Theodore looked gratefully in the direction of the girl who was still reaching for his hand, wanting to congratulate the boy in person. It was Lucy. The same Lucy who had so unceremoniously taken advantage of the situation and pushed him out of the circle during the sports game. Now it wasn't a competitor standing in front of him, but just an ordinary, friendly girl wishing him a happy birthday. The birthday boy smiled and extended his hand to her in return, shaking it vigorously. His handshake was so strong and intense that Lucy began to release her palm from Theodore's steel grip.
– Ow! You're hurting me! What are you doing? – The girl whimpered pitifully. She whimpered and ran off in tears towards the dining-room. Mrs Donova came up to Ted, having heard Lucy's squeak and seen her reaction to the handshake.
– Theodore, you have to be more careful with girls. You're stronger than they are. Look how you scared her. They need to be protected. Come on, it's time to eat. – slowly, pausing at the end of each sentence, said the teacher, as if placing important accents in her words in order for the boy to understand their content. After a series of instructive words, the teacher took the pupil to his seat at one of the dining tables, which was visible even at a considerable distance.
Now, in the middle of the second year of the CEC, the children ate lunch sitting on full chairs, which consisted of four legs for stability, a seat and a backrest. In general, the chairs looked like normal chairs and were no different from the standard adult models, except that they were smaller in size. None of Theodore's classmates needed the auxiliary straps anymore.
Ted walked over to his chair, which was covered with yellow holiday balloons. On the table in front of him was a container of food tied with a golden ribbon in the shape of a bow, which the boy had to untie himself. The other children sitting around him gazed at the food box with interest, wondering about its inner contents. Slowly, Theodore climbed onto the chair, moved closer to the food and began to untie the intricately twisted bow by pulling one end of the golden ribbon. Then he opened the container, and all the neighbours on the dining table leaned forward, looking at the food inside. Inside lay a solid cooked piece of chicken fillet with rice on the side. To the right of the container, lay a napkin-wrapped sweet bun in the shape of an amused grimace. The same exact pastry awaited every child who came for lunch today. The glass to the left of the container was filled with apple sour cream, which was also expected by many, except for those to whom it was strongly contraindicated or disgusting. As it turned out, nothing special was provided for the birthday boy, which some of his classmates might have been excited about, feeling deprived.