**Justin's Unexpected Discovery**

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**1995 - Texas, USA**

Justin, having recently turned five, was walking home from kindergarten with his friends Bruno, Jamal, and Max. Bruno, who was a year older and in first grade, led the way. They decided to take a different route through a quiet alleyway behind some shops, searching for a new adventure.

As they strolled down the alley, Bruno noticed something unusual near a dumpster. "Hey, guys, look over here!" he called out, pointing to a small, black duffel bag partially hidden behind the dumpster.

Jamal's eyes widened with excitement. "What do you think is in there? Maybe it's full of treasure!"

Max shrugged but looked intrigued. "Or it could be someone's lost gym bag."

Ignoring the warnings, Justin approached the bag and unzipped it. To his shock, inside were several small packages wrapped in plastic, along with a large sum of money. He had seen enough TV shows to know that these packages looked suspiciously like drugs.

"We need to tell someone about this," Justin said, zipping the bag back up.

Selena, who had caught up with the group, looked at the bag and then at Justin. "We should go to the police."

Agreeing with Selena, the group quickly made their way to the nearest police station, carrying the bag carefully. As they walked in, a friendly officer named Officer Ramirez greeted them.

"Hello, kids! What brings you in today?" he asked with a warm smile.

Justin stepped forward, holding up the bag. "We found this behind a dumpster, and we think it's drugs."

Officer Ramirez's smile faded as he took the bag and opened it, confirming their suspicion. "You kids did the right thing bringing this here. This is very dangerous stuff."

After taking their statements and thanking them for their honesty and bravery, Officer Ramirez said, "Wait here for a moment." He disappeared into the back office with the bag.

A few minutes later, he returned with a grin on his face. "You kids have helped us a lot today. The police department has a reward program for information leading to the seizure of drugs. We'd like to give you a reward of $1,000."

Justin's eyes widened. "Really? That's a lot of money!"

Officer Ramirez nodded. "Yes, and it's well deserved. But because you're all minors, we'll give the money to your parents."

When Justin got home, he handed the check for $1,000 to his mom, Pattie Mallette. She was surprised and a bit worried. "Justin, where did you get this?"

Justin told her the whole story, from finding the bag to going to the police. Pattie listened, her expression shifting from concern to pride.

"You did the right thing, Justin. I'm so proud of you," she said, giving him a big hug.

"Mom, can we use some of it to buy a violin? I've always wanted to learn how to play," Justin asked, his eyes sparkling with excitement.

Pattie smiled warmly. "Of course, Justin. You've earned it."

The next day at kindergarten, Justin and his friends were local heroes. Mrs. Thompson, their teacher, praised them for their bravery and quick thinking. Even though Justin still found kindergarten boring, he realized that life could be full of unexpected adventures, and sometimes, doing the right thing could lead to amazing rewards.

As he sat with his friends during recess, Selena looked at Justin and said, "You know, you really are like a superhero, Justin. You saved the day."

Justin grinned. "Maybe. But I couldn't have done it without you guys."

Bruno, Jamal, and Max all nodded in agreement, feeling proud of their part in the adventure. They knew that no matter what happened, they could always count on each other.

And as they played together, laughing and imagining their next big adventure, Justin couldn't help but feel that, despite everything, kindergarten wasn't so bad after all.