Wish you could pick your child's friends sometimes?

I do.  But, I know that will not work.  I try hard to sway our child and give them things to think about, but watching things happen is hard.  I'm sure as the girls get older it will be worse, 'cause girls are so catty, but boys have their own set of issues.

Cole had his MP3 player at school for a project on Monday.  He left it in the classroom (hidden from plain view) so he could use it again Tuesday.  Tuesday he found it to be gone.   He told his teacher and they looked everywhere for it.  He was mostly upset because the data cable that he had brought to hook it up to her computer was his dad's.  We'd told him very explicitly not to lose it since Cole couldn't find his own.  Finally, another student told the teacher they'd seen someone with an MP3 player on the bus that morning.  That child "found it" on Monday.  The teacher called to explain to me what had happened because Cole was so upset.  The cable was not found.  Last night Cole realized there was additional music downloaded on it an some of his songs were corrupted.  Funny, 'cause you can't download songs without that cable.  Well, the same kid "happened" to find the cable today in another area of the school.  ;0)  Uh huh.

This is one of his friends.  Can I insert the devil face here?  He doesn't see the problem because he doesn't know for sure this friend did it.  How to explain that one to an 11 year old??

Lisa