Sing With Me

Chapter Five

            “Who did this?” An enraged Mr. Little demanded from the floor. Liam rolled his eyes at the childish prank that someone had pulled; before class someone must’ve removed all the screws from Mr. Little’s chair, causing it to fall apart and send him sprawling on the ground when he sat on the chair. “So, no one’s going to take credit for this wonderful prank?” Mr. Little sneered, standing up and glaring at them all.

            Nobody said anything.

            “Alright you little punks…open your desks and bags!” The teacher demanded.

            Everyone pulled open the lids of their desks and unzipped their backpacks. Mr. Little glided across the room with the gleeful face of a psychotic man seeking vengeance; he was out for blood. Mr. Little stopped beside Liam and peered down into his desk.

            “Nothing there…” Mr. Little mumbled, nodding at Liam. Then he proceeded to check Liam’s backpack. A smirk spread across the teacher’s face as he dove his hand into the bag and removed a screwdriver and multiple screws. “Hmph, I wouldn’t have expected you to be the culprit, Mr. Payne.”

            “I swear: I didn’t do this, sir!” Liam cried, looking at the evidence in horror. “Someone framed me, Mr. Little!”

            “Yeah, a likely story…but this evidence says otherwise,” Mr. Little replied, rolling his eyes.

            “But I – “

           “Detention, Mr. Payne!” Mr. Little bellowed, pointing at the door.

          Liam sighed and hung his head in defeat. He snatched up his things and quickly ran out the door without looking anyone in the eye.

            “You’ve got to be kidding me!” Liam shouted in the empty hallway, punching a locker with all his might. “Oww!” He cried, clutching his hand in pain. “Not my best idea…”

            “Liam, what are you doing out of class?” Niall asked mock-sternly as he approached Liam in the hall.

        “Oh, Niall, hey! Well…I’m actually headed to detention…” Liam sighed.

          “What?!” Niall gasped. “The Liam Payne has detention? The kid that stops and helps anyone who is struggling with their books or has dropped something? The kid that actually helps little old ladies cross the street? The kid that does Harry and Louis’ homework for them because he’d feel bad if they got F’s?”

            “Shut up,” Liam grumbled, shoving Niall’s chest playfully.

           “No, but seriously mate…what the hell did you do that landed you in detention? I mean you’re literally a perfect student! Plus all the teachers adore you,” Niall replied.

         “I didn’t do anything!” Liam shouted in exasperation. “I was framed!”

           “What happened?” Niall asked in confusion.

         “Someone took the screws out of Mr. Little’s chair,” Liam sighed, hanging his head.

           “Classic!” Niall grinned, slapping a hand on Liam’s back.

         “But I didn’t do it!” Liam insisted. “When no one confessed Mr. Little searched everyone’s stuff and he found a screwdriver and his chair screws in there…”

          “Sounds like you did it, mate…” Niall chuckled.

          “But I didn’t, I swear!” Liam cried, holding his face in his hands.