"Really!?" Maru exclaimed. "Yep, plus my students are around your age, maybe you'll make friends!" He smiled, handing Maru a backpack. Maru gave a big smile.

"Good morning cla.s.s," Rick began. "I'd like you all to meet my kid, Maru!" He smiled. "Wave, Maru." He whispered. Maru looked up at him nervously, then waved. "Mr. Summers?" A girl asked. "Yes, Sasha?" Rick answered. "How old is Maru?" Rick looked at Maru. "I dunno, ask her." Maru back and forth for a second. "I'm almost six...!" Sasha smiled. "Me too!" She giggled. Maru gave a big smile.

"Do you wanna sit with me, or the kids?" Rick asked, carrying a tray of food. "I'll be sitting with the adults." Maru looked around the cafeteria. Before she could answer, Sasha ran over. "Mr. Summers, can Maru sit with us!?" She questioned. Rick laughed. "Ask her." Sasha quickly turned to Maru. "Wanna sit with us!?" Maru nodded. "Mm!" Sasha quickly grabbed her hand. "C'mon!" The girls giggled as they went over to the table. Rick smiled as he watched. "Mr. Summers?" Ms. Hoffman tapped him on the shoulder. Rick jumped. "Ah hi!" He quickly turned. "Where's Maru...?" Rick looked over toward the table. "Ah, sorry she's eating with my cla.s.s..." Ms. Hoffman nodded. "Introduce us later, okay?" She smiled. Rick quickly nodded.

As lunch ended, the cla.s.s went back to the cla.s.sroom. "Ok, don't think you kiddies are off from doing work!" Rick smiled, pulling out a box. The kids groaned. "What's that?" Maru asked pointing. "Clay, they're makin' some boats." He smiled. "Ooh!" Maru gave a nod.

The kids began lining up to get onto their buses. Rick waved goodbye to the kids as they filed out, lead by Tammy. "Oh!" Rick exclaimed, turning to Maru. Maru looked up from coloring. "There's a nice lady, and she wanted to meet you!" Rick smiled. Maru blushed. "Really?"

As the two walked over towards Ms. Hoffman's cla.s.sroom, they noticed Sasha and her mother. "Oh, Maru!" Sasha said, running over to them. "Wanna Be my friend!?" She smiled. Maru blushed. "Mm!" She smiled, giving a hard nod. "Mr. Summers, I've heard so many nice things about you." Rick turned around. "Ah, Sasha's mom." He smiled. "Your daughter is a great student." Sasha's mother smiled. "That's great to hear." Sasha tugged at her mothers arm. "Mm?" Her Mother bent down. "Can we exchange phone numbers...?" Sasha whispered. "Oh, of course." Her mother smiled. "Sasha would like to exchange numbers with Maru, is that alright...?" She asked. "Oh yeah, sure!" Rick smiled.

As he finished writing the digits down he handed it to Sasha's mother. "Thank you very much, we'll keep in touch." Sasha's mom smiled as they waved goodbye. Then, Ms. Hoffman stepped into her doorway. "Is that..." she began. "Oh! Ms. Hoffman, this is Maru!" Rick smiled. Maru turned around. Ms. Hoffman looked shocked momentarily, but quickly brushed it off. "Maru, it's...nice to meet you." She smiled. Maru looked up at her and nodded. "Thank you..." Maru answered.

As Rick waved goodbye, Ms. Hoffman turned the lights off in her cla.s.sroom. She narrowed her eyes. "I knew it..."