10 Smack!

CHAPTER TEN SMACK! "LET'S SHAKE IT out!" Simon said quickly. Rosie looked at the massive tree trunk—then she looked at me. I could tell she didn't think we could shake Max's soccer ball loose. But we thought it might make Simon feel better to give it a try. The three of us ducked under some of the lower branches and pressed our palms against the bark. "On your mark! Get set!" Simon said loudly. "Go!" We pushed on the trunk. It didn't move an inch. There was no way it would

work. "All we have left is to throw stuff at it," I said. I pointed at my mom. She was jogging toward the tenth station—jumping jacks.

"We better go fast. Mom's going to be done soon." "And there are five soccer players now," Simon said after jerking his head toward the field. He was worried. "Max could get here any minute!" We got the three Frisbees and football. We tried the Frisbees first. Some of our throws got pretty close, but none of them actually hit Max's soccer ball. And it took a lot of time to retrieve our Frisbees after every throw. It wasn't like the tree threw them back to us. Simon picked up the football. "Might as well try this," he said. He sounded defeated.

Simon threw it three times—and missed every time. Rosie and I watched as Simon leaned back and threw the football as hard as he could a fourth time. It was a way better throw. "That looks good!" Rosie said when it was halfway up. "It's got a chance!"

Smack! Simon's football hit Max's soccer ball right in the middle. Hard too. "Yes!" Simon screamed. We watched the football tumble down through the big pine tree's branches and hit the ground. Then we watched for the soccer ball. But it did not come down. It was still up there. It looked like it was wedged even deeper between those two branches. "Ugh!" Simon said, realizing what had happened. "Are you kidding me? Seriously?! I think it's more stuck!" Then somebody yelled.

It wasn't Simon.