court across the school yard. Landon waved. “See ya!” He dribbled the ball back to his friends.
Ashley turned to Natalie. “We have a lot of practicing to do.” Ashley noticed her friend’s long blue hair ribbon. Very softly, Ashley pulled one end of it. “We’ll need this.”
“No.” Natalie stepped back. “It’s mine!”
“I’ll give it right back.” Ashley grabbed at the ribbon again. “It’s for Field Day.”
Natalie thought for a few seconds. Then she sighed. “Fine.” She took the ribbon from her hair and handed it to Ashley. “What does this have to do with Field Day?”
“It’s for the three-legged race, of course! The day’s most difficult event!” Ashley positioned herself shoulder to shoulder with Natalie. “You have to be totally in sing with your partner. Like when you sing a song together and the words happen at the exact same time.”
“You mean… in sync.” Natalie laughed again. “Working together is in sync. Not in sing.”
“Hmm.” Ashley hummed a few notes. Natalie might be right. “Either way, we have to move at the same time.” She bent down and tied their side-by-side ankles together with Natalie’s blue hair ribbon. “Perfect.”
“I don’t know…” Natalie looked worried again. “What if—”
The bell rang.
Ashley stretched her hands over her head, one way, then the other. “We have to hurry.”
“We can’t do this now!” Natalie seemed ready to untie the ribbon.
“To the classroom! Here we go!” Ashley stood tall, eyes straight ahead, like she was at the starting line of the Olympics. “One… two—”
“Wait!” Natalie shouted. “Who are we racing?”
“Us!” Ashley raised her hand in the air. “One, two, three… Go!” And like that they were off. Natalie kept up,
