Elena’s plaid skirt brushed the back of her knees as she walked to the front of the class. Facing her classmates, her brown eyes framed by large glasses, she plunked a glass jar on Mrs. Brand’s desk.

“Ugh,” said Susan. Susan sat behind Elena so that she could pull on the fine hairs at Elena’s nape, the hair that slipped from Elena’s braid.

“Ugh,” Susan repeated, her golden hair bouncing. She liked calling attention to that hair. It was her best feature. “It’s a mouse.”

Elena put her finger on the bridge of her glasses and pushed them up her nose. With her glasses firmly on her nose, Elena looked like an owl blinking at her classmates.

“This is a field mouse,” she said, ignoring Susan’s comment. “My mother found him in the bottom of our washing machine. I rescued him and named him Fred.”

Mike, sitting in the front row, raised his hand. He smiled, freckles dusting his nose.

“Uh, what does he eat?” he asked.

“Crumbs, wheat kernels, and sunflower seeds,” Elena answered.

“Is he dirty?” Susan, sat with her elbows on her desk, smirking.

“No,” Elena said. “He cleans himself often.”

“What’s in the bottom of the jar?” asked Jim. He always sat next to Mike.

“I put some old grass in the bottom of the jar. Fred makes it cozy by pulling fur from his stomach and lining the grass,” she said.

Mrs. Brand put her arm across Elena’s shoulders. “Any more questions?” she asked. “This has been an interesting “Show and Tell”.”

“Class, open your science books to page 10. Does anyone remember yesterday’s lesson?”

Elena walked to her desk, jar in hand. Fred, hungry, daintily nibbled a seed. He clutched the seed in his front paws.

Susan leaned forward. “Hey, mouse girl,” she whispered. “Did you know, the only good mouse is a dead mouse?” She giggled.

Head straight, eyes forward, Elena concentrated on Mrs. Brand.

“Did you hear me, mouse girl?” Susan spoke louder. “Are you retarded?”

Elena felt the tears form at the back of her throat. Swallowing hard, she bent her head towards the mouse. “I’m glad I have you, Fred,” she said quietly.

“Susan,” said Mrs. Brand. “Do you have something to tell the class?”