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Description
Over the next few weeks, Kirri noticed a pattern emerging during class time- Maths first thing every morning, Science twice a week and Wednesday afternoons were devoted to Athletics. One exceptionally sunny Wednesday afternoon, the class had long jump.
"This is gunna be fun." Kirri grinned evilly. She took her shoes off and threw them down the bank, revealing pink socks with black cats on them.
"Nice socks." That was Josh.
"Why thank you!" Soon, it was Kirri's turn. She took a run-up, jumped, and skidded, before falling over. She put her head back and laughed.
"And that is what I call an epic skid." she grinned to her friends.
"I declare a skidding contest!" cried Josh.
"I accept." came the evil grins.
***
The next day, after first break, the teacher had an announcement.
"I am very sorry to report that someone in this class has been breaking the school rules. Yesterday, after Athletics, this was found on the field by the long-jump pit." Ms Lori pulled out a small, bronzey coloured pocketknife from her pocket. "As you were the only class to have long-jump yesterday, the possibilities were narrowed down somewhat. The owner of this may never have been found, if it weren't for this." She flipped the pocketknife around to reveal two gold-carved initials. Two gold-carved letters spelling out the fate of one class member. And at that moment in time, the letters N.H were like a death sentence to Nick.
***
Thirty minutes later, Nick, his mother, and the school principal were sat in the principal's office.
"Sorry I'm late, we're kinda sort-staffed at the moment."
"Ah, you run that bakery on the corner, don't you? Delicious cream buns."
"Anyway, to get to the point, Nick has been found in possession of a knife at school." She put the pocketknife on the desk. "Would you have any idea as to how he got ownership of this?"
"No, sorry. I didn't even know about it till now."
Nick muttered two words- "My grandfather."
"Ohhhhhh." Rachel let out a sigh of understanding.
"Sorry, I don't quite follow."
"I think I remember playing with that very pocketknife myself, when I was quite young. Anyway, years and years ago, when Nick was... three, maybe? Well, him and his grandfather were really close, and I mean really. Nick was actually named after his grandfather, as it turns out. Anyway, getting back to the story- I think Nick was given it as a gift, sometime around then, but I'm not too sure."
"I-it was... a few months before..." he broke off there.
"You can actually still remember that?" his mother shot was astonished.
"It- the knife... it's been like a good-luck charm. I- I've carried it with me since- since..."
"He died... on the exact date of Nick's third birthday." Rachel finished.
Silent tears were running down her sons face.
"That would explain the scar..."
"Scar? Where?" The principal, who had been listening up too now, cut in.
"His right hand. He cut it sometime afterwards, but nothing was actually found... the scar's still there."
There was an awkward silence in the room, until the principal said,
"Well, anyway... as touching as that was, Nick has still been breaking the school rules. I think... a three-week suspension?"
"What? Three weeks!"
"I'm sorry, but there's no excusing the facts. A student could have been easily hurt. That's my final word."
And, with that being the final word, both mother and son left.

Description
Over the next few weeks, Kirri noticed a pattern emerging during class time- Maths first thing every morning, Science twice a week and Wednesday afternoons were devoted to Athletics. One exceptionally sunny Wednesday afternoon, the class had long jump.
"This is gunna be fun." Kirri grinned evilly. She took her shoes off and threw them down the bank, revealing pink socks with black cats on them.
"Nice socks." That was Josh.
"Why thank you!" Soon, it was Kirri's turn. She took a run-up, jumped, and skidded, before falling over. She put her head back and laughed.
"And that is what I call an epic skid." she grinned to her friends.
"I declare a skidding contest!" cried Josh.
"I accept." came the evil grins.
***
The next day, after first break, the teacher had an announcement.
"I am very sorry to report that someone in this class has been breaking the school rules. Yesterday, after Athletics, this was found on the field by the long-jump pit." Ms Lori pulled out a small, bronzey coloured pocketknife from her pocket. "As you were the only class to have long-jump yesterday, the possibilities were narrowed down somewhat. The owner of this may never have been found, if it weren't for this." She flipped the pocketknife around to reveal two gold-carved initials. Two gold-carved letters spelling out the fate of one class member. And at that moment in time, the letters N.H were like a death sentence to Nick.
***
Thirty minutes later, Nick, his mother, and the school principal were sat in the principal's office.
"Sorry I'm late, we're kinda sort-staffed at the moment."
"Ah, you run that bakery on the corner, don't you? Delicious cream buns."
"Anyway, to get to the point, Nick has been found in possession of a knife at school." She put the pocketknife on the desk. "Would you have any idea as to how he got ownership of this?"
"No, sorry. I didn't even know about it till now."
Nick muttered two words- "My grandfather."
"Ohhhhhh." Rachel let out a sigh of understanding.
"Sorry, I don't quite follow."
"I think I remember playing with that very pocketknife myself, when I was quite young. Anyway, years and years ago, when Nick was... three, maybe? Well, him and his grandfather were really close, and I mean really. Nick was actually named after his grandfather, as it turns out. Anyway, getting back to the story- I think Nick was given it as a gift, sometime around then, but I'm not too sure."
"I-it was... a few months before..." he broke off there.
"You can actually still remember that?" his mother shot was astonished.
"It- the knife... it's been like a good-luck charm. I- I've carried it with me since- since..."
"He died... on the exact date of Nick's third birthday." Rachel finished.
Silent tears were running down her sons face.
"That would explain the scar..."
"Scar? Where?" The principal, who had been listening up too now, cut in.
"His right hand. He cut it sometime afterwards, but nothing was actually found... the scar's still there."
There was an awkward silence in the room, until the principal said,
"Well, anyway... as touching as that was, Nick has still been breaking the school rules. I think... a three-week suspension?"
"What? Three weeks!"
"I'm sorry, but there's no excusing the facts. A student could have been easily hurt. That's my final word."
And, with that being the final word, both mother and son left.