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This is Jack. Today Jack is in a grouchy mood. Ms Walton has put him in a team with Alex.

Usually Jack works with Billie. ‘Do I have to work with Alex?’ Jack asks Ms Walters. ‘Can’t I work with Billie?’ ‘Not today, Jack,’ says Ms Walters. ‘I think you and Alex will make a good team.’ Jack sighs and gives Billie a sad little wave. She waves back.

This week is Maths Week. Jack’s class is having a competition. The winning team gets a set of glow-in-the-dark stickers. Jack loves glow-in-the-dark stickers. He wants to win. Jack and Alex start their first maths task. It is an adding and subtracting game. Jack and Alex work out the answers in their heads. But Alex is always faster. He writes the answers down before Jack can even have a go. ‘Hey, let me do some,’ Jack says crossly.

‘All right. You do the next one then,’ says Alex. Jack looks at the maths problem. It is a very one. He is not sure if he should take away or add. He starts writing down an answer. ‘That’s not right,’ Alex says. He takes the pencil away from Jack. ‘Hey, I’m not finished!’ shouts Jack. He the pencil. ‘But you can’t do it!’ Alex yells. ‘Boys!’ says Ms Walters. She walks over. ‘What’s going on?’ ‘Alex won’t let me answer any questions,’ Jack complains. ‘He’s getting them wrong!’ Alex says.

‘You boys have to work together or you will lose points,’ Ms Walton says. She walks to the front of the class. Jack frowns at Alex. He getting into trouble. Especially when it’s not his fault! Why does he have to be on a team with Alex? He and Billie make a much better team. Alex frowns at Jack and hands him the pencil. ‘Look, it’s like this question up here,’ he says. He still sounds a bit grumpy. Jack does the sum again and writes down his answer. Alex nods and gives a little smile. At the end of the lesson, Ms Walters reads out the answers. Jack and Alex only got two wrong. One of them was Jack’s answer and one was Alex’s.

Jack and Alex are Billie and Mika are coming second. Jack grins happily. So does Alex. They give each other a Maybe being in a team with Alex isn’t so bad after all, Jack thinks.