¹     It was a beautiful spring day. Wendy and her friends Tim and Tess were kicking their new soccer ball. They were playing in the park. They saw a boy watching them play. It was time to take a rest. The boy walked up to them. "Hi y'all. My name is Skeeter. Can I play with you?" said the boy.
 
²     "Hi, Skeeter," said Tim. "We need another player. I'm Tim."
 
³     "Hi, Skeeter," added Wendy. "I'm Wendy. Are you new here? I haven't seen you in the park before."
 
⁴     "Yes," answered Skeeter. "I just moved to this town. I have only been here two weeks."
 
⁵     "Skeeter?" said Tess. "I don't think I've heard that name before. I'm Tess."
 
⁶     "Skeeter is my nickname. My real name is Josh. My granddaddy named me Skeeter. He says I flit around like a mosquito. There are lots of mosquitoes in Louisiana. That's where I used to live. I'm a Southerner."
 
⁷     "Welcome, Southerner Skeeter. Come and join our soccer game," said Tim.
 
⁸     The children played until they were tired. Then all four of them stopped at the snow cone stand. They set a time to play again the next day.
 
⁹     The children walked to Tim and Tess's house. They sat on the porch. Tim and Tess's mother joined them. She sat on the porch swing. "Did you have a nice day in the park?" she asked.

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