“Good morning, Class.  Today we have a new boy with us.  This is James Philpotts who has come all the way from Australia to join us.  James. There's a seat free beside Gracey, there.”  The teacher indicated the place.

 
A spontaneous, collective giggle rippled around the room.  Nobody wanted to sit beside Bracey Braithwaite!  As James shyly slid into his seat, Gracey turned her full metal grin on him.  He'd seen sharks with fewer teeth.  He edged as far to his side as possible and attended to disgorging the contents of his satchel onto the desk.

James was a naturally acquisitive child and it wasn't long before this tendency began to emerge.  Mrs. Cotton would occasionally mention that “Once again, something has gone missing,” but it was usually a day or two after the event and whoever took it would never own up.  Kleptomania of course requires not only a certain deftness but opportunity.  The classroom was arranged in such a way that James was blessed with neither.  Fortunately, Gracey seemed to have an inexhaustible supply of rainbow erasers, double ended colouring pencils, pens, chewing gum and even, unusually for a girl, plastic monsters and football cards.  James regularly helped himself to small items from her desk or bag and to her credit she never complained.

“I'm afraid something has gone missing again,” announced Mrs. Cotton.  Melissa's favourite pink pencil with purple eraser has been taken this break.  I want you all to open your desks and stand by them as I come round.”

Jame's hands began to sweat.  That was a very distinctive pencil and he knew precisely where it was.  He'd taken from Gracey's pencil case just a few moments earlier.  And now he began to suspect why it was that Gracey had not reported a single of his multiple thefts from her over the past several weeks.  He cast a sideways glance at her - a new respect dawning, and she grinned back.  She made a ‘gimme' signal below the desk with her hand.  James slipped her the offending item.  With practiced sleight of hand, Gracey shoved the pencil up her skirt and clipped it between knicker-elastic and leg, never to be discovered.  It gave a whole new meaning to down under.  They stood side by side, knowing what they knew.  It was their secret and is often the case, a shared hobby created a powerful bond. 

Braithwaite & Philpotts' - Financial Advisors to the Government.