Missing? by May

It was a wet, rainy, fall day in October. It was the time of year it had begun to get a winter chill. Allie sat at her desk in Social Studies and hoped that school would never end, so that she did not have to walk home in the cold and wet. Besides, in Social Studies they were learning about Ancient Egypt. Allie loved Egypt. It was so fascinating - all those huge pyramids, all the strange rituals, the gods - Allie was jerked back into the present by Mrs. Haltane's voice.

"I have something to show you, class," she said, holding up a bracelet, or rather, arm-band. "This is a bracelet such as the Ancient Egyptian women might have worn. This is very old and probably originally worn by a real Egyptian woman!"

Everyone gazed appreciatively at the bracelet. Mrs. Haltane almost never brought in examples, but when she did, they were sure to be good. Mrs. Haltane walked around, showing everyone, then walked back up and put it in the drawer of her desk. The bell rang, and everyone scrambled to get their stuff together. Sara went up to the front of the class to talk to the teacher.

Allie took a little more time to get her stuff together before shouldering her backpack and leaving Joe, her friend Anna, Sara and the teacher in the classroom. As she turned a‚ corner, she was a little surprised to see Sara and the teacher leaving together. What could Sara possibly need that wasn't in the classroom already? Joe was right behind them.

As Allie left the building, her thoughts turned once more to the wet, rainy, miserable weather. She glared at the sky and trudged down the sidewalk toward her house. It was just her luck to have forgotten her umbrella the one day of the week it decided to rain. She unlocked the door and pushed it open, stepping into the warm, cheerful atmosphere, so different than the gray outsides.

When Allie walked into the kitchen, her mother explained in dismay over her wet state and told her to go put on some dry clothes right now or she would catch a cold. Allie sighed and did as she was told.

The next day, the sun came out and sparkled on the autumn leaves and shone on the wet grass and flowers. Allie walked to school happily - no more rain today - and had a normal day. Until, that is, Social Studies.

Mrs. Haltane came in looking a little grim and very serious. She started the lesson, and everyone could see she was in a bad mood. It was abnormally silent in the room, because nobody wanted to give Mrs. Haltane any reason to yell.

Ten minutes before dismissal, Mrs. Haltane stopped teaching and stood before her desk.

"I just wanted to tell all of you how much I despise thieves," she said in a low, but very audible voice. "Yesterday, I was leaving the school when I realized I had forgotten to bring that bracelet. I walked back up to this classroom and opened the drawer where it should have been. It was not there."

At this statement, there was an expression of shock on everyones faces. Joe especially. He had a passion for ancient artifacts.

"I will find out who did it," Mrs. Haltane continued, "or the someone in this class who is a thief will tell me that they have stolen this thing. If no one has come forward after two weeks, the entire class will be punished."

Joe sneered, Sam looked frightened, David looked like he wanted to protest but couldn't move his mouth, and the rest of the class had expressions of horror, or amused disbelief that Mrs. Haltane would remember to punish them in two weeks, and Rachel looked as she always looked; politely interested. Mrs. Haltane glared around at them all for awhile then spoke again.

"I'll be in this room for an hour after school if the thief," she said this in a nasty tone, "should care to return what they have stolen. Also, if the thief should care to be unknown, the thief will have plenty of opportunities to replace the bracelet back where it came from. I hope there will be no more stealing," she spat the word out, "in this school."

Allie walked home thoughtfully. The last person in the room had been Anna, but she couldn't have stolen it. Allie knew Anna well, they were friends. Anna wouldn't steal anything! So that means someone had come to the class after Anna had left and before Mrs. Haltane had come back. It could have been, she thought, anyone in the school! But no, only the people in the class knew where Mrs. Haltane had put it. No one else even knew she had it.

Allie shook her head. It was so unfair. She didn't want to have to find out who did it, but if she didn't want to be punished, she would have to try to figure it out anyway. Unless the thief admitted that they had stolen the thing or the bracelet was replaced. Allie dreamed that night that Mrs. Haltane was beating her because no one had come forward.

It was two days later that Allie found the note. It was sitting on the floor with an air of importance. Allie picked it up feeling a little odd. She unfolded it carefully. It was from Sara to Clarissa.

Allie froze in her seat. Sara and Clarissa? Why would they do it? In the note, it looked like they had done it for fun. Purely because they could. Allie supposed they must have, though. Didn't this note prove it?

I'll show it to Mrs. Haltane immediately, she thought, then, No,I can't. It'll be like tattling, I don't want to do that, besides, I don't have anything against Sara and Clarissa, I just don't want to be punished in their place. What I want to do is get them to give it back. I'll talk to them.

This, however, proved difficult. Social Studies was the only time during the day that Allie saw Sara and Clarissa. They took the bus after school, so they couldn't stay and talk, and though they got to school early, Allie had trouble getting to talk to them. She didn't want to embarass anyone.

Finally, on the Tuesday after she found the note, she caught them before school.

"Hey, Sara, Clarissa," she yelled, "wait!"

Sara and Clarissa turned and waited while Allie caught up to them.

"What is it?" inquired Clarissa.

"Ummmmm," said Allie, unsure what to say, "I - I found this note last Thursday that Sara wrote to you, Clarissa, and..."

"And?" said Sara frostily. It was obvious that she thought Allie was prying, which in all fairness, she was.

"Well...," said Allie, "here." She thrust the not into Sara's hand. Sara scanned it quickly.

"Why do you care about this?" she asked coldly. "It doesn't concern you. It's about Clarissa and me." Then something came over her face.

"You mean that you think Clarissa and I stole that dratted bracelet? Well, you had better think again. I have never, ever, heard such -" she broke abruptly, her face contorted with anger. She and Clarissa walked off.

The anger on her face had been real enough, Allie was sure that Sara had not faked it. Also, Sara had brought up the stolen bracelet all by herself, which Allie was sure Sara would not have done if she had stolen it.

Allie felt depressed. Ever since the news, the class had been talking about who could have taken it. What people said added up to this: Allie had seen Devon, Jakie, David, Meg and Laura get on the bus right after school. Jakie said that Clare, Morgan, and Jared had already been on the bus. Allie herself had been cleared by Joe, who had known she left the class first. Laura said Jamal and Dean had already been on the bus when she got on, and Jared said he had seen Will and Tim come out of school right before Allie, then get on their buses. This left Anna, Rachel, Sara, Clarissa, and possibly Joe, who had not been seen after he left the room. Joe had been shooting glances at his friend Deon. Allie couldn't see why he was worried. He was only a faint possibility. Sara wasn't suspected too closely because people assumed she had left with the teacher. Clarissa also wasn't suspected closely because anything Sara did, she did. Anna was suspected most because she had been last in the room. Poor Anna!

Allie walked to class slowly. She was sorry Sara had felt that angry, by Allie having read the note and assuming it was talking about the theft, but if Sara had found such a note, wouldn't she have done the same thing?

"Oh drat," muttered Allie. "What do Sara's feelings matter to me anyway?"

But Allie knew they did. For her own peace of mind, she was going to have to apologize, so after Social Studies, Allie went up to Sara.

"Look, I'm really sorry I read the note. It's your business, not mine," said Allie.

"It's O.K.," said Sara, "I would have done the same thing." She turned and walked away. Suddenly, she turned back and called, "Bye!" as if it were an afterthought.

"Bye," Allie said, though she knew Sara wouldn't hear.

Allie sat down at one of the sticky lunch tables the next day with Anna.

"So," Allie inquired, "how's it going?"

"Need you ask?" said Anna dismally.

"That bad?"

"It's horrible. All I need to do is walk into a room with one of the members of our Social Studies class and boom!, every eye in the room is on me, and then everyone starts whispering. Bleh, tuna again."

"But it will get better soon. Don't worry."

"Ha!" said Anna. "Do you really believe that, Allie? It'll get worse before it gets better. Once everyone gets punished, they'll blame me for it. Everyone will think it's because of my petty thieving that they get detention or whatever, and they'll never forgive me. Excuse me, I have to go to the bathroom."

Allie chewed her sandwich, brooding on it. I'll just have to find out who did it, or Anna will be in a worse situation than - Her thoughts were interrupted by a voice nearby.

Quick! Before you scroll down, decide who you think stole the Egyptian arm band. This is your last chance before the all revealing clue is given!

"...tell the teacher, I swear it, Joe! You can't just -"

"It's none of your business, Deon."

"When you said you were going back for your pencil, I never dreamed you"d steal -. Joe, you've got to put it back, or I will tell!"

With a shock, Allie realized what they were talking about.

"I never dreamed my own friend would betray me," said Joe coldly. "It's really none of your business, Deon."

"It's my business if I make it my business, Joe! I didn't say anything about you going back for a pencil in class, because I didn't believe you'd do such a childish thing!"

"Childish, nothing," Joe was furious. "Go away Deon, you of all people ought to understand. If you don't, you're not the person I thought you were."

"Understand what? What are you trying to prove? God, Joe, I don't want you to tell the whole class, just put it back!!!"

There was a long silence.

"Very well, Deon, I'll put it back."

Allie sat, shocked. Joe? Why Joe? Then she remembered. He loved ancient artifacts.

"Hey Allie, you look like you've just seen your ghost. What's wrong?" Anna was there.

Quickly, Allie told Anna what she had just heard.

"You mean Joe did it? Should we tell?" asked Anna.

"I don't think so," said Allie slowly, "He's going to put it back. We shouldn't embarass him in front of everyone. No, we'll leave things as they are."

The next day in Social Studies, Mrs. Haltane announced that the thief had returned the bracelet. Across the room, Allie and Anna smiled at each other.

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