Lucious escaped

I am absolutely certain that this occurs for less that 1% of students, teachers, and substitutes. Perhaps that means I'm lucky.
Lucious walked in, 3.5 ft is very small. In fact, I mistook him for being a lost 4-year-old. He had short curly hair characteristic of most little African American boys, long dark eyelashes, and pink lips pulled into a HUGE smile. I wondered why the teacher had warned me about him.
Lucious had two very close friends. Nico, and Eden. Nico sat a few seats away but had a matching behavior contract to Lucious. They considered themselves to be lucky...only they got to earn stickers throughout the day. Each hour and following every recess, they were rewarded tiny stickers for good and respectful attitudes and behavior. Eden however, sat right beside Lucious. She had purple tinted glasses with rhinestones that she insisted were for poor eyesight, a cheetah print headband also rhinestone studded that pushed back unruly brown hair and a giant, ribboned, hair scrunchie held the rest in place. She wore a baggy sweatshirt, long shorts, and Ugg boots. Her face was always innocent when questioned, but I know she and Lucious schemed.
The remainder of the students in class for the purpose of this story will just be lumped together although many vibrant personalities could be singled out. I will just say that the "class" had a hard time remembering that their teacher's absence did not make them the teachers. "We aren't s'uppost ta pull cards for that." "Evan is drawing a picture of me and the crossing it out." "Teacher, I can show you...you're doing it wrong." This annoys me more than anything.
As I jumped all around the room at math time responding to the ever elevating cry for "Mrs. Vincent," I repeatedly corrected "I don't get it," for "What don't you understand?" Throughout this time I noted that Lucious, one of the brighter kids in my class had finished and was socializing with the entire room one student at a time with more success than a campaigning presidential candidate. He was extracting signatures and as I was poked and tugged on, summonsed, and frustrated trying to explain math to uninterested students I didn't have time to figure out what was going on. I just repeatedly silenced the students with two fingers held high, and warned them that if they didn't keep to themselves everyone would be pulling a card (which is what happened).
Nico (Lucious' side-kick) had a horrible attitude about this and banged his chubby hand on the desk before throwing a wad of paper and grabbing a book from Teia, who started to cry. This began revolt number one. Lucious verbally objected and Nico followed, so did Eden. Then, the entire class of first graders began to whine. I didn't have any intention of yielding, their chirping voices made me threaten them with another card and most of them quieted. Lucious ran up to me and said, "I demand an explanation. I was being good. What was I doing wrong?! Am I still going to get a sticker for my behavior card?"
I hate impertenence. "No." I responded simply.
"But teacher..." he trailed off in a whine and big, little Nico growled at me.
No stickers for them, and it was finally the first recess of the day.
I made Lucious remain for a minute into recess because he had been eating in class after he was told not to and had scattered snack crackers everywhere. He let me know with a smile that I was mean. That was fine with me.

The events that occured next between recess and lunch I enjoyed, mostly because I laughed them off, but they become significant to later events.
Lucious needed to go to the bathroom as soon as they stepped in from recess. I told him no. When he insisted I let him go. (Going to the bathroom is a buddy system in Mrs. Ashley's classroom. Lucious wanted to take Nico.) I let them go. Eden walked up to me slowly.
"I have something very important to tell you Mrs.... Lucious just went to escape."
"What?"
"He was planning it this morning. Or he's going to look for a way to do it at lunch."
"Thanks Eden."
They returned just a short time later. Kids.
Silent reading was anything but silent with Lucious and Nico stirring up the class. I invited Lucious firmly to sit beside me in a "chair that had his name on it." (He actually looked for his name on, behind, and under the chair). As soon as he sat down he whined and then wanted to go get a different book. I ignored him. 2 minutes later he said, "Ummm, I think I'm feeling that I have to go to the bathroom."
I ignored this.
When I judged that he had spent sufficient time looking at the book I allowed him to get another one and gave him just 30 seconds. He dashed to get a new book and then I saw he was using the remainder of his time to talk with Nico.
"Lucious." He didn't respond.
"Lucious." He turned ever so slightly.
"Lucious!"
"Hang on a second! Gosh!" turning back and realizing what he had just said, he slinked over to me. He pulled a card.
Nico stood up. "I have to go to the bathroom."
"Sit down Nico, you just went."
"But I have to go really bad." He held himself and started to jump around
"Sit," I pointed to his seat.
"But I'm going to wet my pants."
"Ok."
"I'm wetting them now."
Comment ignored. He sat down.
30 seconds later he waddled up. "I just wet them." His pants were dry.
"You lost your chance to sit back down. Come sit by me."
He forgot about his "accicent"and sat down. Then wiggled more. "I'm going to wet them."
"I thought you just did that. You're going to wet again?!"
He got steaming mad and his chubby face turned pink. "Agh! Lucious she is so mean."
This is the extent of my "mean-ness" before lunch.
The class lined up to go out for lunch and we were halfway down a hall, around the corner, and just in front of the cafeteria when someone announced that Lucious didn't have his shoes on.
"Lucious." He smiled.
"Go put your shoes on." We all had to wait.

I thought I had quite the story to share with Patrick at lunch time...little did I know.

I returned to the playground at 12:25. Hunter ran up to me. "Lucious is escaped and I told him there were security cameras but he still left and I think he's lost and now he's going to be in trouble."
"Where is Lucious?" I asked the class. Everyone was silent. One person said the principal's office. I figured the incident was settled.
The classroom door opened a few minutes later which would be the first of three times. The last time it was the principal. She quieted the class.
"Who knows where Lucious might be?" Everyone raised their hands.
Eden produced a map that he had drown that was labeled "Escape plan."
One girl started to cry. "He wanted us all to go too and we signed the plan but we were all scared."
All of my students had petitioned to "escape" school with Lucious at lunch. I wasn't sure this was looking so good for me, especially in front of the principal.
The next hour was filled with tall tales. One girl drew small pictures which she claimed Lucious had given her to say where he was going. The entire class errupted saying that he was at the pumpkin patch, "No, he told me he was going to the Christmas tree farm." "No, Lucious is going to get some ice cream." It was impossible to keep the fervor and excitement and the name "Lucious" from every small mouth.
Finally the principal came in. "We found Lucious, but he has been expelled. He was hiding across the street in an apartment complex underneath a car. He kept running to new hiding places as we tried to locate him. The police, several school employees, and people at the complex were looking for him." Many questions followed, a lot of tears for the kids who had agreed to escape with him. One boy burst into tears, "Am I going to be expelled too?"
School was over shortly after.
I guess I learned that if a 7 year old draws an escape map complete with dots and a big X, it may be worth inspecting.