Zeke Meeks vs the Putrid Puppet Pals

I gasped when I saw Hector Cruz. I knew something was wrong. Very wrong. Very, very wrong. Very, very, very wrong. You get the idea.

Hector Cruz, my best friend, was sitting down during recess. Hector never sat down at recess. Neither did I. At recess we played basketball, soccer, or tag. Sometimes we played all three.

Sometimes we ran away from Nicole Finkle and Buffy Maynard before they could kiss us. But we never sat down.

Owen Leach was sitting next to Hector. This was also very, very, very wrong. Owen Leach also never sat down at recess. He always had kids to play with, because he was the most popular boy in third grade. In fact, there was a waiting list of kids who wanted to play with him.

Owen Leach was much too busy to ever sit down on the playground. Until today.

I rushed over to Hector and Owen. What happened? Did you break your legs? Should I call for help? I asked.

They didn’t answer me.

I stared at them, trying to figure out what was wrong. The tips of their fingers were bright and colorful.

I said, You’re sitting down at recess, you can’t talk, and you have a weird rash on your fingers. Do you have a horrible disease? Were you poisoned?

Hector finally looked up at me. Oh, hi, Zeke, he said. I didn’t notice you here. I was busy playing with my new Puppet Pals.

I peered more closely at Hector’s and Owen’s hands. Those weren’t weird rashes on their fingers. Those were felt puppets. I’d seen the commercial for them a lot lately.

Owen started chanting the commercial jingle: Puppet Pals are so much fun . . .

Hector joined in, . . . for just about everyone.

Who wants to play basketball? I asked.

I— Hector started to say.

Not us. Owen cut him off. Puppet Pals are much more popular than basketball. Then he wiggled his index finger, which was covered with a pirate puppet. He said, Ahoy, matey. Ye olde recess goes great with Puppet Pals.

Hector wiggled his index finger, which had a Puppet Pal ship on it. He said, All aboard!

I wasn’t aboard. I was just bored. Are you sure you don’t want to play basketball? I asked.

Owen shook his head.

No thanks, Hector said.

Owen said, Zeke, you’re disturbing our Puppet Pal time.

I crossed my arms. Fine, I said. I’ll find someone else to play basketball with.

But it wasn’t fine. I wanted to play with Hector, my best friend.

And I couldn’t even find anyone to play basketball with. Most of the kids in my thirdgrade class were playing with their new Puppet Pals.

Nicole Finkle called out, "We’ll play