chapter 3: A Snitch and More

Ruby gulped nervously under the intense gaze of Principal Boyd. He motioned for the girls to take a seat, and they shuffled onto the couch a few feet away from him. The principal's office was tidy but simple. His desk held a standard computer and keyboard, and a calendar was placed near his nameplate, which read PRINCIPAL BOYD SALEM. The only extravagant element in the otherwise modest office was the large, framed photograph of himself, almost the length of an entire wall.

"Ahem," Principal Boyd cleared his throat, his eyes piercing as he looked at each of them. "Do you know why you've been called here?"

The three girls shook their heads in unison, their nervousness growing. The door creaked open, and Miss Tina entered, heels clicking against the tiled floor. She had been requested by Principal Boyd to be present during the girls' interrogation, as he believed she could better handle the situation with their 'girly feelings.'

"This shouldn't be a serious matter," the principal sighed, massaging his temple. "I received a report that you three hardly pay attention in class, and instead, distract yourselves by passing notes. I had to check your academic records, and frankly, none of you have been performing well."

"Principal Boyd is right," Miss Tina chimed in, her tone even sterner than his. "We've also been told that you have a book where you host your mid-class chats." Her hand was stretched out, demanding. "Hand it over."

Kimberly, seated between her friends, stood reluctantly. With a subtle exhale, she slid the pink notebook across the desk toward the principal, deliberately ignoring Miss Tina's outstretched hand. Kimberly didn't like the way Miss Tina was speaking to them and found herself wondering why she was even present. When she passed the book, her eyes briefly caught a familiar slip of paper on the desk—the torn page from her notebook. 'Tobi must have given it to him.'

Mr. Boyd was a kind man who cared for all his students, except for the troublemakers who had proven to be a persistent nuisance. Tobi, however, had tried to tarnish her reputation in front of the principal.

'Tobi, you're so going to hate me when I leave this office,' Kimberly promised herself, though she remained calm, sitting back down in her seat.

Miss Tina, visibly annoyed at being ignored, awkwardly dropped her hand and picked up the up the notebook. While the principal continued addressing the girls, Miss Tina flipped through its pages, her eyes scanning for anything incriminating. All she found were poems and anime sketches.

"Principal Boyd," Kimberly said confidently, "I try my best to pay attention in class, but somehow, I can't improve my grades. I promise you, it's not because I'm distracted with silly paper chats." She lied with such ease, it almost felt convincing. The book Miss Tina was searching was mostly filled with Kimberly's poems. The girls only communicated through paper which they destroyed afterwards, and today, it had been Mirabel who started the chat in the book. "Miss Tina," Kimberly turned, her voice even, "Did you find what you were looking for?"

"No," Miss Tina admitted reluctantly. you can have your book," she replied , her tone softening slightly as she placed it back on the desk.

The principal sighed. "Alright, you're dismissed for now. But do better."

As they left the office, the girls' relief was palpable.

"How is it that she didn't see the other stuff?" Ruby muttered under her breath, her brow furrowed as she caught up with Kimberly.

"That was my second pink-covered book," Kimberly explained, her hands clasped in front of her. "I only use it at home. I must have mistaken it for our regular book in my rush this morning. I'm glad I did." Kimberly let out a sigh, placing her hand over her chest as if relieved.

Mirabel, who had been trailing behind, suddenly spoke up. "Wait, why aren't we asking how the principal or Miss Tina even found out about the notebook in the first place?"

Kimberly paused, her lips pressed into a thin line. "Tobi sold us out. Look, I know we're just assuming he was the one who tore the page out of my book..."

"We're not assuming," Mirabel cut in sharply. "He took the book, and that's when all this started."

"True," Ruby agreed, crossing her arms. "I know it's not always right to jump to conclusions, but whether Tobi is behind everything or not, he's going to pay for what he caused today."

Kimberly's voice dropped, her eyes narrowing. "I saw the torn-out page on the principal's desk."

Ruby and Mirabel exchanged a quick glance, their faces shocked. "We're going to find Tobi again," Mirabel said, putting on a sly smile before she turned to leave. Ruby and Kimberly followed closely behind her.

****

As the school day ended and students filtered out to head home, the trio stayed behind, keeping a close watch on Tobi.

Under the dim staircase, Kimberly and Mirabel waited while Ruby, who had her last class with Tobi, monitored his movements. She watched him laugh with his friends, performing an elaborate handshake before exiting the classroom.

Tobi was descending the stairs when Ruby called out to him. "Hey, Tobi. "me and my friends would like to speak with you."

Tobi froze mid-step, his usual grin faltering. "What do you want?" he asked, attempting nonchalance. 

"me and my friends would like to speak with you." she replied, her soft voice echoing slightly in the quieting hallway.

"Speak to me about what?" he asked, taking a step down. "Look, I'm in a hurry. Can we do this tomorrow?" he added, but before he could continue, a firm hand suddenly covered his mouth, and he was dragged underneath the stairs.

"God, you're heavy," Mirabel groaned, releasing him with a dramatic sigh. Ruby joined them, the three girls forming a semicircle that blocked any chance of escape.

"We just want to ask you a few questions," Kimberly said, crossing her arms, her gaze sharp. "I've had to spend the whole day under this stairwell because somehow, my book ended up in Dave's hands. Don't even try to tell me you have no idea how that happened."

Mirabel scoffed. "And don't try to deny it. I bet you even added lies to piss him off."

"Not only did you lie to Dave," Ruby added, her voice filled with accusation, "but you weren't satisfied—you tore that page out and gave it to the principal."

Tobi remained still, his face expressionless. He knew he had caused trouble, and he also knew that the girls weren't wrong. When he had shown Dave the book and said that Kimberly had a crush on him, Dave hadn't reacted, so Tobi not wanting to look stupid made up more lies, saying that Kimberly had been spreading rumors about them being in a relationship. Dave, angered, had snatched the book and stormed off.

"Okay, yes, I did lie to Dave," Tobi confessed, his voice reluctant. "But I didn't give that page to the principal. Maybe Dave did that himself."

The girls exchanged skeptical glances. "Why should we believe you?" Mirabel asked, her voice dripping with disdain.

"You don't have any reason to," Tobi replied with a shrug. "But I swear, when I showed Dave the book, he took it and walked off."

Kimberly sighed, motioning for her friends to let it go. "Come on, let's leave him. He's not worth it.""

As they turned to leave, Ruby suddenly whirled back around and delivered a swift kick to Tobi's crotch.

"Oww!" Tobi gasped, collapsing to his knees as he covered his groin with both hands.

"Ha-ha," Mirabel giggled, shaking her head. "If you weren't already on your knees, I would've given you one, too." She placed her foot on his shoulder, pushing him back onto the ground.

The girls turned and walked away, leaving Tobi writhing in pain beneath the stairs, his groans echoing through the empty halls.

As the girls exited the school, a sleek black car waited for Mirabel. She hugged her friends goodbye before climbing into the backseat. Ruby, too, took the nearly full bus, but not before running over to Kimberly for one last quick hug.

Left alone, Kimberly began her 30-minute walk home. Her parents never picked her up, and she had grown accustomed to walking alone over the years. Occasionally, Mirabel's father would offer her a ride, but that was rare.

"What a messed-up day," she muttered, pausing to gaze up at the vast expanse. The sky above was a bright contrast to her mood, its cheerful hues mocking her inner turmoil. 

The principal's office had distracted her from the earlier humiliation, but now, the memory of her public humiliation earlier resurfaced, replaying with excruciating clarity. The glares, the whispers. "I just hope no one remembers by tomorrow," she sighed, continuing her solitary walk home.