Leticia kicked open the front door and tripped. A mountain of crinkly candy wrappers spilled across the entryway.
She looked around at the big house. The kitchen table was buried under colors. 'We're here for a whole week,' she whispered, stepping over a sea of wrappers.
At the garage wall, Leticia practiced her handball shot. Swish — it bounced wide. Swish — it hit the frame.
Swish — the ball rolled into a pile of candy wrappers. She picked it up and tried again, her sneakers squeaking on the concrete.
The tournament began. Leticia stood at the free-throw line. Her legs felt wobbly. The other team scored — the crowd went whoosh.
She looked at her teammates, who nodded and clapped. Leticia took a deep breath and stepped back to the line.
Leticia threw the ball and — GOAL! The net swished.
Her whole team jumped and hugged her. She grinned so hard her cheeks hurt. They bounced around the court like they just won the world.
Later, Leticia sat on the big house couch, her legs stretched out. A third-place medal rested on her knee.
The kitchen table was still covered in candy wrappers. She picked at a wrapper, then laughed as her teammates piled in and stole the last of the snacks.