text: Joey pawed the ground a few times, leaving streaked shoe prints behind in the dirt. Ahead of him was a well-worn path through the forest, and further ahead, a section of the gully. He looked down at his new shoes, feeling their power surge through him. It was time to test them out. He crouched, counted down in his head, then took off like a shot. The new soles gripped the ground firmly; he felt his speed increase beyond anything his old shoes could have done. The edge of the gully rushed up to him; at the last moment, he jumped into the air, pinwheeling his limbs as he soared over the chasm. The darkness yawned beneath him; he felt a slight twinge of panic. Had he gone too far this time? Were his new shoes everything he had hoped for? He pushed his nagging doubts aside and focused on his jump. Slam! He finally made contact with the ground, landing on the uppermost slope of the gully; it was only a few feet to flat ground. A couple steps later, he was on the other side! Joey turned around to take in the full effect of his accomplishment. A triumphant yelp escaped from his throat; he had never jumped so far in his life! He looked down at his shoes, the thick leather straps swarming over the breathable mesh interior, looking like the muscles of an ancient gladiator. The olive color used throughout made them look like real Army shoes; the only way they could be cooler was if they were camouflage. His face beamed as he took a few deep breaths; everything was different now. "Nice jump," he heard someone say. Joey whirled around to see his friend, her eyes glowing with warmth. Her beaming smile seemed to shoot right through him. Joey swallowed before taking another breath. "Hi, Molly," he finally managed to say. "I didn't see you there." "Of course you didn't," Molly declared, her smile turning cryptic. She looked down at his feet. "New shoes?" "The best!" he exulted, twisting his body to model them. "These are Merrill Taos hiking shoes, with authentic Tekram soles, tactical nylon shoelaces..." "OK, OK," Molly protested. "I don't need to hear all the 'boy' details. They're neat shoes; I get it." "Sorry," he laughed. "I just got them for Christmas; I'm still excited about them. Did you get anything cool?" "Couldn't you tell?" She struck a dynamic pose, centered around her torso. Joey blinked. "Oh! That's a new pullover, isn't it?" "Not just *any* pullover!" she gushed, reaching behind her head. His eyes lit up. "It's a hoodie! You've always wanted one of those!" "It's not just *any* hoodie," she revealed. "Watch this." With a single fluid move, she flipped the hood over her head, nearly vanishing from view. "Now I get it!" he laughed. "No wonder I didn't see you coming!" "That's not all," she hinted. She pulled a pair of sunglasses from her hoodie's kangaroo pocket. Quickly donning them, she pulled the drawstrings on her hood tight, then tucked her hands into her pocket. Joey gaped. "You vanished completely!" He peered intently, but could only discern a faint shimmering in the air. Molly pulled her hands out, dropped her hood, and removed her sunglasses, completely visible again. "Looks like we both had a great Christmas!" he beamed. She looked down shyly, twisting one foot into the dirt. "Uh huh." Excitement swelled within Joey. He and Molly had known each other since before they started kindergarten, and had always gotten along really well. Would they continue to do so as they got older? Joey could only hope. "Your shoes are stupid," he heard a voice say. Joey looked around frantically, finally spotting an older boy some distance away, standing on top of a large boulder, smirking at both of them. Joey and Molly exchanged nonplussed glances. "Eric," Joey growled. Eric jumped down from the boulder and swaggered toward them. Joey and Molly looked at his shoes with growing discomfort. "That's right," Eric gloated. "Your eyes are *not* playing tricks. Check out *my* Christmas present!" With each step, lights in the heels of his white high-tops flashed. Eric strutted back and forth in front of them; Joey's face twisted into a frown as he felt himself burn inside. "My shoes totally dominate yours," Eric sneered. "Anything they can do, mine can do better!" "So what if your rich parents can afford better shoes?" Molly snapped. Eric stopped pacing and took a long look at Molly. As Eric sidled up to her, a mocking grin on his face, Joey felt like he was ready to boil over. "Well, *hello*, Molly," Eric oozed. "Aren't *you* growing up to be a lovely young lady." "Get lost, creep," Molly seethed. Eric reached for her; she slapped his hand away. Eric feigned surprise, then leered again. "Mmmm...I like 'em feisty!" Molly turned away from him, disgusted and unnerved. "Stop that *now*!" Joey shrieked. Eric turned to glare at Joey; Molly looked worried. "Oh, you *like* her, do you?" Eric mocked. Joey could feel his skin burn; Molly looked down demurely. Eric got uncomfortably close to Joey, almost pushing him over. "How about we settle this with a little contest? Perhaps a race through the Curse?" That was the name the neighborhood kids gave to their obstacle course, running through a small portion of the forested forty-acre parcel between their subdivision and the next one. It started with a few loops over creeks and fallen logs, but had grown over time, sporting improvised fences and hidden traps. These days, it was no mere obstacle course; they had taken to calling it the Curse. "It won't be a fair race!" Joey protested. "Just because your parents can buy you fancier shoes!" "I don't think you have a choice," Eric insinuated. "At least, if you like Molly. Because the winner gets the hand of the fair maiden." Molly made a disgusted snort. "I'm not going to stick around and be treated like some sort of *trophy*," she huffed before turning to leave. As she did, she caught Joey's eye, and flashed him a subtle wink. Joey froze; what did she mean by that? And had Eric seen it? He continued to smirk at Joey, his gaze unchanged. Perhaps he hadn't noticed. "Well?" Eric snarled. "Are you down?" "She doesn't like you, you know," Joey shot back. "And you can't make her like you." "Oh, Joey," Eric chided as he put his hand on Joey's shoulder. "Sweet, innocent Joey." Before Joey could squirm away, Eric pulled back. "You're only twelve; you don't know the ins and outs of romance the way I do. One day, when you're fourteen like me, you'll realize that women respond to certain social cues. They prefer tall, rich, older men." He shook his head. "Do you see what I mean? You just can't compete." "We'll see who can't compete," Joey snapped. "I accept your terms." Eric chuckled. "Really? You think you have a chance?" "She'll never like you," Joey vowed. Eric put his hands up. "Hey, no one can control how women think. That's something else you'll learn when you're my age. So here's the deal. If I win, you have to stand aside and let me have my chance. If you win, I'll leave her alone." Joey was surprised by how intensely he was willing to defend Molly's honor. "Deal." Eric clicked his tongue as he shook his head. "You're in for the biggest humiliation of your life." "Let's just settle this on the Curse." Joey looked around. "Should we walk to the start of it?" Eric's lips curled into a haughty sneer. "Let's race to it from here! Ready?" Eric crouched down into a runner's starting position. "Fine." Joey crouched too. He fingered his new gloves in his pocket, making sure they were still there. He didn't get a chance to show them to Molly; they were real woodsman's gloves, with leather running over a polyester sleeve. They kept his hands warm and should give him the traction he needed for positively superhuman abilities. He was confident they would let him climb like Spiderman. "On 'go'," Eric commanded. "3...2...1...*go!*" They both took off running. Joey thrilled as he found himself keeping pace with Eric. He glared at Joey, then abruptly, he pulled ahead as his shoes flashed more rapidly than before. Joey felt his heart sink as he pushed himself harder. It was a clear path to the start of the Curse, now looming before them. Joey could hardly contain his anguish as he felt his effort to protect Molly crumbling before his eyes. Without warning, Eric stumbled and fell, face-planting at full speed, crying in pain. A grin spread across Joey's face as he passed Eric. "You should look where you're going!" Joey called out as he sprinted past his fallen foe. "That's not fair!" Eric whined. He looked around wildly. "What did I even trip on?" He pulled himself to his feet and took off toward Joey, straining to close the gap. Joey reached the first obstacle, a wall made from logs. It was one of the first added by the neighborhood kids, years ago. For Joey, it had always been there. He leaped onto it and quickly scrambled over. He could hear Eric's footsteps behind him; there was no need to look. After a short straightaway, the next part involved jumping the gully; that was the name they gave to the deepest, widest creek in the forest. He swelled with confidence as he neared the edge; with a mighty leap, he pinwheeled his limbs, sailing over the gap and landing on the other side, well past the slope. His heart fell a few seconds later as he heard Eric land. He was catching up! Joey bolted around the U-turn and to the next obstacle, which ran under a simple plywood deck. The crawling hazard wasn't safe during the summer; it tended to attract snakes and spiders. Fortunately, it was winter. Feeling like a real Army man, Joey dove toward the opening, impacting roughly on the dirt. With all the speed he could muster, he flailed his limbs to propel himself forward, counting off the support beams as he passed them. His face broke out into a smile as he passed the fifth one, seeing daylight ahead of him. Joey emerged from the hole and sprinted away, brushing himself off without missing a step. He heard Eric emerge from beneath the deck; he was right on Joey's heels! A thick patch of brush was next; Joey knew it well. Although it grew back quickly, some parts were naturally thinner than others, and he knew how to weave through it. Eric was close on his heels; if he followed Joey's path, the advantage would be lost! Joey entered the thicket and dodged occasionally from side to side, hoping to convince Eric to do likewise. But Eric plowed through a different area, making better time than Joey had expected. Joey stopped his attempt at deception and focused on breaking free of the brambles. Joey heard Eric cry out in pain, followed by a clumsy-sounding tumble. He didn't dare turn around, choosing instead to watch for thin parts in the brush. "What the heck?" Eric complained. "That branch came out of nowhere!" "I can't hear you!" Joey laughed as he finally burst out of the tangle. "You're too far away!" He rounded the next U-turn and toward the balance beam, jumping up to the platform with only a few steps. This challenge made good use of his new shoes. Switching to a side-stepping gait, he crossed the beam quickly, focusing on the aged wood, not the overgrown creek below. The beam shook unexpectedly; Eric had arrived! Based on the way he made the beam bounce, he had also chosen to side-step. Joey felt panic rise in his throat as it seemed Eric was getting closer. The end of the beam was only a few steps away; Joey knew he couldn't slip up now. But just as he was about to jump to the end, Eric body-checked him from behind, sending him flying. Joey watched the platform's rough surface rush up to him. Remembering his years of practice, and the Army movies he loved so much, he tucked his head down and curled into a ball. He hit the platform hard, but rolled instead of coming to a stop. He continued at full speed as the platform sloped away, weathering rough impacts on his knees and back. Despite the deft maneuver, he could hear Eric run past him. Finally, Joey hit the ground and sprung to his feet. He silently thanked his quick thinking and years of experience. He was less happy to note that Eric had increased the distance between them as they both rounded the next U-turn. The rope swing was next. It was just a few old twine ropes tied to a tree branch, swinging over a shallow part of a creek, but the distance couldn't be achieved with a single jump. One had to throw their weight, increasing the sweep of the curve until it was safe to dismount. Joey realized that was the least of his problems as he glumly watched Eric pull ahead of him, reaching the rope swing several seconds early. Joey reached into his pocket and pulled out his gloves. Running made that more difficult, but he didn't dare slow down now. He managed to slip them on just a moment before reaching the rope. Eric was already swaying wildly, gloating as he watched Joey only beginning to swing. Joey's gloves gripped the rope tightly; he needed every advantage he could get. He threw his weight expertly, gaining distance faster than he expected. Two more swings and he could probably jump! But Eric had reached his apogee, and flung himself from the rope, landing just below the flat ground. Suddenly, his body twisted as he lost his footing and fell backwards. "Stupid branch!" he roared as a short log tumbled from his landing spot and down toward the creek. He quickly picked himself up and scrambled up the hill just as Joey attempted his dismount. He landed closer to the flat ground, but Eric was still a few seconds ahead of him. They approached an improvised bridge over a small creek; both crossed it easily. One day, they hoped to install some monkey bars here, to make it like a real Army challenge, but that was well out of the nonexistent budget of the neighborhood kids, and no kindly benefactor had shown up with a set. Still, something to dream about. Joey was sure his gloves would have helped him cross monkey bars much faster than Eric could. The last obstacle loomed before them. A flat wall, constructed from two-by-fours and held up by four-by-fours concreted into the ground, rose ten feet in the air. It had been put up last spring, to use up the leftover materials from someone's backyard deck project. The kids had been trying to crack the puzzle ever since. The most popular method was to leap as high as one could, grab onto one of the four-by-four posts, and try to shimmy the rest of the height. That took good shoes and strong fingers, and maybe even proper gloves. Joey was sure he would clear it with little effort. But Eric was so far ahead of him. What could he do? Eric launched himself at the wall and tried to clamp his hands onto a post. The force of his collision made the wall flex; Joey's heart soared as he watched Eric get thrown to the ground. He made another leap for a post just before Joey arrived, who sprung into the air and attached himself to a different post. His gloves clung to the wood as if he was Spiderman; he thrilled at the strength of his grip. Both of them climbed upwards. It all came down to this! Eric suddenly faltered. "What the-!" he cried. Joey dared to look down for an instant; Eric's right shoe had come off! Inexplicably, it landed neatly on the ground, not bouncing. For a split second, Joey saw a hand dart away, quickly disappearing from sight. He smiled; Molly had played a dirty trick at the last second! As Eric continued to wail, Joey expertly ratcheted up the wall, and in another deft demonstration of a real Army man move, he flung his legs upward, launching them over the wall, then landed on the other side. It was only a dozen or so steps from there to a rounded clearing they had dubbed the "winner's circle". He sprinted to the circle, jumping at the last second to land inside of it. "Winner!" he exclaimed. Eric, huffing and puffing, emerged from the side of the wall. He glared sullenly at Joey, then sat down to unlace his shoe. Without warning, Molly's face appeared before Joey. The rest of her was suddenly revealed as she flung back her hood. "You did it!" she gushed before hugging Joey. He gratefully returned the hug. They stood together for several moments. Molly locked eyes with Joey. "I knew you wouldn't let me down." Joey smiled. "I could never let you down." Molly's face turned red; she released the hug and looked down demurely. Joey swallowed hard. "Hey!" Eric shouted as he finished tying his shoe.. "Where did *you* come from?" Molly looked coy. "Oh, I've been...around." Eric's eyes grew wide. "Wait! You've been sabotaging me the whole time! Haven't you? *Haven't you?*" Molly smirked. "You'll never know." "That wasn't fair!" he bleated. "Best two out of three!" "There's no point," Molly chided. "You don't have a chance. Women don't like crybabies. Didn't you know that?" "He'll understand when he gets older," Joey cracked. They shared a laugh. "I *know* you cheated," Eric seethed. "I'll get you for this." "I didn't need to cheat," Joey pointed out. "Look how dirty your shoes are! What were you thinking, wearing white shoes in the forest? Everyone knows that, the dirtier they get, the worse they work!" He presented his right shoe, covered with dirt and debris. "While mine just work better and better!" He glanced at Molly as he showed his left shoe. "Natural forest colors, you see." "Just brilliant!" Molly gushed. "You really did get the best Christmas present." Joey locked eyes with Molly again. "I really did." Molly brushed some debris off his shoulder. "I think the big winner deserves a prize. Want to come to my house for some homemade fudge?" Joey smiled broadly. "That sounds great." Without another word, Joey and Molly walked away, leaving Eric leaning against the wall. A small tear escaped and ran down his cheek. He wiped it away quickly. "I'm not crying," he said to no one in particular. "There's something in my eye.