The playground was quiet in the afternoon sun. Sam sat alone on the bottom step of the metal slide.
Sam's foot tapped a steady rhythm against the metal step. One foot, then the other, tap tap tap.
Elea walked up and held out a blue ball. "Want to try?" Sam shook their head and looked away.
Sam picked at a loose thread on their sleeve. Elea set the ball on the ground and sat on the step below.
Elea bounced the ball once. Boing. Twice. Boing, boing. A squirrel on the fence post turned its head.
Elea rolled the ball to Sam's shoe. Sam picked it up and bounced it once. Boing.
"One more?" Sam held the ball up. Elea grinned and nodded. Sam bounced it fast — boingboingboingboing — and laughed.
The laugh echoed across the playground. The blue ball bounced and bounced and bounced in Sam's hands.