Eric Fry threw the ball way high up. It was a six-pointer!
All three fought for position as they waited for it to come down, but at the last second, a hairy arm reached above them and caught it.
The arm belonged to Louis, the yard teacher.
“Can I play?” asked Louis. His mustache had grown back completely.
“Sure!” all three Erics said together.
“What do I have to do?” asked Louis.
“Just see how high up against the school you can throw it,” said Eric Fry.
Louis gripped the ball tightly in his hand. He reached way back, then let it fly.
“Wowww!” the three Erics said together as they watched the ball soar up in the air.
It hit up above the eighth-story window; then Louis caught his own rebound.
“Sixteen points!” said Eric Bacon.
“Throw it again, Louis,” said Eric Ovens.
Now that Louis was playing, lots of kids from all over the playground came to play too.
Louis threw the ball way high up. It hit above the eleventh story, then bounced back over everyone’s head.
There was a mad scramble for the ball. Bebe finally came up with it.
“Give it to Louis,” said Eric Ovens.
“No, let Bebe throw it,” said Louis, who always tried to be fair.
Bebe threw a two-pointer.
Jason caught the rebound. “You want to throw it, Louis?” he asked.
“No, you go ahead,” said Louis.
Jason threw a glopper.
A glopper is when the ball goes straight up in the air and comes down without touching the building.
Eric Bacon caught it. “Here, Louis,” he said.
“No, you throw it,” said Louis.
“But you can throw it so much higher,” said Eric B.
“We want to see how high you can throw it, Louis,” said Leslie.
“C’mon, Louis!” everyone urged.
Louis shook his head. “The game is for you kids, not for me.”
“Miss Nogard is watching,” said Bebe slyly.
Louis glanced at Miss Nogard, who was standing just outside the front door. “Give me the ball,” he said.