him. From his perch, Brad asked Larry where his wallet was, and when Larry
could not find it, Brad accused Rick of stealing it. Despite Rick's fervent de-
nials, Brad eventually convinced Larry of Rick's guilt, whipping him into a
frenzy of anger and outrage. Larry tore Rick's room apart looking for his wallet.
Brad slyly showed Trevor the wallet he was sitting on, inviting him to join him
in conspiratorial silence.

Brad's accusations, Larry's fear for his money and anger at Rick, and Rick's
pathetic denials escalated to the point where Larry began threatening to break
Rick's things if he did not turn over the wallet. Helplessly, Rick professed in-
nocence and ignorance. Larry broke Rick's lamp. Then he smashed the tele-
phone in Rick's room (a birthday gift) to the floor, shattering it. He stomped
on video games. Rick wailed and cried. Larry ran out of the room, moving to
the kitchen to find more things to destroy, his anger out of control. Rick fol-
lowed him, screaming, terrified. As Larry was about to throw down a blender,
Rick's mother came home and stopped him. Assessing the situation, she sent
the three boys home. Searching the house, she found the wallet on the bed and
called Larry's mother.

The next day in school, Brad and Trevor bragged exultantly to everybody
about their caper. Rick was out of the group.

IN FOURTH GRADE, Diane and Julie were best friends. Although she was new
to the school, Diane rose to the position of clique leader. Together, Diane and
Julie ruled over the class, gracing some girls with their attention and casting
away others. They were inseparable, playing every week, and visiting each
other out of town over the summer.

Returning to town one week after the start of school, Diane eagerly con-
tacted Julie. She was disappointed to learn that they were now in different
homerooms, but she tried to arrange to get together after school. Julie could
not make it. Nor could she the next day or the day after that. Diane was sad
and confused. Was her best friend avoiding her? Julie seemed to be hanging out
with their other friends, who were in Julie's class, but not with Diane. Diane
did not have any friends in her new class, a combination class of fifth and sixth
graders. By Friday Diane could not stand it anymore. After another rejection,
she confronted Julie outside school. "Why won't you play with me?" she asked.

Julie was wrenched. Diane had been her best friend, had done everything
with her. Before school started, however, Julie's mother had told her that she
did not want Julie playing with Diane anymore. After a conference with the
girls' fourth-grade teacher, Julie's mother had decided that Diane was a bad per-
son and a bad influence. Julie was banned from playing with Diane. Julie did
not know how to tell this to her best friend, so she kept making excuses about

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