Unfortunately for Jon, he hadn't even noticed the hole in his pocket while he was walking to school. The stone had fallen out long before his tumble in the hallway, and was in fact laying on the sidewalk several blocks away.
At that moment, two girls were walking to their elementary school. Ashley and Jessica were best friends, and happened to be in the same second grade class as Jon's brother Mikey, but they wouldn't be caught dead hanging out with that disgusting boy.
The two were in an involved discussion about princesses, ponies, and braiding hair when Sara kicked something hard.
"Ow! What was that?" she started, as the two noticed a small rock skittering down the sidewalk. Ashley raced forward to get a closer look, Jessica close behind.
"What a pretty rock!" Ashley said as she picked it up. It sparkled in her fingers, and almost appeared to glow.
"Let me see!" Jessica exclaimed. She reached in and swiped the rock out of Ashley's hand.
"Hey, I found that!"
"I kicked it first!"
"But I saw it first!"
"Nuh uh!" Even though they were best friends, they were still seven years old, and a small scuffle ensued.
"You think everything pretty is yours!" Ashley proclaimed.
"It IS mine!" Jessica scoffed. She finally pried the stone away from her BFF and gave her a shove backwards. Though she didn't fall, Ashley looked on the verge of tears. Jessica felt bad.
"Jeez, I'm sorry Ashley!" she said fumbling with the stone in her hands. "I wish everything was pretty then we wouldn't have to fight over anything!"
