41

"I am not just special … I am a limited edition!"

Ton was standing nose to nose with Kelvin. The Big Head Shit Bird had been picking on another little kid and Ton had seen. Kelvin was big for his age, a big bossy bully who had forgotten that there was someone in the school bigger, with a heart bigger than the moon.

"So?" Kelvin sneered, noting that there was no Grup in sight "What are you going to do about it retard!"

Ton didn't flinch, even as some other kids did, their mouth falling open as Ben stepped forward and kicked Kelvin in the leg, snarling at him like one of the dogs then another child swung with his spade from the sandpit, catching Kelvin on the elbow.

"What's going on?" River roared as she stepped out the back door of the classroom where she had been dealing with a meltdown inside already to see the spade connect and hear Kelvin's yelp.

"He called Toninator a Retard!" several voices spoke at once, some pointing as another child stepped forward and spat.

"No!" Ton said calmly "Do not spit. Spitting is bad, Taddy sez so."

"He's a tool!"

"He is acting like a turd but I think he needs time to think about it and maybe learn what he is doing wrong" Ton said calmly, "He is just being stupid."

"I'm not stupid!" Kelvin roared, "I am smarter than you! You … you … retard!"

"Stop that!" River said strongly, "Kelvin, go wait at your desk please. Everyone else, calm down. Ton?"

"It's OK" Ton said with a shrug "He didn't hurt me, just used words and he's not that clever because he didn't even use good ones."

"Ton's special, we need to be thankful for him!" Imp spluttered, "If that…that… arsehat does not apologise for using that word I am telling my Walter!"

Silence.

They had all thought he would say Ianto … not Walter. The one they all saw as a big movie star.

"Ton, you are not special" Monkey said as he hung upside down from the guttering and River squeaked as she rushed to get him down, yelling for Mrs Brady who was supposed to be on duty "I know what Ton is. My Dadda had a limited edition car only Babs can drive! Ton is a Limited Edition. Only him in the whole worlds!"

The children all agreed sagely and started to disperse as Monkey moved to stand by Imp, "But Impy is right ya know."

River couldn't resist raising an eyebrow.

"That one in there?" Monkey pointed "Is definitely an arsehat!"