Mr. Gregory is originally from Suriname and works as a geography teacher at a school. His wife works in the school administration. One of his students, Ellen, is known for her smart-alecky personality. Therefore, Mr. Gregory isn't surprised when he sees her talking to a much older boy after school. However, when Ellen doesn't show up at school again, he decides to contact Ellen's mother to find out what's going on. While Mr. Gregory wonders where Ellen is, Julia catches his attention. "Hey!" she calls out unexpectedly. "Isn't that Ellen?" She points to the street corner where Ellen is walking her bike, talking to a boy. "She never normally comes here," Gregory remarks, emphasizing that Ellen lives on the other side of town. Julia rides past more slowly. "That boy doesn't go to our school," Gregory remarks.