Playground Ethics

Secrets have varying levels of "top secret" access when you're a child.

Maria observed the clump of boys passing the soccer ball around. She leaned over, covered Breaynn’s ear, and whispered something. Breayann’s ears widened. Maria leaned back into the grass, her cheeks flushed.

With a giggle, her friend bounced up, dashing over to a gathering of girls. The ritual of covering one’s ear and passing along an important message repeated. Laughter and hushed voices passed among the gaggle of elementary girls.

They got up and scattered to the edges of the field and playground, each one eager to spread the word.

At long last, Cody ran up to one of the soccer players, Aaron. She tapped him on the shoulder.

“I’ve got something to tell you.” She stretched on her toes and covered his ear, whispering, “Maria likes you.”

“How do you know?”

“Everyone knows, but you didn’t hear it from me. It’s a secret,” she said.

Confused, he asked, “If it’s a secret, why are you telling me?”

“Do you like Maria?”

Red roses blossomed in his tan cheeks. He nodded.

“You should tell her.”

“I don’t want to tell her to her face. It’ll be too embarrassing.”

The little girl shrugged her shoulders. “You can tell her.”

“How?”

“That part’s easy. Just tell someone you like her and it’s a secret.” Cody grinned.

“That doesn’t even make sense. If it’s a secret, how would she find out?”

Cody gestured to the giggles around the playground, the sneaky glances, and covered ears. The flush in his cheeks deepened.

“Oh, I get it now.” He cupped his mouth to her ear. “Hey Cody, I gotta secret to share. I like Maria.”

She laughed and batted him away, spinning to start the train of playground ethics. You never told your friends secrets to anyone, unless they wanted you to.