Elsie flew into her fourth grade classroom, her woolen cap pulled down tightly over her eyes. She plowed into Rene, who fell to one side, knocking Katrina off balance.

“What are you doing, Elsie you big loser!” Katrina yelled, pushing her away.

Elsie pulled off her cap. “I did it!” she cried. “I won!”

“How does a big loser win anything?” Rene asked, planting her hands on her hips.

 Elsie clapped and did a little jump. “I won, and I bet Joey I would.”

Katrina and Rene glanced at each other and rolled their eyes. “You’re a loser, Elsie,” Rene said. “And you probably lost this stupid bet, whatever it is.”

 “Not this one,” Elsie promised. “As a matter of fact, Joey will win it, too.”

“How can you both win it?” Katrina asked. “All bets have losers, or they wouldn’t be bets. Besides, you said you won, so Joey lost.”

“Nope! Bet’s not over yet.” Rene and Katrina stared at Elsie, looking suspicious.

“What is it?” Rene finally asked.

“I bet Joey that one of you would speak to me when I came in the classroom.”

“Well, duh, you ran into us,” Katrina said. “A dumb bet, and Joey lost, so there is a loser.”
 

Joey won, too,” Elsie said, “because he said it could only happen if I ran into you.”

“Okay. Then you lost the bet,” Rene said, irritably.

“No, I said I would only run into you if I pulled my hat over my eyes.”

“Then Joey lost,” Katrina said, waving her arms.

“Nope. He said I would keep my hat over my eyes until after I ran into you, then I’d pull it off.”

Katrina and Rene looked completely lost. “That’s the dumbest thing I ever heard,” Rene said. “You lost your own bet when you pulled your hat off. Why didn’t you just leave it on?”

 “Because I bet him that I’d lose the bet.”

 Katrina and Rene groaned. “You’re crazy, Elsie,” Rene said, scrunching up her nose. “That makes Joey the final loser, then.”

“I am not.” Katrina and Rene twirled around to look at Joey, who had appeared in the doorway. “She lost the bet.”

“But she said she was going to lose,” Rene insisted. “So that means she won.”

”She did,” Joey agreed. “So did I, because if she lost, then that means I won.”

 “I give up,” Katrina shrugged. “What’s the prize anyway?”

“We agreed that the loser takes all,” Joey said. “So we don’t get the prize. Here, you want it?”

He held out a bag for Katrina. She took it and peered inside. “It’s empty,” she said.

“Of course it’s empty. That prize is for losers. Losers don’t win anything.” Looking disgusted, Rene and Katrina left the room shaking their heads.

“Way to go,” Joey said, giving Elsie a high five. “That’ll teach those girls to call you a loser.”

Elsie smiled and patted Joey on the back. “Thanks, friend. It’s great to be a winner with you.”