Anonymous

Three

"Everyone bring your chairs for our class meeting," Ms. Kuise, the teacher said.

    "Don't we usually have class meetings after lunch?" Eva said to Maggie and another girl she had been sitting with.

    "Yeah," Maggie said. "I wonder what's going on."

    "Starry Night would be my guess," Jake said, putting his chair next to Maggie's in the circle. Maggie let out a little squeak.

    Seriously, girl, get a grip. You don't see me over here falling for every guy in sight. Now, you also can't see me, but that's besides the point.

    "What about Starry Night?" the other girl asked.

    "The one somebody painted outside our classroom," Caleb prompted. "Amie, how have you not heard about it?"

    "I don't pay attention to fake news," Amie said. "I didn't think it was true."

    "Oh, it's true," Chris said. "The teachers are going insane. It's hilarious."

    "Why is it so funny, Chris?" Ms. Kuise asked.

    "It...it's just...you know," Chris stumbled. "Someone creates this masterpiece and it's good, and people are freaking out about it in a bad way."

    "Well, that is what we are going to talk about," Ms. Kuise said. "Have any of you seen it?"

    Chris and another kid, Hunter, raised their hands. I'm looking at you Jake, have seen it? Jake glanced at Eva who seemed to be imploring him not to say anything. Well, look at that, the two of you are covering a crime.

    "For those of you who don't know," Ms. Kuise said. "Someone trespassed onto school property and spray painted Starry Night onto the side of the building. No one who knows anything about it has stepped forward. However, the person responsible may go to this school."

    Wow! Never would have guessed.

    "We will not encourage this behavior, no matter how impressive their art may be.The school will not allow it," Ms. Kuise. "If anyone knows anything about who may be responsible for these actions, the school would like them to step forward, and if anyone did create this piece, they would like them to take responsibility for their actions."

    Ha! Like anyone would come forward and say 'hey, by the way, that was me.' Real likely, missey.

    "However," Ms. Kuise continued.

    This'll be good.

    "As long as these things do not keep happening, I will not push for whoever created this to step forward," Ms. Kuise said.

    Foreshadow!!!

    "Are there any questions?" Ms. Kuise asked.

    Amie raised her hand. "You said the administration doesn't know for sure the perpetrator even goes to the school. Why is it like they think it was one of us?"

    "Mr. Bir found some spray paint in the shed," Ms. Kuise said. "It would not be a stretch for someone at the school to have used the shed to hide their things. Any other questions?"

    She went on to talk about deadlines and standardized tests etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. Finally, she excused everyone for lunch. They ate outside on the patio, but before Eva and Jake could go outside, Ms. Kuise called them to her desk.

    "I know the two of you may not have any idea as to the actions concerning the artistry," Ms. Kuise said, "but you both live very close to the school and I was wondering if you saw anything."

    Someone pass me the popcorn, this'll be good.

    "I went for a walk Saturday night around my neighborhood and down here," Eva said. "I didn't see Starry Night."

    "I took my dog down here Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon," Jake said. "Nothing was there then."

    "You two may go," Ms. Kuise said, giving them a stern stare.

    Oh man, that wasn't as good as I thought it would be. I wanted to see them squirm like a worm on a hook.

    "You lied to a teacher?" Jake said, staring at Eva wide eyed in awe as they walked down the hallway. "Since when do you do that?"

    "I wasn't going to push you under the bus, was I?" Eva asked.

    "But you never lie to the teacher," Jake said.

    "I'm not the only one who wasn't exactly honest, Mr. Walking My Dog," Eva shot back.

    "I did," Jake argued. "I walked him Saturday evening before I started and Sunday afternoon before I finished."

    "And the 'nothing was there then?'" Eva asked.

    "Well I didn't leave any evidence, did I?" Jake asked, "and I didn't specify what wasn't there. I could have been referring to ladybugs for all you know."

    Eva rolled her eyes as they walked out onto the patio. Now that was entertaining.

    "What did Ms. Kuise want to talk to you about?" Chris asked as Jake slid in beside him at the table.

    "She wanted to know if I had seen anything since I live so close to the school," Jake said.

    "What did you say?" Caleb asked.

    "That I didn't see anything," Jake said.

    "We just made a pact that if one of us did it, we had to tell the other ones," Chris said.

    Well, aren't you in luck that you weren't there for that, Jake.