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Nick Tuffle was Marvin’s other best friend.
“What’s your favorite dinosaur?” asked Nick.
Marvin thought a moment. He didn’t have a favorite dinosaur.
Stuart made a noise with his nose. “That’s a stupid question,” he said.
Marvin looked at his two best friends. He was afraid they’d get into another fight. Nick and Stuart were always fighting.
“What’s stupid about it?” Nick demanded.
“Because,” said Stuart, “the results are going to be buried in a time capsule. In fifty years people are going to dig up the time capsule. And then they’re going to think there were dinosaurs around when we went to school.”
“That’s stupid,” said Nick.
“Your turn, Stuart,” said Marvin.
“What? Oh,” said Stuart.
Marvin watched Stuart play wall-ball. He was up against Clarence, the toughest kid in the third grade.
Stuart lost.
Nick laughed when Stuart lost.
Marvin stepped up. Even though Clarence was bigger and stronger, Marvin felt he could beat him at wall-ball.
Clarence served. He bounced the red ball once on the ground, then hit it hard, with both hands together.
The ball hit the ground, then the wall, then bounced back to Marvin.
Marvin hit it with both hands. The ball hit the ground, the wall, then back toward Clarence.
Clarence smashed it. But too hard. The ball bounced off the wall and over the line.
Marvin caught it.
“I won!” Clarence declared.
“You did not,” said Marvin. “The ball was over the line.”
“You’re crazy,” said Clarence.
“I saw it,” said Marvin.
“You did not,” said Clarence. “You weren’t even watching. You were picking your nose!”
Several of the kids on line laughed.
“It was over the line,” said Marvin.
“Go pick your nose,” said Clarence.
The kids on line laughed again, even Nick.
“C’mon, Marvin. Get off the court,” said Ryan. “You’re wasting time.”
Marvin didn’t move. “The ball was over the line,” he said. “I saw it.”
