A quiet child, Albert manages to stay quiet and ignored for the rest of class. Or so he thought. As it turns out, what he took to be the other boys ignoring him was in fact a small group of other boys taking note of him and not saying anything until recess.

They catch him in the hall leading out to the yard, before the stairs. One large boy with wildly curly blond hair stands in his way while the other two flank him, Albert trying to hold onto his books as the two brunette boys, one with braces, circle like sharks. It's Braces that speaks up. "So you're a Kraut, eh? Looks like yer pop missed one, Franky."

"Looks like," the other brunette thumb his nose, green eyes never leaving Albert's face as he struggles to stand his ground and lock his knees to keep them from knocking. "I don't think he'll give us any trouble though. Will you, Kraut?"

The large boy with the gold curls cracks his knuckles ominously.

"N-nie- I-I-I mean, nosir!" It comes out as a squeak and the boys laugh uproariously. Albert wishes he could sink into the ground and never emerge.

"Well then, in the spirit of good ol' American cooperation, why don't you hand over yer lunch money."

"But I-"

The large boy's knuckles creak. Thirty-five cents finds its way there in a hurry.

"Perfect. I think we'll be good friends, Kraut. Don't you, Franky?"

"Oh yeah, great pals."

Braces presses down on Albert's cap and ruffles, taking a seemingly affectionate gesture and turning it into something mildly painful. He catches the tossed coins from Curls as he walks away, Franky flipping Albert's hat off his head as they head for the school yard, leaving Albert to scramble after his hat, juggling his books at the same time, and ending up face first in a miserable pile of both when he drops his history book and topples over it unintentionally.

After an entire summer of deciding he liked America, Albert's suddenly dreadfully homesick.