Katie and Travis met when they were in the same second grade class at G. L. Parks Elementary School, and it was well-known by everyone who knew them that they hated each other.
Katie was a very nice girl. Everyone said so. She always played with everyone at recess, even Connor, who was kind of dumb because he didn't know how to do his multiplication. Katie never even made fun of him. The only person she absolutely would not ever play with was Travis. He was mean and a bully and just the kind of person who would make fun of slow kids like Connor. Katie didn't like Travis.
It was on a Thursday afternoon, right after lunchtime that Mrs. Greer's class was out on the playground for recess. Most of the boys in the class were setting up a game of kickball in the grass, while most of the girls were either playing on the swings or hanging from the monkey bars. Katie was waiting in line to get on the monkey bars when she heard someone yelling her name.
"Come play kickball with us!" Connor shouted, his hands cupped around his mouth to make his voice louder. Katie smiled and ran towards the kickball game.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," said Travis, blocking her path to Connor. "You can't play with us, little girl. Kickball is a man's sport."
"Oh, shut up," Katie said, getting angry. "You're not a man. You're just a kid, and a mean one, at that."
"Why don't you go play house or something?" Travis taunted.
"No," Katie told him. "I want to play kickball and you can't stop me." By this point, all the other boys in her class were staring at the pair.
"C'mon, just let her play," said Connor.
"Yeah," Katie said. "Let me play. Unless you're too afraid to get beat by a girl."
Travis frowned at that. "Fine."
It was decided that Travis and Connor would be team captains, and so they began picking team members in turn. Connor chose Katie first for his team. She would have to remember to thank him later. Maybe she would give him one of the cookies her mom packed her for snack time.
Travis' team took the field first. Travis stood in the center, kickball in hand, ready to roll it towards the first kicker. Katie was fourth in line to kick. When it was her turn, she took a deep breath and got into position. Travis just smiled in a really annoying way, and rolled the ball.
Katie kicked it with all her might, watching it sail high into the air for a second, then started running towards first base.
"FOUL!" Travis shouted, and sure enough, the ball had landed out of bounds. Grumbling, Katie stomped back to home and got into position again. Someone tossed the ball back to Travis, and he rolled again.
This time, Katie closed her eyes a half a second before the ball reached her, and when she kicked, her foot met air.
"Strike one!" Travis called, laughing. "I told you, girls can't play kickball!"
Katie ground her teeth together and balled her fists. Don't let him bother you, she thought to herself.
"Strike two!" Katie blinked. Without even noticing, Travis had rolled the ball again. Katie didn't even get the chance to kick that time.
"That's unfair! Re-roll!" someone behind Katie yelled.
"It's a strike! The rules don't change for her!" Travis yelled back.
By this point, Katie was furious. Furious with Travis, for being such a jerk, and furious with herself, for letting the idiot get to her. This time, Katie refused to blink, her eyes burning a little bit. She did not take her eyes off of Travis as he rolled the ball once more. This was her last chance to kick, and kick she did. Katie watched the ball soar across the field the way it came, landing square in the middle of Travis' face with a loud SMACK!
She couldn't keep the grin off her face as the boy landed flat on his butt in front of everyone, even if she did feel a tiny bit guilty for giving him a bloody nose.