Hannah took her lunchbox and headed outside. Everyone seemed to be eating in their own groups, not really looking to find any new friends. The only place available was a bench. A solitary bench bolted to the building. It'd be embarrassing to sit there by yourself, but being turned down by the other kids wasn't much better. At least the bench was in the shade...

Angus searched the yard for his brother. Two boys over there, three girls over there, and-one girl alone on that bench. She's that other new kid...Back to finding Malcolm. He found him eating with some year six kid. He barely looks six years old! He's a shrimp!

"Hey, Mal," Angus said walking over. "Who's this?"

"Oh hey, Ang. Shouldn't you be in class?"

"It's lunch, dummy, who's this?"

"I'm kinda busy here, Ang."

"Who are you?" Angus asked cutting to the chase. Malcolm sighed.

"This is Jonathon, call him Johnny."

"He's puny! He's smaller than me, Mal!"

"Angus, shut up!"

"How come you can eat with a puny year six but not me?"

"'Cause you're still too young. Haven't you met anyone on your own yet?"

"No. We're not allowed to talk in class. What's this, can I have it?" Angus reached over to grab Johnny's sugar cookie.

"Hey that's mine!"

"Angus, stop that!" Malcolm scolded, swatting his hand away. "Don't you know you're not supposed to take things?"

"I asked first like you said to, Mal," Angus mumbled rubbing his wrist. His older brother sighed.

"Go off and find someone else to eat with."

"There's no one else here!"

"The whole school's out here, Dumbo!" Johnny said.

"Just eat your stupid cookie, fatty!"

"Angus, shut up!"

"Mum says not to say that."

"Mum also says not to call people names."

"You call me names all the time."

"That's different."

"Why's that different?"

"It just is! Now leave us alone."

"Maaal..." Malcolm looked around the yard.

"Hey, go talk to that girl over there." Angus turned to see the girl on the bench.

"I don't want to."

"Course you do. Now go." Malcolm turned to his friend and ignored Angus' face he gave him. He stomped over to the bench and plopped down next to the girl.

Hannah glanced at the grumpy boy next to her. She'd seen him arguing with two older boys. Maybe he doesn't know anyone either.

"Are you gonna eat that?" Angus asked pointing to her cookie.

"Yes."

"Can I have it?"

"No."

"My brother told me to-to come talk to you. He's a big meanie."

"I saw you in my class. I'm new here."

"Yeah, we're new too. I'm Angus."

"I'm Hannah Ruth."

"Can I please have that cookie?"

"No!" Angus frowned and took it anyway. Hannah shoved him to the ground and pulled it away from him. What should have been a friendly encounter turned into two eight year olds wrestling in the dirt.

Kids nearby watched as the two fought. "Hey, Mal, look! There's your weird brother!" Johnny pointed. Malcolm turned to see Angus and the girl fighting in the dirt. The girl had him in a headlock until he pushed her over. Maybe if he ignored it, it'd stop. But if a teacher saw it, they'd get in trouble and Malcolm would get in trouble at home for not watching him!

Finally running up to them he pulled Angus away while he struggled to break free. "I look away one second! What's the matter with you?"

"She started it!" Angus pointed.

"He took my cookie after I said no!" Hannah pointed back.

"Angus, you can't take things!"

"I said please!"

"No means no! Get it, Arthur?" Hannah yelled.

"My name's not Arthur!" Angus struggled even harder to get out of Malcolm's arms. Hannah balled her fists up, ready in case he got loose.

"Angus keep still! It's your first day and you're already causing trouble! If Mum hears about this she'll-"

"Let me go, you big meanie!" While the two boys struggled with each other, Hannah sighed and grabbed her cookie off the bench. She broke it in half and held one piece up to Angus. He stopped struggling. Malcolm dropped him and Angus grabbed his share.

"You two need a better way to work out arguments. What'd you say your name was?"

"Hannah Ruth."

"Well, Hannah, Angus would like it if you came over to our house this weekend. Wouldn't you, Angus?" The boy glanced up.

"But she's a girl," he said spitting out crumbs.

"You fight like one," Hannah retorted.

"Angus, shush! You'd love to have her over." Malcolm leaned toward his brother's ear and whispered, "Say, 'it would be an honor to have you over'. Like a gentleman."

"No."

"Say it or I'll tell the teacher you got in a fight." Angus sighed.

"It would be an honor to have you over," he mumbled.

"I guess it'd be alright," Hannah mulled it over. "But I'll have to walk with you guys from school."

"Okay, meet us by the gate Friday afternoon. We'll be there, won't we Angus?"

"Sure."

"Okay." The bell rang and the kids all headed back to their classrooms.

"Bye, Hannah!"

"Bye, uh-"

"Malcolm."

"Bye, Malcolm! Bye, Arnold!"

"It's Angus! Good-bye!" Angus stormed back into the building a different direction only to remember he sat next to her in class. You've got to be kidding...

That afternoon Angus met up with Malcolm at the gate. "We have to go to the store on the way home," Malcolm said.

"You don't have any money."

"Mum gave me some this morning."

"Do we really have to see her again?"

"Yeah, we told her we'd walk her home with us. And you need a friend. She's new here too, ain't she?"

"Yeah."

"See? You'll get along fine. Look at your uniform, Angus, it's filthy!" Malcolm tugged at the material. "We'll tell Mum you got dirty while playing soccer."

"But I don't play soccer."

"Shut up, Angus!"

The two boys arrived at the corner store several minutes later. Malcolm started grabbing what his mother told him to, but Angus had other ideas. He grabbed a bag of Smarties and handed them to Malcolm. "What's this?"

"A snack."

"You're not supposed to have this much candy."

"I wouldn't eat it all at once.'

"I know you better, Angus."

"I wouldn't!" Malcolm shook his head. "Besides, you're not the boss of me."

"Mum is, and she says no. Now take it back." Angus grabbed the bag and threw it on some random shelf. Then out of the corner of his eye he saw it. It. A wooden slingshot. It lay proudly in the waste basket. Who would throw this away? He pulled it out blowing the dust off and inspecting it. It was perfect. And he found it in the trash, so it didn't belong to anyone and he wouldn't have to pay for it. "Come on, Angus, let's go," Malcolm said carrying the groceries back. "Whatcha got there, Angus?"

Angus spun around hiding his find behind his back. "Nothing," he smiled. He was gonna have a little fun with Hannah tomorrow.