Continuing with my Annabelle and Ironhide stories, here is another one. If you want to know chronologically where it fits in it happens after "Black Crayons" and "Drawings," but before "ParentTeacher Conference". However, you do not have to read the others to understand, but it makes it much more interesting to read if you read the others. Enjoy the fun of preschool.

Bully

Annabelle loved coloring time; it was her favorite part of the school day. Even if Mrs. Johnson sometimes asked them to draw something specific, she still had the freedom to do as she liked as long as she still accomplished the teacher's goal. Today, they were supposed to draw something made-up. It could have once been real, like the dinosaurs she was doing, but it still had to be something unusual they didn't normally see. Currently, her T-rex was standing by a self-portrait of herself and a very special black truck. All her pictures had that truck. No one knew why she put the truck in her drawings, but it was important to her.

Her best human friend, Suzie, was doing a unicorn. Judging by the added pigtails, her own image was riding said unicorn. Beyond her sat Carl. He was mean, always trying to scare everyone with his stories. Last week, he tried to convince everyone that goblins would sneak into their house and eat them. Annabelle hadn't worried. No one got into her house: neither monsters, bad guys, nor goblins.

The red-haired boy held up his present drawing. He had waited until Mrs. Johnson had crossed to the farthest corner of the room. Bright yellow stars stood out on the page. In the middle was a roundish shape with red dots around it. On the green grass at the bottom was a person. It looked like a normal stick figure person, but it was green and had two lines on top of the head.

"This is a flying saucer," he announced to the surrounding children, "and aliens travel in them. If they get the chance, they'll get you and abduct you and you'll never go home again."

Some of the young kids looked upset at this and a couple even looked scared. Annabelle wasn't afraid. She was confused and a little angry.

"Not all aliens are mean," she defended. "Some are good guys and are nice."

Carl looked at the girl. He tried to appear haughty and knowledgeable, but with the freckles and frizzy hair, he only seemed cute. At least, adults saw him this way. "No way. All aliens are evil. That's why guys in suits and sunglasses catch them and throw them in Area 51. It's an alien jail where they cut them up and stuff, cause they're evil monsters."

Likely he would have continued his wild ideas about aliens and government agents in an attempt to look smart and scare people. However, he was interrupted by a small fist. Annabelle was beyond furious. She was lacking in technique, but it is amazing how much power a preschooler can muster when properly motivated. Her next swing made contact with his nose. The final punch, before a panicked Mrs. Johnson who had been across the room pulled her off, knocked the wind out of the boy by hitting his stomach. Annabelle was still trying to keep smacking the boy even as her teacher dragged her away. Carl was whimpering slightly as he tried to get back his breath.

"Thank you for coming down, Mrs. Lennox," began Mrs. Johnson.

Annabelle was sitting outside the room as Mrs. Johnson and her mom talked. She ignored it for the most part. She couldn't tell Mrs. Johnson why she attacked Carl. Some things are secret and have to stay secret. Even if it means more trouble. Finally, her mom spoke.

"I'll speak to her. This won't happen again, I promise you."

Her mom came out and Annabelle jumped up. Holding each other's hands, they began walking out. Eventually, Annabelle broke the silence.

"Mommy, are you mad at me?"

"Sweetie, I am upset you hit that boy," she explained, "but I 'm going to let you explain why you did so before I decide on your punishment."

"Carl was being mean again and trying to scare us. This time, he made me mad."

"Why this time?"

Annabelle stopped walking and looked down, "He was saying all aliens are evil monsters and they get taken to Area 51 and cut up. He was lying, right?"

Her mother gave the girl a tight hug at these words. "I know what he said was mean and I know why you would get angry about it. But you can't hit every person who is mean. Sometimes, you have to ignore them."

They were walking again, moving around the parked vehicles. "And about the stuff he said, you know the first part is a lie. So why would the rest be true?" As she declared this, they reached a black pick-up truck. This one was not like any of the others in the lot. Annabelle had learned that this truck was different a long time ago.

"Hello Annabelle," greeted the truck, "Your mother informed me that your instructor contacted her about a problem in today's educational session."

"Hi Ironhide," she replied, happy to see her friend, "Mrs. Johnson and Mommy were mad I beat up a boy. He was mean, but it wasn't good for me to hit him anyway."

"They are correct," he answered. "Combat of any form is not an activity for sparklings to participate in."

"Thanks for the support," Annabelle's mother responded in surprise at the weapon expert's opinion.

Ironhide ruined her enjoyment at his unexpected support by adding, "That's what my cannons are for. What does the boy look like?" You could tell he was joking, but her mother wasn't laughing. Annabelle was though.

You have to love a giant robot's sense of humor. I hope you liked it. Carl had it coming, if he always tries to scare people.