No Honor Among Thieves

Chapter 5 - "Guilty beyond reasonable doubt."

After asking everyone the necessary questions, when the last class for the day was over, everyone was told to stay in the room for an update.

"First things first. Who here lives in Malabon?" A few students raised their hands, including Jason himself.

"Valenzuela?" Almost the same amount as Malabon.

"Makati?" None. "That'd make sense. It'd be too far from this school," I thought.

"Bulacan." Five, including Rodrick.

"Quezon." None.

"Lastly," he pretends to look at a small notebook in his hands, with nothing written inside.

"Caloocan." Around seven.

"Is everybody called?"

Jane raises her hand. "Tondo."

"Oh, okay. Anybody else from Tondo?" No one else raised their hand. Just Jane.

"Alright. Does anybody here pay for dormitory?" Three raised, including Elle.

"That's about it." He closes the notebook in his hand and continues.

"A while ago during lunch break, we got a hit on the location." The news riled up the class, got them on their heels. "Hold on, now." Everyone had to fall silent, something Jason feels won't last.

"The location does not guarantee that those who lives there are the suspects." He adds, knowing the damage it would bring.

"It was last tracked... on A. Bonifacio." The class made no sound, no noise, nor any clamour. Instead, they just looked at Ron, however, Ron didn't look anywhere else. Just at Jason.

"I didn't do it," he says softly, still looking at him.

"Nobody's saying you did, alright? Like I said, it's not a guarantee." He then turns his attention to the class to inform them. "The law states that the suspect is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt."

The class remains silent, perhaps not listening to Jason at all or thinking of something worse.

"With just a location, a lot of reasonable doubts came into mind already." He pauses and noticing how everyone is barely paying any attention, he smacks his hand on the board. The sound rips through the silence and makes everyone jump out of their skin.

Everyone except Ron.

"That woke you up," he thought and continues. "We'll proceed to work on this right away. You all may go now."

Everyone scurries to leave right away, with a few staying behind to talk– gossip is more like it– outside the room after everyone left.

Nicky takes the lead in insinuating that Ron took it. "If it was tracked in his house, then there's nothing else to talk about." A few agreed.

Jason, intrigued by the commotion, joins the circle they formed. Elle and Rodrick stands a few steps behind the circle.

Nicky continues, "What was the phone doing in his house anyway? And if it was tracked, it must've been switched on. So who else could've switched it on, right?" Everyone in the circle, except me, nods their heads.

I break from the circle and head towards Elle and Rodrick, who is now joined by Dylan, Shaira, and Maria. I was a few feet away from them until Ron stops me in my tracks, who seems to be a bit teary-eyed.

"Hey look, um... I'm sorry, I just don't know your name at all, but uh..." he softly chuckles, "You believe me right? That I didn't do it?"

"I think only evidence can prove your innocence."