THEME: #16 ~ Jump-rope
"Hurry uppp!" Daisy yelled, loudly ringing her bicycle bell.
"Cominggggg!"
Ramona dashed around Mr. Quimby's armchair, peering behind it. His newspaper rustled as he folded it.
"Ramona," he warned. "What have I said about yelling indoors? We get enough of that with Roberta-"
"Ramonaaaaaaaaaa!" Daisy trilled from outside. "I'll leave without youuuuuuuu!"
"Have you seen my jump-ropes, Daddy?" Ramona asked, deliberately avoiding her father's gaze.
Mr. Quimby sighed tiredly. "…Check the front yard."
She kissed him quickly and burst outside, barely stopping the door from banging shut. "Daisy!" she hissed. "If Roberta was napping, I'd be in so much trouble-"
"Sorry," Daisy hissed back. "Do you have it?"
Ramona glanced down to see the jump-ropes draped unceremoniously over the shrubbery. "Here!"
A few minutes later, they were speeding toward the park. Dorothy and Lucy were already there, waiting. "Where have you been?" Dorothy asked.
"Couldn't find my jump-ropes," Ramona said apologetically.
"We're here now!" Daisy grinned, throwing an arm around Ramona. "Ready to Double Dutch?"
Dorothy was easily the best, breezing through all the chants and throwing in a few tricks as well. Lucy and Daisy were evenly matched, stumbling halfway through to good-natured laughter.
"You're next, Ramona!" Lucy called.
She groaned, shrinking back. "You guys know I'm the worst-"
"Go, go, go!" the girls chorused, and Ramona grudgingly consented.
It took her a couple tries, but she managed to get into the rhythm of the game. Quickly, with a sly smile, Daisy started a chant. The other girls quickly joined in.
"Ice cream, soda pop, cherry on top, how many boyfriends has she got? One, two-"
Ramona stumbled in surprise. "Two!" Daisy crowed. "Oh, I wonder who they are…"
"Danny!" Lucy piped up. Ramona flushed. "Who else?"
"Howie!" Daisy yelled, sprinting away with a shriek from a cherry-faced Ramona.
the end is nearrrrrr.