Andy was lonely. He had no brothers or sisters. There were no children in his neighborhood. Andy's parents sometimes played ball and rode bikes with him, but Andy wished that he had a boy his age to play with.
The people who lived in the house next door moved away. Andy heard that someone bought the empty house. He hoped the new family would have a boy— someone who would ride bikes and play ball with Andy.
Andy woke up early Saturday. He heard people talking on the street. He looked out and saw a big, white van. A man was opening the back of the truck. Another man got out of the van and walked around to the back.
After awhile, a white car drove up. First, a man got out. Then, a woman got out. They looked friendly, but Andy was worried they did not have a son. Finally, the back door opened. A kid got out. It was a girl. The girl's mother said, "Carol, as soon as we get your bike unloaded, you can explore the neighborhood."
Later, Andy got on his bike and rode down the street. The new girl was coming toward him on her bike. She waved and smiled at Andy. Andy waved back halfheartedly. He did not stop to talk. He did not want to talk about dolls and clothes.
That afternoon, Andy saw Carol and her dad in their backyard. They were shooting basketball. Andy watched Carol shoot the ball through the hoop. Then, she did it again. Andy was impressed. Maybe tomorrow he would ask her if she wanted to ride around the neighborhood.