A name she would not accept

Meanwhile, Sheila, who walked the other way with her friends abruptly halted somewhere far from the class. She turned to her right to look at Salome, stretching her hand for the latter to give her back the Jacket.

Understanding the silent request, Salome returned the cloth to Sheila. But even after collecting the cloth, the latter did not move. She kept her narrowed eyes on Salome.

"What is it?" Salome asked, confused as to why she was receiving such looks from her friend.

"How did you know it was Veron's jacket? Even I didn't recognize it at first glance, so how did you know?" Sheila threw the question, taking Salome by surprise.

"Are you suspecting me of something?" Salome asked back, puzzled.

"Answer the question." Sheila simply said and Salome sighed.

"The jacket looks expensive and out of place in her hand. Also, I think I've seen it on Veron once." Salome elucidated, trying to clear the misunderstanding.

But she immediately knew that it didn't even work when Sheila narrowed her eyes even further, her expression darkening further.

"You've seen it on him? Have you been keeping tabs on the clothes he wears? Are you stalking him?" Sheila asked without break, moving even closer to Salome.

At this point, she was already angry. The last thing she wanted was for someone from her clique to be in this position.

"What?" Salome asked in alarm. "No way. I would never do that." Salome waved her hand frantically to explain her innocence.

"We all know that Veron is yours, Sheila. I wouldn't even dare do what you just said. This is just a misunderstanding. You shouldn't take it so seriously." Salome continued, shaking her head.

Sheila's expression relaxed slightly at Salome's explanation, but she didn't move away or shift her gaze from the latter.

"I don't think she can do that, Sheila. You shouldn't stress over this. She doesn't have what it takes to seduce Veron." Audrey added her voice in an effort to quelch the already built and heightened tension.

Her words, however, provoked Salome, who turned her head sharply in Audrey's direction.

"And you do?" Salome asked in a sharp tone, glaring at Audrey.

'Idiot. I'm trying to help you here and you are adding fuel to an already dying fire.' Audrey uttered in her mind, feeling like facepalming herself for Salome's foolishness.

Sheila quirked a brow at Salome's response, and only then did the latter realize what she just did.

"I never said I did. I'm only trying to tell her that there's nothing to worry about when it comes to you and Veron." Audrey responded, and even though Salome still felt like the response was insulting, she composed herself, realizing her reactions were sending the wrong message.

"You have nothing to worry about, Sheila," Salome reassured after regaining her composure.

"For your sake, I hope that is true. Because if it is not, you would have wished you were never my friend. I will do to you double what I do to my enemies." Sheila threatened, then resumed walking before Salome could get a chance to say anything.

Salome shot Audrey a glare, but the latter only rolled her eyes in response and followed after Sheila.

***

Karina and Nori returned to class an hour later but didn't find Sheila in class. Even her lackeys were nowhere in sight.

Veron also had not made an appearance, and Karina just deduced that he would not show up that day. If he couldn't show up for his test, then what was lectures that he would come around for?

Frowning in annoyance, she marched to her seat, Nori following right behind her. She was already in a bad mood, but she didn't know what she was about to hear would worsen the way she felt.

"I am telling you she stole the jacket. I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't experienced something similar in the past. All these people who claim to be clean and quiet are usually green snakes in green grass."

This statement emanated from the mouth of a girl called Adah. She was sitting a step below Karina's seat, as the class was built with a theatre seating arrangement.

Those were the exact words that reached Karina's and Nori's ears as soon as they took their seats. At the same time, they both whipped their head in Adah's direction.

"I don't think so. How do you think it's possible for her to steal Veron's stuff? And why will she bring it to class if she actually stole it?" Veronica, Adah's friend disagreed. She had been thinking about it since the incident occurred, and it made no sense for Karina to bring a stolen item to class, especially when the owner might be there.

"Your problem is that you are too naive. She could steal it just to return it to him and be tagged a good person. And if that is not the case, she might already know that he would not be in class today, so she wanted to show off with it, not knowing that someone would recognize the jacket."

"Adah!" Veronica exclaimed in shock at what her friend just worked up in her brain. Her eyes were widened, and her lips parted. She couldn't believe what she just heard.

"What? It's true. Stop acting like there is no sense in what I just— Ahh..." Adah stopped talking halfway and screamed in pain when something stung her bare neck.

Her hand instantly flew to the spot, to soothe the pain as she looked around to find what stung her. When she saw a strange rubber band sitting on her lap, she deduced it was the culprit, and not an insect as she had initially thought.

"That's what you get for spewing baseless accusations, blabbermouth." Nori's voice echoed, causing Adah to turn to her. Her already reddened face turned even redder as she sprang to her feet in anger.

"Come on. Try attacking me and you will produce evidence of what you just said now before the school court." Nori threatened, successfully stopping Adah from approaching her.

"You will pay for this," Adah uttered with a shaking voice, shooting a glare at Nori, and then at Karina, who was also glaring at her.

"Good morning class." The lecturer's voice boomed, announcing his presence. Every noise ceased and Adah sat back down.

But the noise in Karina's head didn't cease, making her pay less attention to the lecture. She could take any name labeled on her as long as it is not one that would ruin her reputation.

And a thief is one name she would not accept. She must find a way to make Veron clear this mess as he caused it in the first place. But how would she do it?