Gross Boys

         “Robbie, this is going to be the best prank yet!”  Zach whispered, chuckling.
         “These masks are great!  I was saving mine for Halloween, but this is even better.”
         “Shhh! Shhh!  Here they come.”  The pranksters ducked below the juniper hedge.
         “Have you seen those rotten boys around lately?”
         “No, and it makes me really nervous.  They always – “
         “RAWR! ARGH!”
         Shrieks of fear pierced the farthest corner of the park.  The girls clutched each others hands, trembling.  Their skinny legs danced on the path unsure which direction to flee. 
         “Better run, girlies,” the knobby green face growled, his yellow eyes glinting in the afternoon sun.
         “Yeah, we’re hungry for some brains!”  The black face with an enormous gash on his cheek moaned.  He hung a squirming mass of earthworms over his scaly lips.
         Suzy’s blue eyes narrowed and her sparkly pink nails dug into her fists, “You’re so dumb!” she screamed.
         Missy shifted cautiously behind her friend.  Her eyes darted between the two monsters as she chewed the end of her straight, dark ponytail.
         “I know it’s you, Robbie!”  Suzy shouted, “I recognize your ugly old tennis shoes!”
         “Awww, man!  You’re no fun,” Robbie flopped off the grotesque mask and sneered at his victims.
         “Dude!  Keep it on!!  Now they know it’s us for sure!”
         “Oh give it up, Zach!”  Suzy spouted.  She crossed her arms and took a possessive stance.  Missy gnawed her ponytail.
         “C’mon, they’re not playing fair anyway.  Let’s get out of here.”  Robbie tugged the sleeve of the unmasked Zach and nodded his head in the opposite direction of the playground.
         The boys trotted off, grumbling.
         “Gosh!  They are such jerks,” Missy’s voice wavered.  She dropped her ponytail from her mouth and smoothed it out.
         “You can’t let them bother you!”  Suzy reprimanded, “They’ve been playing pranks on us since we were 1st graders!”
         “I know, but it always gets me.  Aren’t boys supposed to stop being gross and scary when you reach Middle School?”  Missy shuddered and brushed herself off before climbing into the swing.   
         “Boys will never stop being gross, Miss.”  Suzy stepped into the swing seat and rocked in it sideways.
         “Yeah, I guess.”
         Disgruntled, Missy jumped out of her swing and dashed over to the bulletin board.  The Parks and Recreation posting board sat in the middle of the park’s fence.  Numerous colored flyers flipped in the late June breeze.
         “Take a look at this,” Missy called out, holding the yellow paper she’d taken from the board.  Suzy abandoned her swing and ran over.
         “What do you say to a little challenge with those dear, sweet boys?”
         Suzy glanced down at the announcement:

Rockwood’s 1st Annual Obstacle Course Race
Open to ages 8-14
Team up with a buddy and register by June 23rd
Contest will be held at the Rockwood Park
June 30th at 10:00am
Winners receive a pizza party

         “What exactly are you thinking, Miss?”  Suzy grinned with questions in her eyes.
         “You run track better than anyone, and I’m great at gymnastics.  We’ll get Zach and Robbie to team up together and we’ll beat the pants off them!”
         “That’s not going to make them leave us alone, Missy.”
         “What if we added a little wager on the side?”  Missy’s face glowed and her eyes sparkled, “We won’t just win the pizza party.  We’ll win some respect.”
         The next afternoon the girls found Zach and Robbie fishing in the stream that ran along the edge of the park.  They sauntered by the bank with heads held high and ponytails swinging.  Suzy spoke loudly so the boys would certainly overhear.
         “We are totally going to win that obstacle course race.”
         “Yeah, that pizza party is ours already!”
         “Whoa, whoa, whoa!  What race?”  Zach butted in, laying down his pole.
         “And what pizza party?”  Robbie added. His chunky middle jiggled as he climbed the bank.
         “Oh.  You haven’t seen the flyer?” Suzy asked eyes wide with mock amazement.
         “No,” the boys responded in unison.
         “But whatever it is you’re not winning that pizza party.  We are,” Robbie taunted.
         “An obstacle course?” Zach questioned, “We could win that with our eyes closed.”  He held up his tan arms in a where’s-the-fun-in-that gesture.
         Suzy’s hands flew to her hips, “Here’s the deal.  Who cares about the pizza party? Missy and I have a better offer for you two twits.”
         Missy crossed her china doll arms and gulped,” If you win, Suzy and I will dig up your nasty worms for fishing for the rest of the summer.”  A small gag caught in the back of her throat and she squeezed her eyes shut and coughed.
         “Well that sounds good,” Zach beamed, “ Here’s the bucket. You can just get started now.”
         “Not so fast buddy! If we win you two are going to leave us alone and not pull anymore pranks on us.  Got it?” Suzy glared at her rivals.
         “Yeah, sure.  We promise,” Robbie snickered and absent-mindedly wiped his nose with the back of his dusty hand.
         “And to make sure you don’t accidentally forget to not play anymore pranks,” Missy paused, “You’re going to put on dresses and lipstick and then dance in your front yard.”
         “Oh come on!”  Robbie threw his hands to his head and grabbed fists of his copper colored hair.
         “No, man.  It’s okay,” Zach patted Robbie’s shoulder, “They’re not going to win.  We have nothing to worry about!”
         “I’m NOT wearing a dress, Zach!”
         “Neither am I, Rob.”
         Zach offered his hand to the girls.  “Deal,” he said.
         “Deal.”
         The afternoon of the race was hot and humid.  The air carried the sweet smell of  fresh cut grass.
         “Okay guys and gals,” the race official called, “Who’s ready to win a pizza party?”
         Whoops and cheers exploded in the small crowd.
         The race official explained the twists and turns, ups and downs, and clever tricks the teams would have to perform to make it to the finish line.  The group separated into pairs and formed the starting line.
         “Ready. Set. GO!”
         Zach stumbled as he took his first steps and Missy giggled nervously. But he recovered quickly and broke into a sprint, sticking out a wide tongue as he whipped by her. 
         He and Robbie climbed up the rope ladder with ease. Missy nailed the tire hopping and Suzy took the lead in the dash to the tennis courts.  Robbie sailed his five tennis balls over the net.
         “Final stretch, girlies.  Ready to do some digging?”
         “Ready to wear lipstick,” Missy snapped back.  She dropped her racket and fled to catch up.
         The yellow tape of the finish line swung only meters ahead.
         “I’m not wearing a dress!” Robbie grunted.
         “I’m not digging worms,” Missy hissed back.
         “It’s over for you,” Zach bolted from behind and pushed his way between the two front runners.
         “Think again,” Suzy saw Zach stretch his stride to move between the other two and she forced herself to run faster and cut him off.          
         The tape snapped.
         Suzy’s legs went flying back over her head.  Missy’s cheek grounded on a clover patch.  Robbie collapsed with a loud whoosh.  Zach fell on top of all three of them and managed to pin his head under Suzy’s left knee.
         “Ugh!”
         “Oww!”
         “Gross!”
         “My head!”
         Slowly they untangled the mess of arms and legs.
         “I think I ate dirt,” Missy said, spitting out a glob of grass.
         “I think I swallowed my face,” said Zach, gently patting his swollen lip.
         “I thought my feet disappeared!” Robbie sucked in more air.
         “I’ve never flipped upside down so fast!”  Suzy stood, then tipped back down landing on her backside with a thick thud.
         They cautiously looked at one another then burst into cackles and squawks.
         The race official jogged over and clucked his tongue at the giddy foursome, “I’d say you crazy kids have yourselves a tie!”
         Later, at Pizza Heaven, a small gold trophy sat in the middle of the table seating Suzy, Zach, Missy and Robbie.
         “I guess we’ve picked on you guys enough,” Robbie announced.
         “Umm, yeah, I’d say so.  The frogs were the worst!”  Suzy said through a mouthful of pepperoni.
         “Those took us forever to catch!” Zach laughed and Coke fizzed out his freckled nose.
         “Aww, man!”  Missy shielded herself from the spray.
         “I guess you were right, Suzy.  Boys will never stop being gross!”
         Robbie smiled with olives for teeth