Just in. Looks like Chi’s not so sweet. Sources say she gotcaught trying to steal candy. Careful, Chi, don’t want a record Yale will see…—Aces
My heart settles a little.
Chiamaka Adebayo, a thief? Why would she need to steal anything? Like almost everyone else at this school, she probably has enough money in her piggy bank to buy two sports cars and still have some left over to last several lifetimes.
Plus, she seems way too uptight to steal anything. But then again, I don’t know her.
And I don’t care…
I glance at the message again, then chuck my phone back in my pocket.
I check that my headphones are still in, then I breathe.
Drown.
And play.
8
CHIAMAKA
Wednesday
“It’s all over school,” I whisper to Jamie during biology. Thank God there are only a few periods left after enduring people eyeballing and muttering about me all morning.
“It sucks,” he replies, like I just told him the cafeteria is out of fries.
“But no one believes it’s true. Doesn’t take a genius to know you aren’t that kind of person,” Belle says.
I narrow my eyes at her.What is your angle here, Belle?She’s probably trying to look good in front of Jamie, but I see through her.
Like yesterday, Jamie says nothing, and it makes me feel funny inside. Like I should feel guilty for an offense I didn’t commit.
“I’m sure it will blow over,” Belle reassures me.
Again, I ignore her.
“Yesterday evening, one of the science technicians noticed that the science resources storeroom was left open, and unfortunately, some materials we need for today’s experiment were taken,” Ms. Brown says.
That’s… impossible. Ialwayslock the resources storeroom.
“Fortunately, Niveus has plenty of backup materials available. But the theft of these items and the carelessness demonstrated by our Science Rep will be dealt with, and there will be major repercussions.” She pauses. “We want you all to know that we take this sort of thing very seriously,” she finishes, briefly shooting me a severe look.
I feel my face burn as others glance at me too.
“Aren’t you the Science Rep?” Jamie whispers, not so subtly.
I ignore him.
There’s no way I didn’t lock the storeroom. Someone else must have gotten the key and done this. I’ve been Science Rep for years, and not once have I left the room unlocked. I start to raise my hand, ready to clear my name, but I get interrupted by the slimy voice of Satan’s child, Jeremy Hearst, in the corner.
“Well, we don’t want Chiamaka near those spare materials either—you know, since they’re so scarce. Wouldn’t want those to go missing too,” he says, triggering light, awkward laughter. Jeremy’s an ass, that much is public knowledge. We’ve been in the same classes since freshman year, and he’s always thought of himself as the funniest guy in school. The funniest thing about him is his face.
It’s going to take a lot more than fake news to shove me off the top. You’d think after three years he’d know that.
“You can all proceed with the experiment. Chiamaka, can you come up to the front, please,” Ms. Brown says.
I push myself out of my seat, shrugging off the nosy gazes that follow me.
