Hollered out by children around the universe at the end of a game of Hide-and-go-seek. Relief washes over you as you meander casually from your hiding spot. The loser stands with his head down as the previous loser grins victoriously.

Being small and sly I was not caught often. I generally hid in insane places like the tops of trees and dryers. When I was it logical deductive reasoning always led me to the obvious hiding spots.

I find it hard to believe that we as adults don't play hide-and-go-seek; it was always more fun than any of the other "normal" games. I'm sorry, but Basketball, Baseball and Football all sucked compared to the real sports. Hide-and-go-seek, Dodgeball, Dog-eat-Dog (commonly referred to as Doggydog), kickball, handball, Four Square and of course, Wallball.

I may well have been a nerd, and you may not have liked me, but you would have been a fool not to have picked me first when playing those sorts of games. I was a GOD of Dodgeball, at least 3rd best at Dog-eat-dog and don't even talk to me about Wallball; I was the screaming messiah of "crackshots" and "jawbreakers". I could leave welts on the arms of those Baseball playing wimps on the Dog-eat-dog court without even trying hard. The fear in their eyes as you barrel down on them with a tattered heavy foam ball; ecstasy. It was those other losers and nerds that you had to watch out for.

Gabe, the kid that always wore mittens, even in the summer and only played Wallball. He was a good 6 inches shorter than anyone else and I don't think he ever spoke a word but man; could that kid hit a ball.

The Buckley brothers were Dog-eat-dog professionals; though scorned and teased for everything else, when they hit the court, people ran from them.

You played Four Square with fat Sarah and you got used to losing quickly.

Those were the fun games; where the rules were spouted by the previous games winner in a stream of nearly indecipherable jargon and where all those soon-to-be jocks and pretty boys didn't stand a chance.

NERD GAMES

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