Leo and his friend Max built the tallest tower ever on the living room rug. Red blocks went up, one by one, until it wobbled like a giant finger pointing at the ceiling.
Max reached for his red toy car, and his elbow bumped the tower. CLATTER! Blocks went flying everywhere. 'You ruined it!' Leo shouted, and Max stomped out the front door.
Leo swung alone at the park, pumping his legs harder and harder. But the chain squeaked and the swing barely moved. He kept his eyes forward and did not look across the playground.
Across the playground, he heard Max laughing with other kids. They did not look his way. Leo kicked a pinecone and walked home, his shadow long behind him.
Leo drew a crooked heart on bright blue construction paper. He wrote S-O-R-R-Y in wobbly letters underneath. His tongue poked out as he pressed hard with the crayon.
He folded it into a paper airplane and threw it out the window. CRUMP! It nosedived straight into the hydrangea bush. 'Again,' he whispered.
Leo wound up his arm and threw it harder this time. WHOOSH! The paper airplane caught the wind and sailed over the fence, past the neighbor's oak tree, straight toward Max's house.
Leo walked all the way to Max's house and rang the doorbell. Ding-dong. Max opened the door, his face still grumpy, but then he saw the paper airplane in Leo's hand.
'I was wrong about the blocks,' Leo said, holding out the airplane. Max looked at it, then at Leo, and his frown started to crack. A tiny grin tugged at the corner of his mouth.
Max grabbed Leo's hand and pulled him inside. 'One last game,' he said. 'Castle building. The best one ever.' They raced to the rug like their feet had springs.
They built a towering castle with red towers and blue drawbridges. Leo wore a pot as a crown. Max wore a colander. 'All hail King Leo!' 'All hail King Max!' they cheered.
They took turns being the dragon and the knight, breathing pretend fire and swinging plastic swords. The castle wobbled, then toppled into a giggling heap on the rug.
