"Uhm, I donno." Mary said. "I'm not very good at football." She knew it was true, but she hoped that the excuse would maybe make the boy go away. It didnt. Jake frowned and came closer.
"Hey, thats okay! You don't have'ta be good. Just have to have fun! Come on!" He held out a hand.
Mary found herself feeling strange. She saw the other kids, the other boys playing. Part of her new self wanted to join them. She reached out a hand and Jake took hers and pulled her with him. Before long, Mary found herself running, scampering in the mud with the other boys, tossing the ball and catching it. Her heart hammered in her chest and she found herself grinning. This was fun! She'd never imagined it would be so fun!