A/N: Big thanks to: Nightcrawlerlover, WhisperingBells1959 and Girl-X-91 who reviewed! Here's the next part, I hope you like it! Please R + R!
On the second day of first grade, Gordie was dropped off by his mother, not his brother, and he knew he should have been happy about it. After all, she had dropped Denny off every day of his first grade year, or so Gordie had heard. But Gordie was perceptive enough to know that the only reason she was coming, was to make sure, after hearing Gordie gush on and on about Christopher Chambers, that the two boys were put nowhere near each other during any activities.
Gordie prayed for a miracle that would stop his mother from talking to the teacher. And he got one.
That morning, a little boy, who Gordie recognized as the one who tried to jump off the swing sets, had been switched into their classroom, because apparently he needed a more disciplinary teacher than the one whose class he had been in before. And although Mrs. Briggs was the strictest teacher around, she still seemed to be having trouble controlling him as he bit at the classroom carpet and screamed at the top of his lungs.
Mrs. Briggs apologetically muttered something to Gordie's mother about talking to her at the end of the day, and luckily for Gordie, his mom was too distraught at the sight of this new little boy to notice Gordie slipping into a chair next to Chris's.
"Hi," Gordie greeted Chris shyly; suddenly worried that he might not remember him.
"Hi Gordie!" Chris said, the dull frown he had worn on his face suddenly melting away. "Do you know who the new boy is?"
Gordie, positively elated that the most feared six-year-old in school remembered him, shook his head unbothered. "No. Must have something wrong with him if he had to switch classes though."
Chris's small face looked troubled again, "Don't say that. It's not nice to assume things about people."
Gordie felt ashamed of himself; after all, he had automatically assumed that Chris was a menace, and look at how wrong he'd been? "I'm sorry," He replied guiltily.
Chris shrugged it off, "Don't worry about it. Oh, this is Vern by the way." He gestured politely to the pudgy boy beside him, "And this is Clarissa." Clarissa scooted her chair further away from them and murmured something about having to listen to her mommy; Vern, in contrast, gave a big grin and waved at Gordie. He obviously either did not know, or did not care about Chris's family's reputation.
"Alright class, it's time to begin," Mrs. Briggs bellowed at them, a bit more harshly than she'd probably intended, for she had finally managed to somewhat restrain the new little boy.
"We have a new student," She continued, just as maliciously as she had been when she'd spoken to Chris yesterday, "His name is Teddy Duchamp and he will be joining our class community." Some of the other children looked scared, as the little boy lifted his head and growled at them.
"Clarissa, please go sit at that table, I would like it if Teddy could be where I can easily explain to him what we're doing." Gordie knew what a fake excuse this was, and could tell that Chris did too; Vern didn't seem to get it.
Oh well, Gordie thought, trying to be optimistic, at least she didn't tell me to move.
Teddy sat in Clarissa's empty seat, and began to furiously scribble on a piece of paper.
"Hi," Chris welcomed him, dutifully following his beliefs about not judging.
The boy didn't answer.
"No talking Mr. Chambers," Mrs. Briggs said sharply, "It's time to begin our math."
She proceeded to write equations on the board, which the children would then copy, and raise their hands if they knew the answer. Every time, Gordie and Chris were the only two to raise their hands. And every time she called on Gordie.
Gordie stole and glance at Chris, and saw that he looked miserable. And so Gordie decided that he had to stand up for him just as Chris had done for him yesterday.
"Mrs. Briggs, I have a question," Gordie began timidly.
"What is it Gordon?" She replied kindly.
"It's just that…" Gordie said carefully, trying not to sound too cheeky, "Chris has all the right answer too, and you haven't called on him at all." He immediately regretted his decision to speak up as Mrs. Briggs approached their table, looking furious.
"Did he tell you to say this?" She demanded angrily.
Gordie shook his head hurriedly, "No ma'am, he-"
But she didn't seem to care what Gordie had to say, "Both of you, principal's office. NOW!" She screamed the last word, and Gordie found himself, running down the marble hallway in terror, Chris by his side.
Gordie was mad at himself, he had been trying to make he and Chris equals in a sense, but instead all he'd done is gotten the two of them in trouble. Next time maybe he would just keep his mouth shut.