It was launchtime in CAE elementary school. Ten-year old John had eaten and was now walking around the class, talking and laughing as he usually did. He went to a boy at the back of the room and took a pencil from his table.
The boy got up immediately. " Give me my pencil" he said and snatched it from John before he could run away. The pupils at the back who saw what happened also laughed.
One girl was not laughing through, John noticed. Looking at her now, he made funny face and stuck his tongue out. The very quiet girl quickly looked away. She wondered why John liked to pick on people.
It wasn't a good thing to do. She wondered the kind of home he came from or if his parents were aware of how he behaved in class. They probably didn't. Smiling, John moved away from that side. He was still looking around, thinking of who to go to when his eye fell on Gideon where he sat. He was talking with Daniel, Brian, and ikris, the class, captain.