Without A Lunch Box

Vince Bunnyman is without his lunch box.
It was taken from him in the 3rd grade.
It was a good lunch box too.
It was green with a picture of Raphael from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on the front.
Raphael was Vince’s favourite.
At least half of his 3rd grade class had, at one time or another, referred to the lunch box as “radical”.
Even his teacher, Miss Murray, thought it was “radical”.
She told him once whilst the class were out having lunch on the school oval.
The one person who thought it was more “radical” than anyone else though was Luke Perry.
Not the brilliant actor Luke Perry.
No.
This Luke Perry was short, chubby and smelt like nail polish.
Luke Perry had admired the lunch box ever since Vince brought it to school on their first day of the 3rd grade.
They soon became friends.
Especially at lunchtime.
Luke Perry constantly asked Vince where he had gotten the lunch box and once even offered him a straight trade for his Garfield lunch box.
Vince had received the lunch box from his Mum’s friend Pam for Christmas and there was no way he was trading it for a Garfield lunch box.
That was an insult.
Besides, everyone knew that Luke Perry’s favourite Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle was Michelangelo, so it was odd for him to have such a fascination with it.
Occasionally Luke Perry would ask Vince if he would like to swap lunches.
Luke Perry’s Chicken and Mayonnaise on White Bread, in exchange for Vince’s Peanut Butter on Brown Bread.
It was an easy decision for Vince. He hated Peanut Butter.
But every time Luke Perry would attempt to take Vince’s whole lunch box instead of just the sandwich. Like it was an unspoken understanding that the lunch box was part of the sandwich trade.
It was not.
Every time the deal was deemed null and Vince would be stuck with his Peanut Butter on Brown Bread.
One lunchtime though, his lunch box was no longer there.
It should have been in his school bag where it always was.
He knew 100% that he hadn’t forgotten it. And even if he had, his Mum would have dropped it off at the Principal’s Office and an announcement would have been made over the PA.
No, his lunch box had been taken.
Taken without his permission.
Taken straight out of his bag.
Taken without him even knowing.
The one and only suspect was more than obvious.
Luke Perry.
Vince stormed back into his class room, ready to confront Luke Perry and regain what was rightfully his.
But Luke Perry was nowhere to be seen.
Luke Perry had gone.
Miss Murray said that Luke Perry’s father had collected him just before lunchtime for a family vacation.
Luke Perry never returned from his family vacation.
Vince never saw or heard from Luke Perry or his beloved lunch box ever again.
Sometimes, whilst eating his lunch, Vince pictures Luke Perry sitting on a sun-drenched beach with his Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle lunch box sitting by his side, enjoying Chicken and Mayonnaise on White Bread.
Vince thinks they would both be quite happy.