(Strip Number 4080, Original Publication Date, 15 October 1981)
Panel 1: It's about 8 or so in the evening at the Poirier house; we thus find Lawrence in bed thought-bubbling "Just because Gordon's in Grade 3, just because he's got gum, just because he's a new kid, Mike likes him better."
Panel 2: "Michael's a rat fink! Michael's a nerd face! If I ever see Michael again...." (It's at this point yours truly thinks that Lawrence would be glad to rid himself of the Patterswine forever but since that can't happen, he has to be miserable about nothing.)
Panel 3: Connie shows up and tries to console him by saying whatever's bothering him couldn't be that bad. This is verbal shorthand for her not wanting to face how her chasing after men is doing a number on her child.
Panel 4: Lawrence asks her how could she know that; after all, she hasn't been a kid in years. I would have asked her if she even knew how old he was myself; that's because she's not what I'd call involved.
Summary: I haven't either but I do understand what makes Lawrence think that way: he's the creation of a woman who thinks that life is a zero-sum game. Lynn's notes will make it quite clear that she cannot see that befriending one person doesn't mean that another is about to be cast adrift because she's still a little kid inside. Also, we have a lot of strips to come that have a character angst about being replaced because someone new comes along. Always and ever, a Foob will pull the old him-or-me crap and get burned; I just wish that I didn't know that the notes will talk about something like this that happened to Lynn decades ago.