Chapter 27

"I got it," called Terrence as he circled under the ball, waiting for it to come down. His knees wobbled.

The ball bounced off his face. "Cool," he said as blood flowed out of his nose.

"That was a world's record, Louis!" exclaimed Eric Ovens.

Louis smiled proudly. He turned to look at Miss Nogard, but she had already gone inside,

"You like Miss Nogard, don't you?" asked Bebe.

"She seems like a nice person," said Louis.

"She's pretty too," said Eric Bacon as he nudged Louis in the side.

"Well, she is kind of cute," Louis admitted.

"Oooooh," said Joy.

"But do you love her?" asked Jenny.

Everyone giggled. Louis's red face got even redder.

"You should ask her out on a date," said Eric Fry.

"No, I don't think that's a very good idea," said Louis.

"Why not?" asked Eric Ovens. "I think you two would make a real cute couple."

"Bring her flowers," said Dana.

"Buy her candy," said Maurecia.

"Tell her she's got eyes like the moon," said Bebe.

"Eyes like the moon?" asked Louis.

"Girls love it when you tell them that," said Bebe.

"Forget that gushy stuff," said Eric Bacon. "Just walk right up to her and say, 'Hey, baby! How about a date?' "

"Just like that?" asked Louis.

"This is what you do," said Terrence. "You take her to a real scary movie. And then at the scary part, you put your arm around her."

"Ooooh," said Dana and Jenny.

"No, take her dancing," said Myron. "And hold her real close."

"Ooooooh," said the three Erics.

Louis laughed. "You kids are crazy," he said.

"You're scared of her, aren't you?" asked Eric Bacon.

"You shouldn't be scared," said Eric Ovens. "You're bigger and stronger and faster than anyone on the playground."

"And you've got the best mustache too," said Eric Fry.

"I'm not afraid of her," Louis tried to explain. "It's just-" He looked up at the very tall school. "Miss Nogard is way-high-up there, and I'm way-down-low
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here. You'll understand someday when you're older."

He picked up the ball and threw it way high up. It hit somewhere between the eighteenth and twentieth story.

And never came down.

There was no nineteenth story.