Tommy's phone buzzed, and he quickly recognized Jacob's number. He answered with a casual "Hello, Jacob, what's up, man?" Jacob's voice sounded urgent on the other end. "Tommy, are Jake and Caleb with you?" Tommy nodded instinctively, even though Jacob couldn't see him. "Yeah, they're here. Why, what's going on?" Jacob's tone grew more serious. "You all need to get back to college right now." Sensing the urgency in Jacob's voice, Tommy furrowed his brow and got up from his chair, taking a few steps away from the table. "Jacob, what's the matter? You sound worried." There was a heavy sigh on the other end of the line. "There's been another theft." "What..." Tommy exclaimed, caught off guard by the news. His mind raced with questions and concerns. "Yeah," Jacob continued, his voice tense and hurried. "And this time, it's happened in our class." Tommy's stomach tightened. "In our class? Are you serious?" "Dead serious," Jacob confirmed. "The professor is pretty worked up about i
Jackie and Cassie sat in the cinema cafeteria, the soft hum of conversations around them filling the air. Jackie stirred her drink absently, her mind clearly elsewhere. She finally turned to Cassie, unable to hold back her curiosity any longer."Are you really going to continue chasing that loser?" Jackie asked, her tone a mix of incredulity and concern.Cassie nodded with a bright smile. "Of course I am," she replied without hesitation.Jackie shook her head, baffled. "Seriously, Cassie, I don't understand you. That loser rejected you in front of so many people without a hint of guilt. Just give up already. There are plenty of other boys you can make your 'fake boyfriend'," she said, raising her fingers to make air quotes. "Who will at least be better than Caleb. Why are you so adamant that it has to be him?"Cassie sighed deeply but refused to answer, her eyes drifting to a distant point, lost in thought.Jackie's frustration was palpable as she leaned forward, her voice tinged wit
The professor's glare bore into Jane with unmasked frustration. "Do you have any brains ! Thats what happebscwhen you dont listen!" he bellowed, his voice echoing off the classroom walls. "I explicitly warned all students on the notice board to be vigilant with their belongings, knowing there's a thief among us. Yet you, young lady, have managed to have the entire class's fees stolen. And you dare call yourself a class monitor!"His words stung like a whip cracking through the air, each syllable laced with disappointment and accusation. The classroom seemed to shrink under the weight of his condemnation, leaving Jane visibly shaken under the harsh spotlight of Professor Henderson's scrutiny.Jane stood frozen under the professor's harsh gaze, her hands trembling slightly as she tried to find her voice amidst the palpable tension in the room."I... I'm sorry, Mr. Henderson," she stammered, her words coming out in a rush. "I... I didn't mean to... I thought... I thought it would be s
Mr. Henderson's expression shifted from annoyance to cautious interest. He fixed Carl with a penetrating stare. "You know who it is, Carl? Thrn enlighten us" he demanded, his voice low and serious, cutting through the chatter in the classroom. Carl took a deep breath, steeling himself before speaking again. "It's..." He hesitated for a moment, as if weighing his words carefully. The suspense in the room was palpable, each second feeling like an eternity as everyone waited for him to continue. As tension hung thick in the air of the classroom, Carl stood up abruptly, his face wearing a confident smirk. His words cut through the silence like a knife. "The thief is amongst us," Carl declared, his voice echoing off the walls, "and he is sitting in this room right now!" A collective gasp rippled through the classroom as students exchanged shocked glances. Whispers erupted like a sudden storm, as everyone began to scrutinize their classmates with newfound suspicion. Mr. Henderson, hi
Mr. Henderson straightened his tie with an air of authority, smoothing back a few nonexistent strands of hair as he smiled at Professor Hanks. "Just before you arrived, we may have made some progress regarding the thief," Mr. Henderson announced, his voice projecting across the room. He briefly glanced over at Caleb, who met his gaze with a mixture of curiosity and concern. Professor Hanks furrowed her eyebrows, her expression shifting to one of focused curiosity. Stepping closer to Mr. Henderson, she asked in a firm tone, "What progress have you made?" Mr. Henderson's smile widened slightly, relishing the attention from Professor Hanks. Leaning in slightly, he lowered his voice as if sharing a confidential matter. "Before you got here, Carl accused Caleb of being the thief." Professor Hanks's eyebrows shot up in surprise. She scanned the room until her gaze landed on Caleb, who met her look with a disbelief apprehension. Carl stood smugly with his arms folded across his ches
Professor Hanks's hand slammed down on the table with a resounding thud, instantly quelling the rising chatter that had filled the room. "Silence!" Her authoritative command cut through the noise like a knife, demanding the attention of every student present. Once the room had settled into a tense silence, she fixed her unwavering gaze on Caleb, her expression a blend of concern and determination. "Caleb," she began, her voice firm yet tinged with curiosity, "do you have anything to say?" Her eyes bore into his, silently urging him to speak up and address the accusations that had been thrown his way. Caleb paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts before standing up. "What Carl said just now-his analysis of what could have happened-is very reasonable," he began, his voice calm and measured. "However, there is one small thing he seems to have forgotten to mention." Professor Hanks furrowed her eyebrows, clearly intrigued. "And what might that be?" she prompted, her gaze s
"I..." Caleb began, weighing his words carefully. Caleb paused for a moment, his mind racing as he processed the situation. He instinctively slid his hands into his pockets, a subtle gesture to calm his nerves. His gaze shifted towards Carl once more, observing the smug confidence etched on his face. It was becoming clear to Caleb that Carl wasn't acting on mere suspicion but had orchestrated this accusation deliberately. The reason for Carl's unwavering confidence in Caleb's guilt pointed to a calculated plan. As Caleb pondered Carl's motives, his eyes flickered briefly to his desk where his bag lay discarded underneath. He couldn't shake the sinking feeling that the money, the very evidence Carl was banking on finding, might have already been planted there. A surge of frustration and anger welled up within him, but he maintained his composure outwardly, preparing to address Professor Hanks and the rest of the class with clarity and conviction. He had been set up. As his
"Well, Carl, after an hour, you'll regret what you're doing right now, and you will pay for what you have done." Carl narrowed his eyes at Caleb momentarily and chuckled, muttering under his breath, "Is that a threat?" Caleb didn’t bother to respond, his silence conveying more than words could. Carl shrugged off Caleb's words, confident that they were meaningless. What could a loser like Caleb do anyway? Carl's smirk grew as he unzipped the bag. He knew that as soon as the money was found, there would be no escape for Caleb. The whole class fell silent, the only sound being the slow, deliberate zip opening Caleb's bag. Kenneth leaned forward on his desk, casting a quick glance at Tracy, who had a small smirk playing on her lips. They knew that any moment now, their plan would come to fruition. On the other hand, Tommy and Jake watched nervously, their anxiety palpable. But the most anxious of all was Jane, the class monitor. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was