"How can I ever return the favor?" Lincoln asked cheerfully.
"I was getting a little bored jump roping down the street by myself." admitted Taila. "Would you like to come along with me?"
"Sure!" Lincoln decided.
They got off the bench, but Lincoln stopped Taila right before they could start walking off.
"Hold on." Lincoln interrupted. "You have a jump rope, but I don't."
"That's not really a problem." said Taila.
"Why?" Lincoln asked.
Taila then pulled out another jump rope out of a pocket in her dress.
"I always carry around a spare one!" Taila told Lincoln, as she handed the jump rope to him.
"Oh, thanks." Lincoln asked.
"Anytime!" said Taila.
"So, are you good at jump roping?" she aaked Lincoln.
"I've seen people such as my younger sisters do it, but I don't think I have ever done it for myself. I'll see if I still remember how to do it." Lincoln responded.
Lincoln began attempting to jump rope, but as he jumped the first time, he tripped on the rope and fell over, but was quick to break his fall with his hand. He tried again, with similar results. After a few tries, he gave up.
"Looks like I need a bit more practice." Lincoln remarked.
"I'd be happy to assist you!" Taila told him.
"Gee, that's nice of you!" Lincoln thanked.
"Trust me, you'll be a pro in no time!" Taila told Lincoln.
The two then walked to a nearby field so Taila could tutor Lincoln on everything she knew about jump roping.
"Alright, we'll begin easy and start with something called a 'side swing'. All you have to do is swing the jump rope to both sides and hop over it once it comes towards you." Taila instructed.
Lincoln watched her really closely and then tried to copy her moves, and to his surprise he got the hang of it once he did it a few times. Taila was surprised to see him learning so quickly.
"Great job!" Taila complimented Lincoln.
"Thanks!" Lincoln said back to her.
"Now you're ready for the basic bounce, which I think you already know." Taila instructeded next.
She spun the rope around her and jumped over it multiple times. Lincoln copied her again and was able to do it within a short amount of tries.
"Woah, you're getting pretty good at this!" Taila said.
"Thank you!" Lincoln said again.
"This next one is called 'side straddles'. Watch me do it first before you try." said Taila. As she spun the rope, she made did jumping jack motions with her legs. Much like the previous two, Lincoln got the hang of it pretty.
"Awesome!" Taila complented him again.
For a little while, Taila kept doing jump rope tricks with Lincoln to see how good he really was at doing each one. From 'side straddles', to 'straddle crosses', to a 'wounded duck', each one got harder and harder as they progressed, until they were at the hardest trick yet.
"Oh boy, here comes the most challenging trick I know of." Taila told Lincoln.
"What is it?" questioned Lincoln.
"Are you sure you're ready?" Taila asked him.
"I think so." Lincoln confirmed.
"It's called the 'criss-cross'. What you do it invert the rope every time you jump over it, while also crossing your feet together and apart. Let me give you a demonstration." Taila explained. She began doing the trick, which Lincoln found very complex.
"Do you think you'll be able to do this?" Taila asked Lincoln.
"Hmmm..." Lincoln responded.
Lincoln was now trying to concentrate on the rope and his feet, now feeling unsure of himself.
"I hate to say this, but don't think I'm able to do this." Lincoln said.
"Come on, Linky! You can do it! I believe in you!" Taila cheered on re
Taking in Taila's cheers, Lincoln began swinging the rope over himself and inverting its position simultaniously, followed by jumping over it several times.
Taila was completely shocked at this, because Lincoln was now doing the trick flawlessly.
"I'm surprised, you really did it!" Taila said happily.
"Never thought I would!" Lincoln told her.
"I'm so proud of you!" Taila exclaimed. She and Lincoln shared a high-five.
"Wanna go take a stroll down the sidewalk now?" asked Lincoln.
"Sure!" Taila responded.
The two returned to the sidewalk where they previously met up and began traveling down it.
"Johnny gave me apples, Johnny gave me pears. Johnny gave me fifty cents to kiss him on the stairs. I gave him back his apples, I gave him back his pears. I gave him back his fifty cents and kicked him down the stairs!" the two sang in unison as they jump roped together.
They jump roped for quite a while, but soon enough Lincoln was beginning to get tired.
"Boy, all this jumping is making me tired" Lincoln blurted. This caught Taila's attention right away.
"Would you like to stop for today?" Taila kindly asked.
"Yes, I very much would." Lincoln replied through breaths.
"When you feel exhausted, it's best to drink plenty of water and give your body a rest. Why don't you take go home and take a break?" Taila suggested.
"Good idea." agreed Lincoln.
"And the next time we meet, we can have more fun!" Taila said happily.
"What should i do with my jump rope?" Lincoln asked.
"You can keep it, just in case." she answered.
"Oh, thanks!" Lincoln said. "I guess I'll see you later!"
"Bye, Linky!" Taila said back, as the two walked and jumped their separate ways respectively.