As classes continued at both Gurney High and Vagley High, tensions started mounting because of the “accident” with Vagley cheerleader Valerie Wilder.
     At Vagley High, many students discussed the situation…including ways of getting revenge against the Gurney students.
     In one class, a teacher overheard a junior mention a plot to paintball the entire school.  The teacher took him down to the principal’s office, where he was placed on in-school suspension for the rest of the week and banned from attending the homecoming game that Friday.
     Gurney High School was not faring any better with its situation, with some students planning to vandalize Vagley during the night.  A freshman reported the plan to the principal, resulting in those students being suspended from school and not allowed to be at the game.
     The principals of both schools contacted each other by telephone.
     “Fred,” said Stanton gravely, “if this keeps up, nobody will be seeing the game except us.”
     Cranston agreed.  “This is becoming a serious problem.  I haven’t had anyone come up to either give information or confess.  What about you?”
     “Nothing.  Two of my students did find Miss Wilder on the ground, but it was long after the perpetrator of this hit-and-run had accomplished his goal.”
     “Yeah, I know.  The news is going to get wind of this.  However, her parents may be able to help.”
     “I heard they’re going to make a public plea to the media…maybe get the person behind this to come out of hiding.  I certainly hope it works.”
     “You’re not the only one, Fred, believe me.  Well, I’d better get back to my chaos while you get back to yours.”
     Cranston chuckled.  “Of course, Richard.”  His tone went back to being serious.  “I just hope this person will be caught.”  After hanging up the phone, he stared outside the window.  “Peace must be maintained at all costs.  This is getting serious.”
     Meanwhile, senior Thomas Bradley walked down the hall towards his next class with his girlfriend, junior Taneshia Rogers.  He was Vagley’s star fullback while she was a cheerleader for the school.
     “Tan,” he started seriously, “what do you think happened to Val?”
     “I don’t know.  It could’ve been anyone.  If someone really wanted to create tension between the two schools, he certainly succeeded.  Both schools are having problems now.”
     “And there’s just three days before the big game.  Mom talked to Mrs. Wilder this morning and said she’ll make a plea with Val’s dad to see if they can get the person who did this to confess.  It may be just a random act of violence, or an inexperienced driver.”
     Taneshia agreed wholeheartedly.  “Maybe…it’s the inexperienced driver.”
     “No.  From what Mom told me, someone made Val a target.  What’s next?”
     “Who knows at this point?”
     “Well, I’m not going to let this stop me from meeting B.J. this afternoon at Wilbur’s.  He said he’d help me with some math I’m having trouble with.  After all, I need to keep my grades up if I want that scholarship to Florida State.”
     “Yeah, it seems it’s the only way to get into any college nowadays.  Apply for scholarships everywhere, especially with rising tuition and all.  I’m trying to stay as local as possible.”
     “Hey, it’s cool.  Say, you wanna come with me to Wilbur’s?  I think you should meet B.J.  He’s a really nice guy when you get to know him.”
     After carefully thinking it over, Taneshia said, “Sure, okay.  But…aren’t you worried people will stare at us because two Vagley students are speaking with a Gurney student?”
     “Taneshia, I’ve known B.J. Montgomery since kindergarten.  There is no way I’m going to let this incident ruin our friendship.  I don’t care what the rest of the world thinks.  I just hope he feels the same way.”
     “Yeah.  Well, I’d better get to chemistry class.  I’ve got to start learning all those compounds and formulas, and I have to memorize the Periodic Table of the Elements.”
     “Oooh, that’s not good.  I went through that last year, and I gotta tell you, that’s no easy thing to accomplish.  I’ll see you at lunch, okay?”
     “All right.  Love you.”
     The two students parted ways and headed for their individual classes.
     When Taneshia walked towards her class, she noticed two other girls conversing amongst themselves near their lockers.
     The two girls were both senior cheerleaders.  Angel Marrero was the captain of the cheerleading team while Cassandra Robbins served as co-captain.
     “So far, so good,” said Angel.  “We’ve got the two schools going at each other’s throats right now.  It’s exactly what we need to get school spirit fired up.”
     Cassie (her preferred name) nodded in agreement.  “I know.  There’s nothing like a little accident to stir things up during homecoming week.”
     Taneshia tried to walk by them, but Angel abruptly grabbed her by the arm.  “Hello, Taneshia.”
     “Let me go, Angel,” Taneshia whispered.  “I’m gonna be late for class.”
     “Not until I’ve made certain that you’re going to keep quiet.”
     “Look, you’ve already got my word, all right?  I’m not going to say anything.  Now can I get to chemistry?  I’ve got compounds to learn, as well as the Periodic Table.”
     “I hate that table,” said Angel as she let go of Taneshia.  “Go on, but I’m warning you…don’t you dare say a word.  Tell anyone, and you’ll be hearing from both of us.  In addition to that, I’d better not see you associating with anyone from Gurney High.  That’s the price Val had to pay for doing so.”
     The junior cheerleader put her face down.  “Angel, I promised to tell nobody, and I intend to keep the promise.  Also, I don’t know anybody at Gurney High anyway.  I’ve only been here for three years.”
     “All right.”  After Taneshia walked away, Angel turned to Cassie.  “I think we’d better keep an eye on little Taneshia.  I have a feeling she’ll be troublesome.”
     “Yeah…besides, even when Val’s beloved parents make a public plea, it won’t do them any good.  We’ll make sure Taneshia stays quiet.”

     At Gurney High, Ellie and Rob were in study hall together looking over their notes for biology class.
     Rob felt slightly frustrated.  “I can’t believe this…a test on the day of the game?”
     “Hey,” said Ellie, “there’s nothing we can do.  Even if she got sick and sent in a substitute, a test is a test.  Just try to take it in stride.  After all, we still have a mystery to solve before Friday.”
     “And no new clues.  Hopefully Val’s parents can do something by making that plea this afternoon.”
     Ellie felt a slight itching sensation.  “Goodness, Dad’s war gear sure has its drawbacks.  What’s it made of?”
     “Back in those days, uncomfortable flannel.  You just have to get used to it.  Dad had his camo gear made of lightweight and very comfortable material.”  He then changed to a far more serious subject.  “Ellie, do you think a student from Gurney may have done it?”
     “I honestly don’t know.  The only thing we have was that she was a target for someone.  How can we figure out who did it if the plea doesn’t produce anything?”
     Rob shrugged with worry.  “This is going to be tough…unless…wait a minute.  Val had her backpack loaded with books, right?”
     “Yeah, so?”
     “Well, let me explain.  If Val was hit, the backpack with all those books would create a dent somewhere on the car.  Only one problem with that theory…there’s about 1000 cars here in Gurney, and Val couldn’t see what kind of car hit her.”
     “Okay.  When Sheriff Sanderson introduced me to his office, he showed me that each car’s registration is placed into a computer system.  Does that mean that all the cars in the city are registered?”
     “Yeah, exactly.  When did you do that?”
     “About a day after the ceremony.  He needed Princess Elementa to come to take a look around the office.”
     “Clever, Ellie,” smirked Rob.  “Very clever.  It is something to consider, but it won’t narrow the field by much.”
     “No, it won’t.  We’ve got to crack this case before the game.  Any change in Valerie’s condition?”
     “Mom said she’d visit Val this morning after I left for school.  I’ll just have to wait and see what she tells me when I get home, but it’ll be an hour later than expected because I said we were going to Wilbur’s.”
     The young lady agreed.  “That’s right.  We are going right after school.  I just hope it’s peaceful there, as opposed to the two schools right now.”
     “Yeah, but in the meantime we’d better review these notes.”
     Soon, B.J. joined the pair.  “Hey, guys, how’s it going?”
     “Pretty rough in what I’m wearing,” Ellie answered while scratching her arm.  “This camouflage is sure uncomfortable.  What’s on tap for tomorrow?”
     “Tacky Day.”
     “Meaning…?”
     Rob chuckled.  “Tacky Day is the day you wear the least likely matched clothes…like for example, say you wore a pretty blouse with blue jeans, or you wore a purple shirt with orange slacks…something that just would never look right.”
     “Ah, okay.  I have no memory of doing that.”  And I don’t know why I should.  I’m new here on Earth.
     “Really?” asked B.J. curiously.  “Well, I hope this will be a Spirit Week to remember…then again, it’s already gone sour because of what happened to Val over at Vagley.  She didn’t deserve that fate.”
     Ellie nodded.  “No one does.”
     “Well, I’m supposed to meet my friend over at Wilbur’s this afternoon.  He said he needs help with his math, and he really wants that football scholarship.”
     “Who can blame him?” said Rob.  “I mean, you’d need an arm and a leg just to pay for the rising tuition.”
     “An arm…and a leg?” questioned a confused Ellie.
     B.J. smiled at her.  “It’s just a figure of speech.  It means you have to pay a lot more for college than in years past.”
     “Wow…I hope I can get a scholarship one day.”
     “Just keep working hard and don’t let anything or anyone stop you.  After all, how many football players can be referred to as ‘academic jocks’?”
     Ellie giggled.  “I like that term…academic jock.  You’re working towards a scholarship anyway, right?”
     “Yeah…I want to get into the University of Tennessee in Knoxville…a great overall program, and the football there is legendary.  They won a national championship not too long ago.”
     “Really?”
     Rob nudged her and said, “I’ll have to explain all that later on.  It’s a…rather difficult process.”
     “Okay, okay.  I won’t ask anymore.  We’ll be heading over to Wilbur’s after school, too.  Hopefully we can get some clues as to who may have done this to Val.  One thing I don’t want to miss is that news conference this afternoon.”
     B.J. nodded in agreement.  “Ellie, I don’t either.  If this keeps up…who knows what else could happen this week?”
     Things grew progressively worse as four Vagley students were caught trying to spray paint walls at Gurney.  The sheriff was called in to arrest the four for vandalism of public property.
     After the last student was placed in a police car, Sheriff Sanderson noticed Stanton coming out.  “I’m sorry, we weren’t fast enough.  I hate to do this, but I’m afraid I’ll have to order a complete lockdown on both schools.  No outdoor activities until this mess is solved.”
     Stanton agreed with the idea.  “It’s the only way we can keep peace at the schools.  I’ll contact Fred at Vagley and let him know what’s going on.”
     “Good idea, Richard.  As long as that person is still loose, we can’t do anything right now.”
     During afternoon announcements, Stanton made it very clear to all the students about the situation.  “As a result of the lockdown ordered by the sheriff, we will have our pep rally in the gym and all activities and games have been cancelled for Friday.  I’m sorry about this, but after what happened earlier today, there is no other choice.”
     All the students were heartbroken about the announcement, seeing that many had put time and effort into organizing the big pep rally and outdoor activities the day of the game.
     After school let out for the day, Rob, Ellie, and B.J. all went over to Wilbur’s to take a break.  Rob and Ellie were looking for clues while B.J. waited for his friend to come.
     Ten minutes later, Thomas and Taneshia arrived at the popular hangout.
     Thomas was first to notice. “B.J.!”
     “Tommy!  Hey, buddy!”
     The two Vagley students came up to the Gurney student.
     “Hey, B.J., I’d like you to meet my girlfriend Taneshia.”
     “Hello, Taneshia, nice to meet you.”
     “Um, yeah…it’s a pleasure, B.J.”
     “Come, sit here with us.  After all, Tommy said he needed help with his math homework.”
     Taneshia smiled with slight relief.  “Thank you…thank you very much.”
     Meanwhile, Ellie spoke with Wilbur Rudolph himself, the owner of the establishment.  “Mr. Rudolph, sir—”
     “Please, Ellie, just call me Wilbur.  It’s okay by me.  I’ve known you long enough.”
     “I’m sorry.  Anyway, did you notice anything peculiar before the hit-and-run yesterday?”
     “Well…not really.  Most of the people last Friday were concentrating on the games that night.”
     “That’s right…Gurney was on the road against Wilmington while Vagley and Radler had theirs at Radler.”
     “Mm-hmm.  We had mostly Vagley students in here last Friday…but then, come to think of it…I did notice a couple of kids behaving pretty strangely.”
     “Really?”
     “Right.  I told the sheriff this already, but there were a couple of Vagley cheerleaders talking at a table by themselves.  I couldn’t make out much of what they said, but I did hear something about making serious noise for the game against Gurney.”
     “I see…it’s certainly possible that the two cheerleaders may be up to no good.  But, there’s no way we can prove any of that right now.”
     “That’s unfortunately true,” Wilbur said sadly.  “Overhearing something isn’t enough.”
     While B.J. was helping Thomas with his math, six Vagley students entered the restaurant and noticed the two of them sitting together.
     “Hey, Gurney garbage,” yelled one of them.  “Stay away from our star!”
     Thomas stood up and said, “Look, pal, he’s trying to help me with my math.  You know I want that scholarship to Florida State.”
     “So what?  That no-good Gurney garbage is just gonna try to flunk you.”
     “Well, excuse me,” said Thomas sarcastically.  “I’ve known B.J. Montgomery since kindergarten.  We’ve been best friends for a long time now.  He said he’d help me with the math, and I trust him.”
     “Then you’re a traitor,” said another of the six.
     A Gurney student stood up and shouted, “Knock it off, loser.  You’re just jealous because you don’t have a football star for a best friend.”
     “Take that back, liar!”
     “Just give it up.  You’re going to lose anyway.”
     One of the six Vagley students grabbed a hot dog with ketchup and relish and threw it at the Gurney student!
     Soon, that student retaliated with a piece of cream cheesecake, and a food fight quickly erupted in the restaurant.
     Rob and Ellie hid behind the counter with Wilbur.
     “This is getting bad,” said Wilbur.  “I’m gonna have to contact the sheriff.”
     Rob then looked at Ellie.  “Do you think the princess is needed?”
     “I’m not sure it’s the right time to call on the crystal’s powers.  Does anyone get hurt in a food fight?”
     “Well, no.  You just have a lot of people with messy clothes.”
     Suddenly, they heard something break in the background.
     “That sounded like a plate,” said Ellie, very worried someone could have been hurt.  “Maybe I should…no, wait.  I can’t risk the secret here.”
     “You sure this is what you want?”
     “I said being Princess Elementa would be a last resort.  Sheriff Sanderson and his deputies can handle this problem without the princess’s help.”
     Rob nodded.  “Yeah, you’re right.  A food fight isn’t dangerous until someone is stupid enough to throw a punch.  Then, it turns violent.  I just hope it doesn’t come to that.”
     Wilbur then returned to join the two, with B.J., Taneshia, and Thomas crawling in to join them all.
     “Why is this happening?” asked Thomas in confusion.
     “Since Val’s accident yesterday,” started B.J., “tensions have just been growing rapidly.  What about the sheriff?”
     Wilbur said, “Should be here anytime now.”
     When the sirens blared outside the restaurant, many people simply ran off, hoping to escape being arrested.  Little did they know they were all captured by the surveillance cameras mounted throughout the establishment.
     As deputies tried to go after all of them, Sheriff Sanderson yelled, “That’s okay, guys.  We’ll know who they all are with the videotape soon enough.  Let’s go in and see if anyone’s injured.”
     He slowly opened the door and noticed the huge mess.  “My word…this rivalry’s going to become an all-out war if we don’t find out who hit Valerie.”  He then took his megaphone.  “If anyone is in here right now, please stand up.  I think the trouble’s over.”
     The six people who hid behind the counter all stood up and noticed the incredible mess made by the food fight.
     “This is awful,” said Ellie sadly.  “All this just because B.J. wanted to help someone from Vagley with his math homework?”
     Sanderson walked up and said, “Are you all okay?”
     Wilbur spoke for the group.  “Yes, sir, we’re all fine.  We took refuge here behind the counter to stay out of trouble.”
     “Ellie, Rob?  You two all right?”
     The two teenagers nodded with their answer.
     “What in the world precipitated this?”
     Thomas spoke, “I’m afraid this started when B.J. was trying to help me with math.  I knew he was the one to ask, since we’re both working towards college scholarships.”
     “You and B.J. have been friends since kindergarten…I can’t believe some people don’t understand that.”
     Ellie’s face went down.  “This is terrible.  The game is supposed to be something special…not a war.”
     “I know, Ellie.”  Sheriff Sanderson tried to comfort her as best he could.  “This situation is getting far worse already.  On top of that, the press conference is in ten minutes.  We need to get the videotapes from the cameras.”
     “What?”  Ellie was confused.  “Videotapes from the cameras?”
     B.J. explained, “Wilbur’s has four video cameras set up, in case someone tries to rob the place, or capture who was involved in the food fight.”
     “By tomorrow,” said the sheriff, “we’ll have all the students involved in this fiasco.  Wilbur, how many people were in here at the time, including these five?”
     “There were about 40 altogether.  Six students from Vagley were angry that B.J. and Thomas were seen working together.”
     “Okay.  I need to head back and meet up with Val’s parents to be ready for that press conference.”  Before leaving, he looked at the five.  “Kids, listen, I can’t do this by myself.  I need the five of you to be more vigilant than ever.  If you suspect anything, don’t be afraid to talk to either principal or me.”
     Taneshia then put up her hand.  “Sir?”
     “Yes?  Is there something you want to tell me?”
     She wanted to tell the truth, but then remembered what would happen to her.  Tell anyone, and you’ll be hearing from both of us…  “Um, nothing, sir.  It’s…nothing.”
     “Okay, Miss…”
     “Taneshia…Taneshia Rogers, sir.”
     “Well, just bear in mind what I said.  We have to solve this one and fast.”
     After Wilbur turned over the tapes to the authorities, he said, “What a mess.”
     Thomas said, “Sir, if you need help, we’ll be glad to help clean it up for you.”
     “Yes,” said Ellie, pleading.  “Please, let us help you.”
     Rob, B.J., and Taneshia all nodded in agreement.
     Wilbur shook his head and smiled.  “And here I was thinking all teenagers were wild and rowdy.  I’ll grab some mops and all.  I’m glad you’re all wearing shoes, because some plates were broken in this brew-ha-ha.”
     “What’s a…brew-ha-ha?” asked Ellie.
     Taneshia said, “A slang for fight.”
     “Sorry, some of these terms are really new to me.”  And I’m not kidding.
     “You know,” said B.J., “I don’t think we’ve been able to introduce each other yet.”  He then made proper introductions.
     Soon, the five of them were helping Wilbur clean up his restaurant.
     “If the sheriff wants the five of us to help out,” said Thomas, “I’m definitely in.”
     “Me, too,” said B.J.
     “Ellie and I are definitely in,” Rob added happily.
     Taneshia hesitated slightly but decided to trust them.  “Okay, why not?  Tommy and I can keep an eye on things in and around Vagley while you guys stake out Gurney.”
     Rob said, “Joint forces…I like that idea.”
     “Yeah,” said Ellie excitedly.  “Just in case of trouble, though, we won’t show up together.  Just report anything to the sheriff.”
     “All right,” said Thomas, “that’ll work.  It’s probably for the best right now.  B.J., how about we set up study sessions at your house?”
     “Good idea.  When’s your test?”
     “Thursday.  I don’t want to mess up or anything.”
     After all the plans were made, Wilbur came and said, “Valerie’s parents are holding that conference right now.”
     They all went to the television and watched Valerie’s mother make her plea.  “To the person who caused my daughter to be paralyzed in the accident yesterday afternoon…please turn yourself in.  I promise no harm will come to you.  I believe what happened may have been a hit-and-run, but I also believe this was an accidental hit-and-run.  If you were scared, Nathaniel and I can understand.  However, we just want you to know that we care about this situation…and our baby.  Please, just turn yourself into the authorities and face the punishment.  There’s nothing to be afraid of.”
     Taneshia started shaking nervously.  I…I don’t know what to do.  Should I tell the truth?  No…they’ll get me next if I say anything.
     Ellie was quick to notice.  “Taneshia, are you all right?  What’s the matter?”
     The Vagley cheerleader turned and shook off her nerves.  “Oh, uh, nothing.  I’m just nervous about this whole situation.”
     “We all are, believe me.  I just hope we can get this solved before the game on Friday.”
     Just then, Ellie’s father came up in his truck while Rob’s mother arrived in the car.
     They entered the establishment to a look of despair.
     “What happened in here?” asked Harold in shock.
     “A food fight, Dad.  The five of us weren’t involved, but we decided to help Wilbur clean up around here.”
     “No wonder you’re all running late.”
     Kim then entered and noticed.  “At least I know why you’re not home yet, Rob.  I know you’re just helping out around here.”
     “Mom…what’s the status of Val’s condition?”
     “It’s not looking too good, I’m afraid.  Val’s paralysis appears to be…permanent.  I’m sorry.”
     The faces of all five teens went down sadly.
     “We have to do this,” said B.J., “for Val’s sake.  We’ve got to find out who did it.”
     “Meanwhile,” Thomas said, “there are gonna be a lot of students at both schools in big trouble.”
     “No kidding there.  At this rate, nobody will be at the game at all.”
     After another half-an-hour, most of the mess had been cleaned up.
     Wilbur looked at all five of them.  “Kids, I appreciate you all helping me out the way you did.  It proves Vagley and Gurney students can work together, even in the midst of such a crazy situation.”
     Taneshia then added, “Remember the fall festival held by all three high schools?  It worked then, too.  We’ll get to the bottom of this somehow.”
     The five teens all returned to their individual homes and did their homework for the evening.
     When Ellie and her father went back to their house, she told him she did not become Princess Elementa because she felt it was wrong.  “Dad, was I being a…coward?”
     Harold smiled and replied, “No, pumpkin.  It’s hard to decide when and when not to use your powers.  In this case, you didn’t do it because no one was hurt in the food fight, and more importantly, you didn’t want to risk having your secret exposed.  That takes more courage than being Princess Elementa.”
     “I almost did it when I heard a plate breaking.”
     “Believe me, honey, it’s a hard decision to make, but I think you did it right.  You stayed out of the food fight, and so did the others.  That’s why the five of you aren’t in any trouble, and all those other kids will face serious consequences tomorrow.”
     “What will happen to them?”
     “Their parents will be told, of course, and then I wouldn’t be surprised if they face in-school suspension or suspension from school.  In addition to that, they’re probably going to end up doing community service and pay for the damages they did at Wilbur’s.”
     “No wonder there were no heated rivalries on Naturia.  The consequences for doing so are worse than the crime itself.”
     “Here on Earth, we have a saying:  If you do the crime, you do the time.  That basically means if you stay out of trouble, you won’t have to spend time in jail.”
     “Sounds like a good saying to follow.  Well, I’ve got homework to do, and then I’ve got to pick an outfit for…Tacky Day.  Boy, this Spirit Week seems to get stranger every day for me.”
     “That’s understandable,” said Harold with a laugh.  “The outfit you wear as Princess Elementa would be normal back on Naturia, but definitely weird here.”
     “Yeah, it sure would, but I think I’d better use some of the clothes here.  Thanks for your help, Dad.”
     As she went upstairs, her father said to himself, “She learns fast here.  It won’t be long before she’s completely adjusted to Earth life.”
     Later that night, Ellie slept soundly in her bed but kept wondering about Taneshia’s rather strange behavior.  I don’t understand what made her so nervous when that press conference was on.  Maybe she knows more than she’s letting on?  No, I shouldn’t force this.  It’s only a hunch, and it’s not enough right now.  I just have to keep going as best I can without being Princess Elementa.  It must come as a last resort…

     When Ellie arrived at school the next morning, she looked as tacky as possible.  She ended up wearing an orange sweatshirt with green slacks.  With the purple glasses, it was a perfectly ridiculous outfit.
     Even the school bully Misty Ziegler had to be impressed by the weird clothing.  “Not bad, Peterson.  I guess I can give you a break today.  That’s got to be the tackiest outfit I’ve ever seen.”
     “You mean…you won’t be picking on me today?”
     “Nah.  With all the tacky outfits and all, I’d have to pick on everyone in the whole school…including the faculty.  In fact, how about a truce for the rest of the week?  I’m more in the mood of Gurney crushing Vagley right now.”
     “You’re serious?”
     “Yeah.  But come Monday, it’s back to the normal stuff.”
     “I’d better take advantage, then.”  Ellie giggled and went to her first period class.
     Everyone in the school wore the wildest outfits…students, teachers, and even the principal.  Of course, no one could get their mind off the troubling situation involving Valerie.
     Principal Stanton at Gurney and Principal Cranston at Vagley both received the lists with all the people involved in the food fight at Wilbur’s the day before.
     Stanton spoke severely to the group of students in the small gym on the second floor.  “I cannot believe you people…I thought you all had a better sense of responsibility than this.  All of you here and the Vagley students involved caused a lot of damage to Wilbur’s, and believe me, you will all be paying the consequences for it.  For a start, I will be notifying your parents about your actions.  Then, none of you will be allowed at the game on Friday or the Homecoming Dance on Saturday night.  Instead, you will be spending all day Saturday here for suspension.  You will also each be required to pay approximately $200 for the damages done to the restaurant.  Your money combined with the Vagley students should be more than enough to pay it all off.”
     One vehemently stood up and said, “You can’t do this!  They started it!”
     “I don’t care who started it, young man!  The fact remains you all got involved in a stupid mess!  If you do the crime, you do the time.  And that reminds me, Sheriff Sanderson has ordered all of you to do 15 hours of community service.  Mr. Cranston at Vagley and I will decide the location you and the Vagley students will do that service.  This will go on your permanent records as well.”
     A young woman started crying.  “But, sir…I was working for a scholarship.  I’ve never been in big trouble before…I just got drawn into the fray.  If I have to be punished, though, I’ll accept the consequences.”
     Stanton comforted her as best she could.  “It takes a person with real courage to admit what she’s done and take it responsibly.  Even though I can’t drop this from your record, one blemish on it doesn’t mean you won’t get a scholarship.  You just made a mistake.  Learn from it so you’ll never do it again.”
     After drying her tears, she said, “Thank you, sir.  I just hope my parents won’t be angry with me.”
     “They’d be angrier if you didn’t awn up to the truth.”
     Another male student stood up and said, “I don’t even know why I did it…I’ve got friends who go to Vagley, too.  I’ve probably lost them now.”
     “Maybe not.  True friends stick together through the best and worst of times.  You just have to be careful of your reactions.  Now, all of you go back to your classes.  I don’t want to see any more problems from any of you.  I’m surprised Misty Ziegler wasn’t anywhere involved in this, considering her track record.”
     Some of the group decided to take the punishment in stride while others were very adamant about it, still wanting to say the Vagley students started it.
     Stanton returned to his office and called Cranston.  “Have you had a chance to talk with your students yet?”
     “No,” Cranston sighed.  “I plan on speaking to them during 5th period this afternoon.  I guess you already discussed it with the students involved there?”
     “Yes, and I’m pleased a couple of students did confess on their own free will and will pay for the damages.  After you talk with your students, we’ll discuss some kind of plan for the community service work.”
     In their study hall time, Rob and Ellie looked over their biology notes to make sure they were ready for the test on Friday.
     “Has anyone stepped forward yet?” asked Ellie curiously.
     “Unfortunately, no.  Nobody’s been willing.”
     “Well…this is just a hunch, but I’m a little concerned about Taneshia.”
     “Why?”
     “When the press conference was going on yesterday, she became very nervous.  I think she knows more than she’s showing, but I don’t want to force the issue on her.  She seems friendly.”
     “Hmm…maybe she is involved, but indirectly.  She could be a material witness.”
     “A what kind of witness?”
     “Material.  In other words, she may have seen everything that happened, but she’s forced to keep quiet somehow.”
     “But who would do it…and why?”
     “I don’t know the who part, but I definitely know the why.  Someone does not want to face the punishment without a fight.”

     At Vagley, Taneshia was on her way to Trigonometry class when she was cut off by Angel and Cassie.  “What do you want now?”
     “You know what it is,” said Cassie angrily.  “We heard you’ve been hangin’ out with some Gurney creeps.”
     “That’s not my fault.  Thomas needed help with math, and B.J. was the only one who could assist him.  I only went to Wilbur’s because he asked me to go with him.”
     Angel scoffed, “Doesn’t matter…you broke the code, so you’ll pay the price…”
     “Do that out here and I’ll scream so loud everyone in the school’s gonna hear it.  You know I can, too.”
     The pair quickly backed off in slight fear.
     Cassie then stated, “You think you’re so tough, huh?  Well, we’re gonna keep a close eye on you.  If we catch you talkin’ to any Gurney garbage again, you will get what you deserve.”
     “Yeah, and you’d better not say anything to anyone about the accident, or else…”  Angel then punched her right fist against her left hand.  “Don’t forget it, either.”
     The two girls walked away from Taneshia, who became even more nervous than before.  What am I going to do now?  I’ve got to do something, but then they’ve threatened me, too.  Maybe…I need to tell someone, but I don’t know who to trust…no, wait.  I think there is someone I can trust…my boyfriend.  He trusts me with everything, so maybe I could…no.  I can’t.  I have to keep this in as long as I can.  I’m scared.
     Suddenly, Thomas snuck behind her.  “Hey, girlfriend.”
     That made her jump with some fear.  “Oh…Tommy, it’s you.  I thought it was…”
     “Who did you think it was?”
     “Angel and Cassie.”
     “The cheerleading captains?  I don’t get it.”
     “Uh, it’s nothing…really, just nothing.  I’d better get to Trig class before I’m late.”  She quickly walked away in a fast pace.
     Thomas shook his head.  “She’s sure been acting strange lately since Val’s hit-and-run.  I hope she’s doing all right.”
     Taneshia went into her class, even though her mind focused more on her dilemma.  I’m scared to tell anyone about this.  I have to think carefully about this mess…if I tell, Angel and Cassie will pound me for sure…and I could even go to jail.  But if I don’t tell, we have no outdoor activities on Friday because of the lockdown, and a lot of students have gotten into trouble.  Perhaps taking the risk would be the best option.  Val’s one of my best friends.  She’s been like a sister to me and even helped me learn basic cheerleading techniques.  I’ve got to tell someone, but it must be at the right moment for me.
     As she and her classmates listened intently to their lesson, Cranston spoke over the intercom.  “May I have your attention please.  During 5th period this afternoon, I will be calling some people down to the auditorium.  If your name is called, I want you to come immediately.  That will be all for now.”
     At least four of the students in the class groaned because they realized they were caught in the food fight at Wilbur’s.  As for Taneshia, she came up with an idea.  I need to be there, too.  I didn’t get into the food fight, but maybe I can ask Mr. Cranston if I can talk to him privately after this meeting.  I can’t just let this go and do nothing.  It’s time I took the stand to put an end to this nightmare…

Move ahead to Part 3...