Forlot: Who Framed Her? - Book Seven {Completed}

Chapter Thirty-Two

You do not want to know how it feels to run down flights of stairs. It is as if you were on fire!

The main room where we had entered the mansion was on the third floor, and seeing that the mansion consists of long flights of stairs, it would be a while before we even reached the third floor.

"I should have known," I said as we scurried down the stairs. "That is probably why he had that suitcase. He retrieved the tapes before we could. I am such a fool."

"Tim, do not be hard on yourself," Cindy encouraged me. "It was an honest mistake. Everybody makes mistakes."

"Yes, but I am the leader. I have to make sure that everything goes right for our writer. Or else."

"Even the best leaders make the simplest mistakes. The heck with it. Ask our own writer. She has done many grammar and spelling errors that seem stupid to an expert. So you are not alone."

"But..." I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I-I am supposed to be a trustworthy leader. She put me in charge—"

"She put you in charge because you are a version of her. You have the characteristics to be a great and supportive leader. She gave you that gift so that you could do what she never got to be. To lead others."

"Yeah. Stop your whining," Jenny spat. "We will make it in time. Ash's name will be cleared on our watch."

Even during my depressing moments, Jenny still knows how to tick me off.

We reached the third floor and dashed to the front door.

Cindy was right. I should not be in this type of pressure. I am not the only person who could have known that George stole the tapes. There are five other people, Sue, Jane, Jenny, Billy, and Jim, who could have realized the same thing. But no. So it was not entirely my fault.

No. It was none of our faults.

To think, George was that twisted to take those tapes. And he probably would keep them to himself and not show them in court.
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When our class and teachers were out of sight, we hurried up to the mansion. As we reached the front door, it opened.

And standing in the doorway...

...was George Parks. Holding a briefcase.

"Well, well, well," he said. "Trying to clear Ash's name, are we? How quaint."
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It only proved to us that our writer was framed. Somebody else had to press that button. Was it George? He was the obvious suspect.
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"The six of you are a joke," George called us. "And not just you. All fictional characters. You all deserve to perish. Starting with that writer of yours. She will die for believing in such nonsense!"

"Dude, you are a fictional character," I pointed out. "Plus, Ash is the person who thought of you."

"Pfft! That does not matter. The Lord created the real worlders, and most of them do not love Him."

"And those are the same people...who hate us!" Jane spoke the truth, struggling to break free.

He dropped her, and I held out my arms and caught her.

"Your writer despises real worlders. She always has!"
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Unfortunately, no. He was in the courtroom when the explosion occurred. And it was not his girlfriend Barbara. She was with him.

Unless they hired someone to do it for them.

What about Ms. Hayley Taylor? She hates Ash and the town of Forlot. Plus, she was nowhere in the courtroom.

However...would she doom the real worlders? She loved them too much to wipe them out.

And how about Mary Sue? She was sure of herself that she would push the button.
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"I will doom them. I will do whatever it takes."
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We will just have to find out during court.

We exited through the front door and ran outside. We surveyed our surroundings.

"There is no way that we will make in time on foot!" Margie informed.

"The mansion is too far from the courthouse," Jim said. "If only somebody could drive us there."

Billy stared at the bus. "Unless someone in our group knows how to operate a bus."

"Billy, we are too young to drive," Sue explained. "What makes you think that we can operate a vehicle that we could easily crash and therefore, die in?"

"Aw, man! It would be cool to drive a bus."

"I got you, guys!"

All of us turned in the direction where the voice had come from and spotted a blue van. The van skidded to us, and its doors slid open.

The girl who was in the driver's seat rolled down her window.

"Get in if you want to live!" the girl called.

My gang and I recognized her immediately.

"June!" I exclaimed.

June is Libby's twin sister. They are the opposite of each other. Libby is the smart one and likes to experiment in her spare time. June is the creative one and like to paint and play some sports in her spare time.

June had glasses, and her hair was tied in a bun. Just like Libby's. The only differences between their buns is that Libby's goes up, while June's goes down.

June had freckles on her face. She wore a purple, short-sleeved shirt, purple shorts, and purple shoes.

"My sister told me everything," she said. "Get in, and I will take you to the courthouse."

Everybody got in. Cindy helped Caleb into the van and kissed his cheek.

"I am not going, Caleb."

"What? W-why not?"

"I have something to do first. It is a surprise for you."

"A-a surprise? You did not have to get me a gift."

"Actually...your surprise is much more than a gift."

Cindy shut the door, and the van drove away.

As we were reaching the courthouse, I thought that I heard one of the leaders.

"Ash! You have been found guilty!"