Nina glanced down the hallway.
It was empty.
She quickly pulled her jump rope out of her backpack.
Then she began to skip down the hall.
"Hey. Stop it right there.
No jumping inside!" someone called.
Nina froze. She turned around and saw the fifth-grade hall monitor.
Where had he come from?
"Sorry, I was just going to the gym," she said.
"Jumping rope inside gets a note to the principal," he said.
Nina sighed and watched him write out a note.
"Ms. Folani will see this right away," he said.
That made Nina grumpy.
But when she walked into the gym for Kids Central, she smiled.
Miss Shelly was holding a long, orange jump rope.
Izzie was jumping rope and chanting,
"I like coffee. I like tea.
I'd like Nina to jump with me!"
"I'm coming!" Nina cried, throwing down her backpack.
She took out her jump rope and began to jump in time with Izzie.
"I like coffee. I like tea.
I'd like Jason to jump with me!" Izzie chanted.
Jason picked up his rope to jump with the girls.
But Miss Shelly blew her whistle.
"Let's take this outside, kids," she called.
"And remember, we will walk, not jump, in the hallway."
"As you know, today is jump-rope day," Miss Shelly said.
"We'll all take turns jumping.
But first I need two turners to turn the rope."
Nina elbowed Bobby.
Izzie elbowed Jason.
"We'll be turners," the boys said.
"Great. And Nina and Izzie said they'd share some jump-rope rhymes with us.
Right, girls?" their teacher asked.
"Yep. You might know these already," Nina said to the boys.
"Are you ready, Nina?" Miss Shelly asked.
Nina jumped up and down.
"I think so! I've been practicing."
"We start with 'Nina, Nina, Turn Around.' Okay?" Izzie said.
The boys and Miss Shelly nodded.
"Nina, Nina, turn around.
Nina, Nina, touch the ground.
Nina, Nina, show your shoe.
Nina, Nina, that will do," they chanted.
"Perfect!" Izzie cried.
"Izzie, it's your turn," Jason called, still turning the rope.
"Okay. Here I come!
Do 'Strawberry Shortcake,'" Izzie said as she jumped in.
"Strawberry shortcake, cream on top.
Tell me the name of your sweetheart.
A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J—"
"Ooh, you're in love with Jason!" Nina squealed.
"I am not!" Izzie said, out of breath.
But everyone saw her blush.
"Okay, last turn.
Let's do 'Coffee and Tea,'" she said quickly.
"Turn the rope," Nina told the boys.
She spotted Ms. Folani walking across the blacktop to the parking lot.
"I like coffee. I like tea.
I'd like Ms. Folani to jump with me!" the girls called.
The principal looked surprised.
But then she put down her bag and hopped in.
"It's much more fun to jump outside, isn't it, Nina?" she said.
[caption_out@