5. Dodgeball Disaster!

DODGEBALL DISASTER! 5 THUNK! CRASH! CLONK! Sam stared at the exit. Rubble is blocking the doors! he thought. A basketball hoop toppled and smashed against the floorboards. Sam's classmates all huddled together at the center of the gym. "What do we do?" Lucy asked.

"We need to get everyone out of here!" Antonio exclaimed. "We have to clear away the rubble to get out the doors!" Sam said. Then— SNAP! SNAP! Sam looked up. Dozens of lights dotted the high ceiling. One was plummeting toward them! "Watch out!" Antonio said. Lucy didn't have time to get out of the way. Instead, she lifted a dodgeball over her head. The light slammed into the ball and bounced off. It shattered against the floor.

"Good thinking, Lucy!" Sam said. He turned to his classmates. "Hold up your dodgeballs! Use them like shields!" "Do what he says!" Mr. Kirkpatrick said. Sam saw his gym teacher hunched beneath the bleachers. "Lucy! Antonio! Come with me!" Sam said. He lifted his dodgeball and they raced toward the doors. BOING! BONK! BOUNCE!

The lamps bounced off and spun through the air. Floorboards burst open as Sam, Lucy, and Antonio sped across the gym. At last, they reached the pile of rubble. Sam grabbed the wreckage and pulled at it. Lucy and Antonio dragged debris away from the doors. They finally cleared the way. Sam pushed the doors— but they wouldn't open! "They're locked!" Sam said. Sam turned around. He saw his classmates holding dodgeballs above their heads. "What if..." Antonio started.

"We use the dodgeballs...," Lucy went on. "To open the doors!" Sam exclaimed. Antonio cupped his hands over his mouth and shouted, "Listen, everyone! Throw your dodgeballs at the doors!" But their classmates didn't move. "Throw the balls now!" Mr. Kirkpatrick barked. Their teacher's voice forced the students to act. Twenty-one dodgeballs flew screaming toward the doors...