The next day Hannah walked to her classroom this time earlier. Angus wasn't there yet so she thought it'd be a good idea to get some extra reading done. No matter what Angus said or did, she was determined to be a good student.

Malcolm threw his shoe at his sleeping brother. Angus sat up in a huff. "Wake up, Ang, we're gonna be late." He jumped out of bed and ran after his brother and stopped. A devious smile spread his face. He turned to grab his prize and followed.

After breakfast they dressed in clean uniforms (their mother luckily hadn't asked) and headed for school. Angus kept his slingshot hidden in his satchel. Hannah'll never see this coming.

The bell rang and it was time for spelling. The old teacher wrote some sentences on the board for the students to copy in their notebooks. Hannah had started hers early so she was ahead. And Angus wanted to try out his new toy. He'd write a sentence, then decide it wasn't good enough. Rip it out, crumple it up, and it was perfect ammo.

Hannah's face was buried in her notebook and didn't notice him setting up his weapon. Until a piece of spelling paper hit her head. She glanced over to see Angus working. Her eyes went back to her notebook, while the boy's hands went back to scheming.

Paper after paper went flying into Hannah's workspace. Having had enough, she leaned over. "Let me help you pick those up, Angus," she whispered. Angus smiled and leaned back in his chair, proud of his accomplishments. Annoyed her, and got her to clean them up. That'd show her for yesterday.

While Angus thought about how great his day was going, Hannah sneakily tied his shoelaces together. The pieces of paper remained on the floor and she sat back up. The two kids shared a smile, then went back to work. But Angus wasn't quite done yet. Just as he fixed up two papers crumpled into one, he fired. The paper went soaring to the front of the room and hit the teacher on the back of her head.

A pair of angry eyes turned around, scanning the classroom. They fell upon Angus who squirmed in his seat. "Well, well, well. What do we have here?"

"Apparently a lot of water," Angus replied making the class laugh. He smiled at Hannah who just rolled her eyes. The teacher was not amused.

"Tell me, Mr. Young. Was it you who threw that piece of paper?"

"No, no. That would be immature," he laughed nervously.

"Oh, immature huh? Seems you would know a lot about that wouldn't you?" A bony finger wagged at the crumpled papers around his desk. He twiddled his thumbs. "Tsk tsk, Mr. Young. And on your second day too. Let this serve as a reminder, class. The intolerance, the childishness, and the disruptive behavior of this boy will not go unnoticed. I'm afraid you'll have to go to the principal's office." She pointed at the door.

"But-"

"March!" Angus glared at Hannah before standing up and starting to walk. He felt a tug on his foot and his face met the floor. Snickers echoed throughout the room.

"You!"

"What?" Hannah asked innocently.

"What is it now, Angus?" the teacher asked dryly.

"She tied my laces together, lookit!" The teacher examined them, then turned toward the girl.

"Two disruptions by two new students on day two of the school year. What a pair. That'll send you both to the office. Get going."

The two children walked down to the office. Well, Hannah walked, Angus didn't really have time to fix his laces. "This is all your fault."

"My fault?"

"If you hadn't tied my shoelaces together and just picked up those pieces of paper we wouldn't be in this mess."

"If you hadn't thrown them at me, I wouldn't have."

"If you had just given me that cookie yesterday and hadn't fought me over it, I wouldn't have thrown those papers. See? You agree with me."

"If you weren't such a problem child, we'd both still be in class."

"You're welcome." Hannah glanced at him.

"What?"

"Because of my-our-mostly my bad behavior, we got out of class. Got out of work. So you're welcome." He smiled at her.

"Well now we got in trouble. Not much of a good trade."

"Stick around with me, you'll get used to it."

"Who says I will?"

"My brother Malcolm does. He wants us to be friends and get along and sissy stuff. He even invited you over at our house. Face it, kid, you're stuck with me."

"Maybe I won't show up."

"Huh?"

"Maybe I won't be at the gate and won't come to your house. I don't have to be your friend."

"Fine by me."

"Fine."

"Fine!" Angus hopped a bit too much and slipped. Hannah shook her head and helped him up. "Thanks."

At the principal's office the two children sat in chairs across a big black desk. A man sat behind the desk and he did not look jolly. "So. Seems to me we have a double trouble, am I correct?"

"Yes sir. Two born problem children," Angus replied fixing his laces. Hannah raised her hand.

"Yes?"

"I for one, am not a problem child. He is. He disrupted my education, sir. My spelling will never be as good as it could have been."

"Oh brother," Angus mumbled. Boy, she tied these tight!

"Son, what are you doing?" the principal asked.

"Fixing her attempt to injure me. I could have gotten killed or worse."

"Drama queen," Hannah muttered. Angus stuck his tongue out at her.

"I see. So this was a prank off a prank off a prank, am I right? Okay, since you're both new students I'll let you off with a warning. One more disruption again, and you'll have it worse. Am I clear?"

"Not unless you're Scotch tape," Angus said. Hannah put a hand to her mouth to stifle a giggle.

"What?"

"What?" Angus asked.

"What did you say?"

"What did you say?" Angus copied him.

"That's enough!"

"That's enough!" Hannah started laughing in her seat.

"Both of you out!"

"Both of you out!" the two children shouted. The man behind the desk was red with anger.

"Now!" Both kids knew they'd get in real trouble if they kept it up too much longer so they left.

Angus' laces flopped on the floor as they walked back to class. Both were out of breath from laughing at the situation. "Did you see his forehead? I've never seen so many wrinkles!"

"I've had less in my clothes!" Hannah replied.

"You know, we make a good team."

"Yeah, sure."

"I'm serious. Maybe not friends, but partners of some sort." Hannah didn't answer, and Angus didn't continue. Maybe that wasn't as good as an idea as I thought...

They arrived back to the classroom just in time for arithmetic. The teacher eyed them closely as they sat down. Perhaps those two shouldn't sit so close...

Angus and Malcolm went home that afternoon and got ready for dinner. The small house was a mess, as eight children resided inside. Food wrappers on the carpet, toys on the stairs, and a tired but happy mother setting the table. "How was school today, boys?"

"It was good," Malcolm answered. He nudged Angus.

"Yeah, it was good."

"Anything happen?" The boys exchanged glances.

"No!" Angus said quickly. His mother looked up at him.

"That's good, you two make any new friends?"

"I made one yesterday, and Angus got himself a girlfriend today," Malcolm said before Angus punched his arm.

"She's not my girlfriend! She's not even my friend!"

"Who is she, Angus?" his mother asked.

"She's a new girl in my class. I sit next to her. That's all."

"Well I'm glad things are going well. Your brother George's band played at some clubs today, he's gettin' awfully big."

"Will he let us play, Mum?" Malcolm asked. His mother smiled.

"Probably not, but he could still teach you a bit. Now, how's class going?"

"Mine is really easy. I already know everything," Malcolm said still excited at the idea of playing guitar.

"That's great! How 'bout you, Angus?"

"It's-okay," the boy mumbled.

"Easy enough?"

"I guess." Angus was still thinking about his day at the office. He'd be in trouble if his mother found out, but Malcolm didn't say anything. But now the older boy had two things to blackmail with. If this trend kept up, Angus would be grounded for life by the end of the year. Best to stay on Malcolm's good side. But how does someone be nice to his brother? he thought.

"Something wrong, Angus?"

"He's too busy thinking about his girlfriend," Malcolm teased.

"Shut up, you big meanie!" Angus pushed him. The two started going at it and their mother pulled them apart.

"Angus, what did I say about calling people names and telling them to shut up?" Angus drew circles on the carpet with his foot.

"Don't do it," he mumbled.

"And Malcolm, what did I say about teasing your little brother?"

"Don't do it," he sighed.

"And both of you, what did I say about fighting?" They only looked at each other. "Come on, what did I say?"

"Don't do it," they answered.

"That's right. Now both of you up to your rooms until dinner!" The brothers trudged up the stairs giving each other dirty looks. They stood at their doorways across from each other and slammed their doors.

Being nice to a brother was a lot harder than Angus thought. Both boys had a temper, and when either got mad there was hell to pay. Now Malcolm would probably tell their mother all the trouble he got into! Getting sent to his room was bad enough, but the punishments for his recent crimes would be dealt by his father. And he didn't take things lightly.

Angus got worried. He didn't want to, but he realized he's have to apologize so Malcolm wouldn't tattle. It might not work, but he had to try.

He crept out of his room making sure his mother or his other tattling siblings weren't nearby. He opened his brother's door and saw Malcolm playing with a paddleball.

"Mal? Can I talk to you?"

"Don't you ever knock, Ang?" Angus shrugged and closed the door behind him.

"I wanted to say 'sorry'."

"For?"

"For calling you names and pushing you." Malcolm smiled in victory and put his toy down.

"Okay, Angus, what do you want?"

"I don't want anything!"

"You don't just say you're sorry for no reason, Ang, you're too smart for that." Angus smiled a little.

"You think I'm smart?"

"Don't tell anyone, now what do you want?" Angus sighed.

"Please don't tell Mummy," he said softly.

"Tell her what?"

"About me in trouble."

"Why would I tell her that?"

"Dunno," he shrugged. "'Cause you're a meanie."

"I'm not gonna tell her, Angie, I don't want you in trouble either. We're a team."

"If we're a team, how come we can't each lunch together at school?"

"We can't let them know we're a team. Besides. You're still too young."

"I'm not any younger than you," Angus retorted.

"Yes you are."

"But I'm much bigger than that Johnny shrimp! And I can fight. What can Johnny do?"

"Johnny's a year six kid. And because he's a shrimp, he can run fast and do good in soccer." Malcolm smiled. "Fighting doesn't get you girls, Angus." Angus wrinkled his nose.

"Girls are gross."

"Maybe so, but Johnny says they get cleaner when they get older. I mean, look at Mum. She's not gross is she?"

"That's because she's Mum. Mums aren't suppose to be gross."

"You're pretty gross yourself," Malcolm replied leaning away from his brother.

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Boys, dinner is ready!" their mother called from the kitchen.

"Race you there," Malcolm said. "Are too!"

"Am not!"

"Are too, times five. I win!" Malcolm ran down the stairs with his brother right behind him.

Hannah came down to dinner after she finished her homework. Her mother was waiting for her. "Get your homework done?"

"Yep." Hannah then remembered she'd have to ask her mother if she could go home with Malcolm and Angus tomorrow after school. But then she reconsidered going. She didn't have to be his friend like Malcolm thought. And Angus was fine with her not coming. He said so himself.

Then she recalled how they 'got along' at the principal's office. Oh, she'd never tell her mother about that. Not until she moved out anyway. Maybe going to their house wouldn't be so bad. Then again, one okay day didn't guarantee a lifetime of friendship.