Max bounced in the backseat. “Jessie said they’re going to have the world’s biggest piñata!”
Mom parked near the picnic area. Balloons and streamers decorated the tables.
“Looks like a great birthday party,” said Mom as they got out of the car. “He’s going to like the gift, too.” She opened the trunk.
“He?” said Max. “Mom, Jessie’s a girl!”
“I thought Jesse was a boy!” They stared at the rectangular box wrapped in blue- and yellow-striped paper.
“What’s inside?”
“A Deluxe Power Crane with Grapple Hook Attachment,” Mom replied, “just like yours.”
That’s a terrible present for a girl, Max thought.
“Hi, Max!” Jessie shouted from across the grass. She waved for Max to join the party.
Max lifted the present from the trunk and hid it behind his back.
At the picnic tables, Max saw a stack of gifts. The boxes were wrapped in shades of pink with lots of fluffy bows. It looked like a mountain of cotton candy. Max stashed the blue- and yellow-striped box under the table.
“Come on, Max,” said Jessie. “It’s time for games!”
Max loved party games, but today he couldn’t concentrate. He tried to pin the tail on the pony, but he pinned it on Jessie’s mom. He was the first one out on musical lawn chairs.
I wish I could stop worrying about the–
“Presents!” called Jessie’s mom.
Within minutes, the pile of pink boxes became a pile of books, dolls, puzzles, and toy horses. Max chewed on his fingernail and hoped his present would stay hidden.
“Here’s the last one,” said Jessie’s dad. He held out the blue- and yellow-striped box. Max felt a nervous flutter in his belly.
Jessie tore through the paper. She wrinkled her nose as she studied the box. Max kicked at the grass.
Just then, Jessie’s mom bent down and whispered into Jessie’s ear. Jessie’s eyes filled with tears.
She must really hate my gift, thought Max.
“Sorry kids,” said Jessie’s mom. “I dropped my keys through a grate in the sidewalk. The piñata is locked inside my car!”
The kids groaned.
“Wait!” said Max. “We can rescue the keys with the Power Crane!” He opened the box, dumped out the pieces, and quickly assembled the crane.
Jessie’s mom pointed to where the keys had fallen. Max lowered the crane’s cable into the dark space between the metal bars. He gently dragged the line to the left, then to the right. Something jingled! Max slowly reeled in the cable as if he were pulling a fish from the lake. At the end of the grapple hook attachment hung the ring of keys.
The kids cheered!
“I love my present, Max!” said Jessie. “Thanks for showing me how it works.”
Jessie’s dad hung the piñata and Max got to take the world’s biggest first swing.
~The End~
Illustration Copyright © 2010 Rachelle Gray
Copyright © 2010 by Lori J. Alexander