A story for early readers about relaxing into the unknown and trying new stuff.

Lucy Martinez always needed to be right. She highlighted her textbooks in perfectly straight lines, memorized every fact she could find, and raised her hand so fast in class that sometimes it hurt her shoulder. Her pencils were all sharpened to exactly the same length, lined up like soldiers on her desk. Being right made her feel safe, like wearing her favorite fuzzy sweater. Being wrong made her stomach feel squirmy.

That’s why she nearly fell out of her chair when Mrs. Chen announced their new project. Lucy’s fingers immediately started drumming on her desk โ€“ tap-tap-tap โ€“ the way they always did when she was nervous.

“Class, we’re going to do something different,” Mrs. Chen said, holding up a colorful bowl filled with folded papers. The papers rustled as she swirled them around. “Each of you will pick a topic you know absolutely nothing about and become an expert to teach the rest of us.”

Mrs Chen

Lucy’s hand shot up, her throat feeling tight. “Will there be a study guide?”

“No study guide this time,” Mrs. Chen smiled. “The fun part is discovering things on your own.”

Fun wasn’t exactly the word Lucy would use. Her heart was doing jumping jacks in her chest as she watched each student pick a topic from the bowl. When her turn came, she unfolded her topic, the paper crinkling in the quiet classroom.

“Traditional Games from Around the World,” she read aloud, her voice barely a whisper.

Jimmy behind her whooped. “Lucky! You get to play games for homework!”

But Lucy didn’t feel lucky. Her mind raced like a hamster on a wheel: How could she learn every game in the world? What if she got something wrong? What if she forgot important details? What if everyone laughed? Lucy’s stomach twisted, and she could feel her breakfast burrito.

“And one more thing,” Mrs. Chen interrupted her spiral of worries. “You’ll work in pairs.” She gestured to a girl Lucy hadn’t noticed before, standing at the front of the class. “This is Kaia. She just moved here from Hawaii, and she’ll be your partner, Lucy.”

Kaia helps Lucy with trying new stuff

Kaia had wild curly hair tied up in a messy bun that looked like a bird’s nest after a windstorm and wore a bright yellow t-shirt with paint splatters that made Lucy’s eyes twitch. She grinned and plopped down in the empty seat next to Lucy, bringing with her the faint smell of ocean and sunshine.

“Games are perfect!” Kaia whispered, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “We can learn by playing them!”

Lucy gripped her pencil so hard her knuckles turned white. “But shouldn’t we go to the library first? Make flashcards of all the rules?” The familiar feel of index cards in her hands would be so comforting.

Kaia tilted her head. “Why? The best way to understand a game is to try it.” She pulled out a string from her pocket and started looping it around her fingers. “Like this – it’s called Cat’s Cradle. We play it in Hawaii, but it comes from lots of different places. Want to try?”

Lucy trying new stuff

Before Lucy could say no, Kaia showed her how to take the string. Lucy’s fingers felt clumsy, and she tangled the string three times before making anything close to the diamond shape Kaia had made. Her face burned with embarrassment.

“Sorry,” Lucy mumbled, staring at her shoes. “I’m doing it wrong.”

“Says who?” Kaia laughed, the sound as light as wind chimes. “My grandmother always says the best part of learning something new is being terrible at it first. That’s how you know you’re learning!”

Over the next two weeks, Lucy discovered that working with Kaia was nothing like her usual study routine. Instead of heading straight to the library’s familiar shelves, they interviewed students’ grandparents about games from their childhoods. They learned about Seven Stones from Priya’s grandmother, who grew up in India, her face crinkling with memories as she demonstrated how to stack the rocks just so. They learned Chopsticks from Mr. Lee, the custodian, whose quick hands made the game look like magic.

The Seven Stones Game

They tried playing everything they learned about, usually making mistakes that led to giggles rather than anxiety. When they couldn’t figure out the rules for Mancala, Kaia suggested they make up a new version. Lucy’s throat went dry at the thought – make up rules? But after they played their invented version with Lucy’s little brother, she had to admit it was fun. The smooth click-clack of stones moving between the cups was oddly satisfying.

“But what if we teach it wrong in our presentation?” Lucy worried, chewing on her lower lip.

“Then we’ll learn the right way and know two versions instead of one,” Kaia shrugged, her curls bouncing. “Besides, did you know many games have different rules depending on where you play them? There’s no one perfect way.”

Slowly, Lucy started to see what Kaia meant. When they taught the class how to play Piko (a Hawaiian hopscotch game), Jimmy suggested adding a twist that made it even more fun. Lucy felt the familiar flutter of panic in her chest โ€“ this wasn’t how they’d planned it! But instead of correcting him, she took a deep breath and found herself saying, “Let’s try it!” The butterflies in her stomach felt more like excitement than fear.

The day of their presentation arrived. Lucy had insisted on making neat posters showing the games’ origins (the familiar smell of markers and fresh paper still calming her nerves), but Kaia had convinced her to make their presentation interactive. They taught the class three games, and soon the room was full of laughing students playing Piko, Cat’s Cradle, and their modified version of Mancala. The air hummed with energy and joy.

Mrs. Chen beamed as she watched. “What did you learn from this project, Lucy?”

Lucy looked around the classroom, taking in the happy chaos. Jimmy was teaching his own finger string pattern to three other students, his tongue sticking out in concentration. Priya and Maria had combined Piko with Seven Stones to create something new. Everyone was trying, failing, adjusting, and laughing. For the first time, the disorder didn’t make Lucy’s skin prickle with anxiety.

Lucy feels better

“I learned that sometimes not knowing is the best part,” Lucy said slowly, surprising herself with how steady her voice felt. “Because when you don’t know something, you can explore and discover and make mistakes that turn into something better than perfect.”

That afternoon, when Mrs. Chen announced they would be learning long division next week, Lucy didn’t feel her usual need to read ahead in the textbook. The familiar urge to be prepared still whispered in her mind, but it was quieter now. Instead, she wondered what kinds of mistakes she might make and what she might discover along the way.

At home, she dug out an old jump rope from her closet, the plastic handles warm and smooth in her palms and took it to the playground. She didn’t know any fancy tricks yet, but for the first time, not knowing felt like the beginning of an adventure rather than the end of the world. The rope made a satisfying whoosh through the air as she tried to figure out how to turn it right.

“Hey Lucy, what are you doing?” called Maria from the swings, their chains squeaking in rhythm.

Lucy relaxes at the end of day

Lucy smiled, feeling the late afternoon sun on her face. “I don’t know yet. I’m just trying new stuff. Want to help me figure it out?”


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