"I wish all those boys were girls so we could play together."
After the stone flashed, Linda surveyed the rock's handiwork. Visually, not much had changed really. The impromptu game of baseball continued as before. Now, though, the players sported longer hair, some pulled back in ponytails. Looking closely, one might even notice a slight alteration in frame and musculature. Other than that, the difference was hardly spectacular.
Still, in her childish mind, Linda thought that she had made enough of a change for her own purposes.
Hopping off her swing, she ran over to the other girls. "Hi! Can I play, too?"
The girls stopped and looked her over. From her closer vantage point, Linda noticed that they all wore very boyish clothes, and that dirt practically covered them from head to toe. While the small park at the center of the neighborhood boasted its own baseball diamond and a playground, the city never spared the money to maintain it. Thus, most of the grass had died long ago, leaving a lot of dust. Of course, none of the children in the area could care less about cleanliness when they were having fun.
Seeing their grubby state, Linda glanced down at her pink dress, reflexively brushing invisible specks from her skirt. For a moment, she regretted asking to join. She had always been a fastidious girl who liked things pretty and neat. Playing with a bunch of grimy tomboys, while tempting from far away, began to lose its appeal.
One of the bigger girls, perhaps a couple of years older than Linda, sauntered over. "Go home, baby. This game is for big girls."
Linda blinked at this flat rejection. All her doubts crumbled. She just had to play with these older girls, whether or not she got dirty. It was a matter of pride! Standing as tall as she could, she huffed, "I am a big girl! I'm five!"
The other girl sneered. "Five is still a baby. Besides, you'll rip your pretty dress and cry. We don't want to play with a crybaby. Go on home."
"You're so mean!" Linda shouted, stomping her foot. Forgetting the rock in her little fist, she yelled, "I wish "
