Clowns, Crimes and Case Numbers

Chapter Four

Fortunately for Olivia, they weren’t learning anything in the first class of the course. Unfortunately for her, however, they were doing an overview of all the topics that were going to be covered in the course.

Olivia had already formulated a plan-- listen, get home, call her cousin in the FBI. And I don’t mean to sound sinister, but she thought it was fail proof.

Mrs. Hurt started with the first topic, and as soon as she said covert operations-- which in itself sounded scary to Olivia, who was conjuring in her mind all of the possible instances in which you may need to carry out a covert operation-- a dark skinned girl’s hand shot straight up.

“Yes?”, Mrs Hurt looked jaded and critical of the girl’s very hand, “You have a question about the name of our first topic?”

“When I came and got the syllabus yesterday, it said the first topic was Circus History 101”

“Maybe I should have made the 101 bold, for the people who don’t comprehend that the first module, which consists of all 101 topics, is held in the pink and white tent, and is currently not in session”

The girl was silent, but only after muttering, “Because green and white totally scream second module to everyone”, and getting detention.

It caused Olivia to make up a new gameplan-- listen, don’t make any sarcastic comments, go home, call FBI cousin. Between you and me, I think the second part was the hardest. She thought her plan was fail proof, that was, until all of two seconds later Mrs. Hurt announced, “You will all be staying at the Whitford’s now. Your beds are in the blue and white tent”, at least Olivia wasn’t the only shocked one, “Everyone’s dismissed, except those”, Mrs. Hurt threw a look at the dark skinned girl, “You managed to get detention within our first two minutes. Bravo, by the way, I’ll have to put it in the record book”

However, Olivia refused to be deterred by the unexpected changed in her plans. Even if she didn’t manage to escape on the way to the tent, she could just call them here-- all the more proof to stop her being charged with fraudery.

And yet again she was thwarted, for at the entrance of the blue and white tent was another person with a box labeled, “Cell phones”, and the person rolled their eyes as everyone groaned and dropped their phones into the box. Sneaking it past didn’t work-- Scotty was in front of her, and he almost succeeded. And so, for the second time, she was completely, utterly and royally screwed.