“There was one envelope.”
“What envelope?”
She wiped her eyes.
“It had $180 in it.”
“For who?”
“Sam.”
I knew the name.
Sam was one of the quieter students at school.
He rarely asked anyone for anything.
Maya had been keeping money aside for his upcoming band trip.
But the envelope had disappeared.
And because the money was gone, everyone had started asking questions.
Maya was terrified.
She knew what the locker looked like.
She knew what the notebook looked like.
She knew what the cash looked like.
And she knew exactly how it could appear.
Everyone might believe she had stolen it.
“I didn’t take it,” she whispered.
“I know.”
“But what if nobody believes me?”
I reached across the table and took her hand.
“We’re going to find out what happened.”
The next day, Maya and I spoke with Principal Patel.
We explained everything.
The school began reviewing what had happened.
