"Did you do it?"

'Then I guess, Mr. Murphy, what you do decide to set your mind on should be better than better.'

He smiled warmly at her. He helped her up. 'So…what's next?' he asked.

'What do you mean?'

He said, 'Well, we did sit-ups and push-ups. What's next?'

Clarissa stood akimbo. She looked around. The rest of the students were performing calamitously. An impatient and infuriated Mr. Gwarini was constantly yelling threats and orders. He was definitely fighting a losing battle. She shrugged and turned back to Sineas.

She said, 'I think we bought ourselves some extra time. We could use a little chat.'

'O-kay. What do you want to talk about?' he asked her.

She looked aside for a moment then in a second, brought her gaze back to him. She said, 'The murders.'

He looked surprised. 'What about them?'

She crossed her arms, and her face. 'I did a little thinking last night, Sineas. About Justin, Miss Bale and that Doctor Jacob.'

'Why?'

'I actually found it strange that the three are connected.'

'They are?' He also crossed his arms.

'Yes, Sin. They're all linked…to you.'

'Claire…where are you…what…where are you going with this?'

She shrugged, 'I'm just saying... Justin bullied you, Miss Bale insulted you in Biology class and Doctor Darren Jacob was your doctor…'

'Claire, what…I still don't…'

'Did you kill them?' she asked him directly.

His eyes widened. 'What? Why would..!'

'Just answer the question, Sin.' She looked serious.

'Of course I didn't, Claire! Why would you even ask me that?'

'Sin, everything about these murders is just strange…very strange…'

'I know they are. Everyone does! Their deaths were merciless, vile, bloody…But to think that I would do something like that?'

'You have to understand how difficult this is for me…'

He laughed, sardonically. 'How difficult it is for you? For you, Claire?! You're not the one with the mother who's on the run. You're not the one Charles is desperately trying to pin false evidence on. The one who he's willing to throw into jail and you're definitely not the one who can't sleep at night because you're wondering if your mother's safe or not so do not presume to talk about how "difficult" this is for you!'

'And speaking of your mother, where is she?'

'Really? Really, Claire? Are we doing this right now?'

'You're the one who wants me to trust you and I cannot trust you unless you are fully honest with me.'

'And how will me talking about my mother's whereabouts, which I do not know about by the way, do you any good?'

'It won't but it will help me trust you a little more.'

Sineas noticed that some students had stopped their exercises and were now curiously watching them argue. He tilted his head towards the students.

Clarissa also looked around. They paused their argument until the students returned to minding their business.

'Do you want to know something, Claire?' Sineas asked her in a whisper, his index shot up in the air.

'Yeah, what's that?' she scowled back at him.

'The shocking reality is that now I'm failing to see the difference between you and everyone else in this room right now.'

Her eyelids trembled. There were sparkles in her eyes. 'You…' she looked aside, 'You don't mean that. You're just upset and…'

'Oh, no, I mean it, Claire. I mean every word of it. Here I am, stupid old me, thinking you're not like the rest of them and yet you're just like them…if not worse.'

She gaped. She was now fighting back her emotions. 'I have to go change,' she said. She began walking towards the girls' changing room.

Sineas shook his head as he watched her leave. He was clearly livid.

He suddenly felt someone shoving him from the back. He staggered several feet forward. 'What the..!' He quickly turned around.

It was Bubblegum girl and she was laughing her lungs out. 'I'm sorry, Murph, I just wanted ta test your balance.' She was wearing a long, blue t-shirt which reached only down to the middle of her thighs, and like the sports jacket, it also left her legs bare. Her feet were bare too. As her trademark expected of her, she was chewing a piece of gum.

Ignoring her outfit, Sineas' eyeballs cautiously bounced left and right. He moved in closer and whispered, 'Any news from…'

'Your moms? Come on, Murph, did you even read the last letter I gave you?'

'Obviously. But it was the basic stuff: "Hi…doing fine…how are you doing…I miss you…" '

'Do you have one for her?' Bubblegum girl asked.

'Do I have to write it down?'

She placed a thoughtful finger on her chin. 'Nah. Just tell me what you want her ta know.'

His face lit up. 'Tell her that I miss her…a lot, and I hope she's taking good care of herself…'

'O-kay, slow down…'

'And tell her to stay vigilant.'

'A'ight, my man.' She turned around to leave. She stopped and spun around. 'Yo, Murph.'

'Yeah?'

'You wanna meet her?'

His face lit up even more as he walked towards her. 'Of course…' he began nodding fast, '…of course, hell yes…when?'

'Take it easy, dude. We gotta play this carefully, kay? We don't want any mistakes.'

He nodded obediently, and impatiently. 'So…when can I meet her?'

'I'll check with my aunty and I'll get back ta you.'

She turned again to leave.

'Wait!'