(Flashback)
Dylan clutched his dinosaur toy tightly as he walked into school. The little dinosaur had been a gift from Mum, and it always made him feel better. Today, he hoped it would help him stay calm.
The morning was going well until recess. He was playing with the dinosaur by himself when he saw the boy from yesterday. The boy was bigger and always seemed to be looking for trouble. Dylan tried to ignore him and play with his toy, but the boy walked right up to him.
"That's a cool toy," the boy said, but his tone wasn't friendly. "Let me see it."
Dylan shook his head, clutching the dinosaur closer. "No, it's mine."
The boy's face twisted with annoyance. He reached out and grabbed the dinosaur from Dylan's hands. "I just want to see it!"
"Give it back!" Dylan demanded, his heart pounding. He tried to grab it back, but the boy pushed him hard. Dylan stumbled and fell to the ground.
He looked up, tears welling in his eyes. "Please, give it back!"
The boy just laughed and ran off with the toy. Dylan felt a mix of anger and sadness. Remembering what Mum had said, he got up and ran to find a teacher.
When he finally found one, he was out of breath and crying. "He took my toy and pushed me!" Dylan exclaimed, pointing in the direction the boy had run.
The teacher sighed and walked over to the boy, who was now playing with other kids. "Did you take Dylan's toy?" she asked.
The boy looked innocent. "No, I didn't take anything."
Dylan felt a wave of frustration. "He's lying! He did take it!"
The teacher glanced back at Dylan, but her expression was unsure. "We'll look into it," she said, but Dylan could tell she didn't believe him.
Feeling defeated, he walked back to where he had been playing, but the joy was gone. His dinosaur was gone, and no one seemed to care. The rest of the day dragged on, and he couldn't wait for Mum to pick him up.
When school finally ended, Dylan saw Mum's car and ran to it, feeling a mixture of relief and sadness. He climbed in, his eyes downcast.
(Flashback over)
The next day, as Eva walked Dylan to school, she couldn't shake off the worry from yesterday's incident. She made a mental note to talk to Dylan's teacher about it. As they approached the classroom, she saw Ms. Thompson, Dylan's teacher, standing by the door.
"Good morning, Ms. Thompson," Eva greeted her with a smile, trying to hide her concern.
"Good morning, Eva. How are you today?" Ms. Thompson replied, returning the smile.
"I'm doing okay. I just wanted to talk to you about something," Eva said, her tone serious.
Ms. Thompson's brows furrowed in concern. "Of course, what's on your mind?"
Eva took a deep breath, gathering her thoughts. "Dylan was really upset yesterday. He came home crying because another student took his toy and pushed him. He said he told a teacher, but nothing seemed to be done about it."
Ms. Thompson's expression softened with understanding. "I'm so sorry to hear that. I wasn't aware of the incident, but thank you for bringing it to my attention. I'll make sure to look into it."
Eva nodded, feeling relieved that Ms. Thompson was taking her concerns seriously. "Thank you. I just want to make sure Dylan feels safe at school."
"We'll do our best to ensure that," Ms. Thompson reassured her. "And if anything else happens, please don't hesitate to let me know."
"Thank you, Ms. Thompson. I appreciate it," Eva said gratefully.
With that, Eva watched as Dylan entered the classroom, feeling a little reassured that his teacher was aware of what had happened. She hoped that today would be a better day for him.
As Eva entered the house, she found Leah in the living room, feeding Ivy. Taking a deep breath, she sat down beside her and began recounting her conversation with Dylan's teacher.
"Hey, Leah, I spoke to Ms. Thompson about what happened with Dylan yesterday," Eva started, her voice filled with a mix of relief and concern.
Leah turned to her, concern evident in her eyes. "And? What did she say?"
"Well, she was really understanding about it. She said she wasn't aware of the incident but promised to look into it," Eva explained, feeling a weight lift off her shoulders as she spoke.
Leah nodded, processing the information. "That's good to hear. Hopefully, they'll address it properly."
"Yeah," Eva agreed, her mind still lingering on the events of the previous day. "But you know, as we were talking about it, I realized something..."
"What's that?" Leah asked, her curiosity piqued.
"Dylan mentioned that he tried to control his anger when the other boy took his toy," Eva recounted, a hint of surprise in her voice. "That's something he hasn't really done before. Maybe he's learning to manage his emotions better."
Leah's eyebrows raised in surprise. "Really? That's progress, isn't it?"
"Yeah, it definitely is," Eva replied, a small smile tugging at her lips. "Maybe we're starting to see some improvement in how he handles these situations."
Leah nodded thoughtfully. "Well, that's a relief. Hopefully, things will continue to get better."
Eva agreed, feeling a glimmer of hope as they moved forward, determined to support Dylan through his challenges.
Dylan's pov:
The classroom buzzed with activity as Dylan squirmed in his seat, unable to contain his restless energy. His eyes darted around, noticing every little detail, like the boy with the mismatched socks. Unable to suppress his thoughts, he blurted out loud, "Hey, why do you have odd socks?"
The teacher shot him a stern look, trying to maintain order in the classroom. "Dylan, please focus on your work and keep your comments to yourself."
But Dylan's mind raced ahead, his fingers tapping incessantly on the desk, a telltale sign of his growing agitation. He couldn't help but speak out again, this time louder, "But why? It looks weird!"
The teacher's patience wore thin as Dylan's behavior persisted. "Dylan, that's enough. You need to stay in your seat and concentrate on your task."
But Dylan's restlessness refused to be contained. Ignoring the teacher's reprimand, he pushed himself out of his chair, unable to sit still any longer. "I just wanted to know!" he exclaimed, his voice rising in frustration.
The teacher sighed, realizing that Dylan's impulsiveness was getting the better of him today. With a firm tone, she addressed him again, "Dylan, I understand, but you need to follow the classroom rules. Please sit down and focus on your work."
Dylan reluctantly complied, sinking back into his seat, but his mind continued to race, his body still fidgeting with pent-up energy. The struggle to stay focused seemed never-ending, but he knew he had to try, even if it meant battling his impulses every step of the way.
