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On his first day at a new school, Nicky crossed paths with three people. A new friend name Nile, who warned Nicky to stay away from the sandbox. When a ball ended up in the sandbox, Nicky went to get it which resulted in him meeting the schoolyard bully Merrick and his henchman Keane, who stole Nicky's lunch with the words "everyone who wants to stay in the sandbox has to pay a fee".
From that day, Nicky stayed away from the sandbox and spent every recess with Nile. They also became friends with some of the cool kids named Andy, Joe, and Booker, who all were a year or two older than Nicky and Nile. They all had fun together until the day when they couldn't find Nile.
"Nile?" Nicky asked when he poke his head into the girls' bathroom and heard a sob. Then Nicky looked at Joe. "I'm going in."
"Into the girls' bathroom?" Joe asked. "You can get into trouble for that."
"My friend is crying," Nicky replied. "So I don't mind."
Nicky slammed the door after him. Joe was as always the one who irritated Nicky the most. Why it was, Nicky didn't know but he knew Joe was the friend he liked the least.
"Nile?" Nicky asked as he looked under the doors for Nile's pink sneakers. When he found them he knocked on the door. "Nile, please talk to me."
Nile opened the door and when she came out Nicky hugged her.
"Merrick," Nile sniffed. "He stole my skates. The one that belonged to my mom. And I was not even close to the sandbox."
For the first time in his life, Nicky got really angry.
"That's it," Nicky said. "I'm tired of them, so I'm going to talk with them."
"No, Nicky, please don't do it," Nile said. "The last time someone tried to do that, Merrick made it look like it was the kid's fault and not his."
It was a constant problem. Merrick was the son of the mayor and because the principal of their school was a friend of Merrick's father, Merrick walked free over and over again.
"I don't care," Nicky replied. "He stole from you and made you cry."
Before Nile could stop Nicky, Nicky stormed out of the bathroom.
"Joe, you have to stop him before he gets hurt," Nile begged. "He s going to talk with Merrick."
Nile knew that Joe thought the world of Nicky and even though Nicky didn't like Joe, Nile hoped Joe could stop Nicky.
"On it," Joe said. "See if you can find Mrs Henderson. She is one of the few who believes us."
Nile nodded before she ran towards their classroom, while Joe ran in the other direction to find Andy and Booker in the hope they could help him save Nicky.
Outside in the schoolyard, Nicky ran towards the sandbox feeling so angry.
"Someone hasn't learned his lesson," Merrick said who was sitting on the slide. "Keane, make sure he learns it this time."
Keane smiled as he walked over to Nicky. Keane was twice as big as Nicky and normally Keane's size was enough to scare the other children, but Nicky didn't move or blink.
"Give back Nile her skates," Nicky said. "And give the sandbox to the other children."
"Go away," Keane warned. "Or else I have to.."
"Hit me?" Nicky asked. "Fine do it. Just give Nile her skates back and the sandbox to the other children. They don't belong to you or your friend."
"You brought this on yourself," Keane said but before he could hit Nicky someone caught Keane's hand.
"Do you dare touch my friend," Joe growled.
Nicky looked surprised at Joe. He never expected Joe to stick up for him.
"Let him go, Joe. If he wants to hit me, let him hit me," Nicky said. "Trust me on this."
Joe looked at Nicky before he reluctantly let go of Keane's hand.
"Keane," Merrick said. "Hit him or else you won't get paid your share."
"Don't you dare touch him," Andy and Booker shouted. They had finally caught up with them.
"No," Joe said when he stood in front of them. "Trust Nicky. He got a plan."
Andy and Booker reluctantly didn't move.
"So, are you going to hit me?" Nicky wanted to know. "If not, give Nile back her skates and the sandbox to the other children. I'm getting tired of your bullying."
What Nicky hadn't seen was that more children were gathering behind him.
"Nicky is right," Nile said. "Today we'll have our stuff back, and you two will never get to put a foot in the sandbox again."
Keane looked at Merrick who was now standing up.
"Hit him, Keane," Merrick said again. "That way they can all see what happens if they don't stay away from the sandbox."
Before Keane could hit Nicky, Nicky found himself surrounded by the other children.
"Enough," Mrs Henderson said. "Nicky, Merrick, and Keane with me."
"You can't punish, Nicky," Nile said. "He was trying to get back my skates."
"Nile is right," Joe added. "I heard Merrick saying that Keane should hit Nicky. It was all their fault, not Nicky's."
"So, did we," Andy, Booker, and the other children said.
"I still need to talk with them," Mrs Henderson said. "Where did Merrick go?"
In the middle of it all, Merrick had slipped away leaving Keane all alone, so Mrs Henderson took Keane and Nicky with her.
"Merrick has probably run back to his father," Andy said. "Saying it's all Nicky's fault."
"If we only could find the things, Merrick has stolen," Joe said. "That must be proof enough to show everyone that Merrick is guilty."
"But where is it?" Nile asked. "We don't have time enough to search the entire school."
They all looked at each other and then at Booker, who was kicking the sand.
"That won't help Nicky," Joe said. "Don't you have an idea?"
"Not an idea," Booker replied. "More a question: why is it Merrick has been so keen on keeping everyone away from the sandbox?"
"For once, Booker is using his brain," Andy said.
"Hey, I heard that," Booker said. "So, who wants to help me to dig?"
In the classroom, Keane and Nicky were placed on each of their own chairs.
"Keane, it isn't the first time you have been in a fight," Mrs Henderson said.
"He started it," Keane said and pointed at Nicky.
"Did not," Nicky replied. "All I said was you could hit me. That doesn't mean I started it. You did by stealing Nile's skates."
"You don't have any proof of that," Keane replied. "He is lying Mrs Henderson."
At that moment, Merrick showed up with his father.
"There's the kid who wanted to fight with Keane," Merrick said sounding more dramatic than needed. "And he said we stole too."
Nicky rolled his eyes.
"You said Keane should hit me," Nicky said. "And the reason why you did that is that you're too scared to do it yourself. Coward."
"Mrs Henderson," Merrick's father said. "I expect you to make sure that boy is punished for lying."
Before Mrs Henderson could say anything, Andy, Joe, Booker, and Nile burst into the classroom where they placed plastic bags covered in sand on one of the tables.
"We can prove that Merrick and Keane have been stealing," Joe said. "And Nicky wasn't lying."
"We found these under the slide," Andy said. "And when we left the other children were still digging."
"That's not true, father," Merrick said. "I would never steal."
Mrs Henderson looked at one of the plastic bags and took it.
"If you don't steal, Merrick," Mrs Henderson said. "Explain to us why your writing is on this plastic bag or the others."
Merrick turned white as a sheet as he once again tried to get away but his father stopped him.
"I'm so sorry for it all, Mr Henderson," Merrick's father said before he looked at his son. "You, young man, say sorry."
"I didn't do it," Merrick protested. "They planted it in the sandbox."
"Then explain to me why you got skates where Nile's name is written on them?" Nicky wanted to know.
"As I said before they planted it," Merrick protested again. "They are after me."
"Or why it says Angie on this doll," Joe said. "Do you play with dolls, Merrick?"
"You young man are in trouble," Merrick's father said. "Say sorry now. And so goes for you, Keane."
It took a long while before they did it before Merrick's father took his son and Keane with him.
"I'll take any punishment you find suitable," Nicky said. "Without complaining."
"You're not in trouble, Nicky," Mrs Henderson said. "I just wanted to prevent a fight in the schoolyard."
During the weekend rumours were flying through the town about what happened at the school. Some were true, others weren't. But one thing was true, Merrick and Keane were in a lot of trouble for stealing. It turned out, they had stolen from every shop in town. It also resulted in that, Merrick's father being fired as the mayor because of his son's deeds.
When Nicky stepped into the schoolyard on Monday morning, every child at school wanted to thank him for being brave and standing up against Merrick and Keane. They also wanted to thank Nicky for getting the sandbox back again. Nicky kept on saying throughout the day, that he was glad to help and it was nothing.
At the school assembly, the children heard that their old principal also had been fired, and Mrs Henderson got the job instead. Something all the children were more than happy about.
To get some peace from all the thanking, Nicky found a corner for himself during lunch.
"Hi," Joe said. "Do you want to eat lunch with me? I'm tired of hearing the sounds coming from Andy and Book while they eat."
Nicky nodded and moved his jacket before Joe sat down.
"You should know," Joe said. "If Keane had laid a hand on you, I would have killed him."
"Joe, you can't say that," Nicky replied in horror. "And why do you want to do that? Kill someone."
"Because he hurt you," Joe replied. "And no one does that unpunished."
Nicky had no doubts about Joe meant it.
"Promise me you won't ever follow through with killing anyone," Nicky said. "If you promise me that, I would do anything for you."
Joe swallowed his carrot.
"You don't have to do anything, Nicky, but I promise you not to kill anyone," Joe said. "I just wish you would give me a chance to show you that I can be a good friend."
"If you stay away from killing," Nicky said. "I would love to be your friend. Let's eat lunch together every day. Get to know each other."
"You got yourself a deal," Joe replied. "So, tell me what is it you're eating?"
The lunches became the start of a great friendship between Joe and Nicky.