Rumors, Murders, and Me

Karron had always known Angelica as the smart type. She would never do anything stupid- she was the kind of girl who would do some adventurous stuff that wasn't dangerous. Like white water rafting. Okay, that was a little dangerous, but it was beside the point. She wouldn't jump off a building. She wouldn't drink alcohol. Angelica was a sneaky good girl- she was a bad girl who never got caught.

Everything began a few months ago. The Gang was strolling through Pawling High School, preparing for a big history test about foreign wars. Kaleb, who was always a late study, was frantically flipping through the study pamphlet that their teacher, Mrs. Whithe, has handed out over a month ago.

"Quick, Leigha, quiz me," Kaleb said, shoving the pamphlet into his cousin's hands. Leigha was a pretty girl with chestnut hair and hazel eyes. She rolled her eyes. "Fine. Name one foreign war."

"Ummm....." Kaleb adjusted his glasses and ran his fingers through his greased black hair. "Vietnam?"

"WE fought that war, dum-dum!" Bella Venafro scoffed. She shot Kaleb a look. "I told you you should have studied."

"I did! I mean, I am!! If it's called the 'VIETNAM war,' shouldn't it be considered a foreign war?" he asked desperately.

Angelica shrugged. "Actually, he might have a point," she said, pushing aside a loose strand of brown hair. She smirked. "I happen to have studied for this test."

"So have I!!" Karron put it, wanting to be known.

"I'm pretty sure we all have," Bella said. She gave Kaleb a playful glare. "Except for Kaleb, of course. Isn't that right, Jin?"

Bella nudged a tall korean girl next to her. Jin looked up from the ipad she had been scrolling through. "What?"

"Are those things even allowed in school?" Kaleb asked, nodding towards the device in Jins hands. Jin glared at him, pushing her ipad into her bag.

"Maybe they aren't. But I don't see why you care. You do stuff all the time that isn't allowed."

Kaleb blushed. "We're here," Leigha said, sighing as the Gang entered a blue classroom on the 2nd floor.

"Hurry, name a foreign war!!" Bella whispered into Kaleb's ear. Kaleb flushed red, looking about ready to strangle Bella.

"Why you--"

"ERRNT. WRONG. BIG, FAT, F." Bella smiled. She pushed up her wire-rimmed glasses. "That'll be your grade. Thank you and good day."

She stalked away to her desk, smiling. Kaleb took his seat between Jin and and boy named Yabniel. Yabniel turned to Kaleb.

"Hello! Are you ready for the test? I hear-"

"SHUT IT." Kaleb said loudly, scowling. Yabniel quickly turned away.

Angelica, Karron, and Bella were seated together, along with Angelica's twin sister, Katie.

"So, did you guys study?" Katie asked.

"Yeah," Karron said glumly. "All those hours I could have spent playing basketball, wasted."

Angelica snickered. "Yeah, I studied. And I know that Bella did, so there you have it." Her and her sister did a handshake, and then returned to their seats when Mrs. Whithe began passing out folders of paper.

"You have 45 minutes to complete your test. I hope that you all studied-" Mrs. Whithe stared straight at Kaleb, who gulped -"And are prepared. You may begin."

A hurried scratch of pencils arose in the silent room. Kaleb swallowed hard and read the first question. Oh boy.

1.What was the first foreign war that the United States military became involved in?

* * * *

"That. Was. Horrible." Kaleb pouted as the Gang exited the school halls and entered the outdoors. "I mean, how was I supposed to know that they have an organization for the stupid topic! VFW? C'mon!!!"

Leigha rolled her eyes. "Maybe if you had studied, you might have figured out that the Civil War ws fought by the United States versus the United States, Not Hungary versus Wisconson!"

"I did not say that! I said Hungary versus Turkey!!"

"Well, then you got it wrong, smart boy!!"

"Shoot," Karron muttered. "That means so did I!"

"Hey guys, did you hear?" Bella whispered excitedly. "There's a rumor!"

"There's always a rumor," Jin said. "What is it now?"

"Angelica is said to have snuck into the school last night and killed Mr. Boheaty! That's why he wasn't here today!!"

"Now that's ridiculous!" Angelica said, furrowing her brow. "Who the heck would make up such a thing?"

"I dunno," Leigha shrugged. She spotted a kid waving a Angelica and giving her a thumbs up. "But you certainly seem to be popular because of it."

"Man, I wish you actually had done it," Jin mumbled. "I hated him."

"So did I," Kaleb pointed out.

"Okay, maybe so did I, but that gives me no reason nor right to murder the man!!" Angelica said, exasperated as a sophomore and his two friends patted her on the back.

"Sure, but I mean, come on, we all know it was gonna happen some time. Why not make it happen faster?" Karron said.

"Yeah, he looked like he was gonna drop dead any second," Bella added.

Angelica bit her lip. "That's besides the point! Why would I murder someone?"

"Why wouldn't you?" Angelica frowned at Bella.

Jin shook her head. "You look like you've just posted a viral video on instagram," she said, eyeing a couple of seniors who were trying to take a picture of Angelica. Jin made a face and scared the seniors away.

"Thanks," Angelica said to Jin as the Gang forced their way through a cluster of people holding signs that said things like 'GO ANGIE' or 'DOWN WITH BOHEATY-UP WITH ANGELICA!!'

"You're famous!!" Karron said, throwing his hands up in the air. "Heck, if I knew all you had to do was kill someone and gain fame, I'd be halfway there already!!"

"This is so stupid," Angelica said. "Who would go as far as to kill a teacher?"

"You, apparently," Kaleb said, smiling at some people trying to get closer to the group. "Yes, I'm her friend!" he called out. Leigha slapped him on the arm.

"Hey!" Kaleb said, rubbing where his cousin had hit.

Leigha inhaled sharply. "We are trying to help Angelica," she said, trying her best to keep her voice steady and calm.

"Although," Bella started, posing for a group of excited freshman. "I could get used to this celebrity stuff."

"You're not the celebrity," Jin said.

"Whatever." Bella departed from the picture group and joined the Gang. "Do you think you'll go to Juvie?"

"Doubtful," Angelica said, sighing. "I didn't really kill him, did I?"

"You should have," Kaleb muttered. "The old bloke deserved it."

"I have to side with Kaleb on this one," Bella said.

"Bella!" Leigha said.

"Excuse me?" A black girl with curly hair and a white girl with blond hair appeared next to Angelica, followed by a line of boys and girls.

"Yes, how can I help you," Angelica asked sweetly.

"Here." The blond girl shoved a bag full of money into Angelica's hand. Bella's eyes lit up. Angelica looked at the girls curiously. "What is this?"

"It's from your fan club. You know, I Heart Angie. It's okay if we call you Angie, right? Anyway, we took up a collection. These are the proceeds going towards the next bad teacher that you kill."

Angelica was so appalled that she turned white. Karron leaned over and inspected the bag of money, pulling out a fifty dollar bill. "Word travels fast," he concluded.

Leigha gasped. "OMG, is that a hundred I see?"

"They must be really hoping for you to kill someone," Jin exclaimed.

"Take it back!" Angelica said, horrified, as she quickly handed over the bag to the black girl. "And please, you really must understand, it was just a silly rumor, you see, I never actually killed--"

"MISTER BOHEATY IS DEAD!!!" Principal Callan screamed, running out of the school. "He was murdered last night!!!"

Angelica smacked her forehead. Kaleb's mouth dropped open.

"Wait, for real this time?"

A hushed silence fell over what was left of the student body, and all eyes turned to Angelica.

"Let's get out of here." Karron whispered urgently. "Now."

The Gang hurried away, all following Karron's lead. He stopped in front of his small sedan. "Okay, I'll-"

He turned to find everyone staring frantically at him. "I can't fit everyone in my car!!" he bellowed.

"I volunteer to sit in the trunk," Jin said flatly.

"Your car is right over there!!" Karron protested.

"Across the parking lot is too long away to walk when you're trying to make a getaway," Jin said. She nodded at 'I Heart Angie' club, who were slowly making their way towards the Gang, with big smiles plastered on every members face.

"Okay, you're right. Everyone in."

Karron entered the drivers seat, and Leigha clambered into the passengers seat. Kaleb, Bella, and Angelica squeezed into the backseat, and Jin made herself comfortable in the trunk.

"Will she suffocate?" Kaleb whispered, staring at his seat like it was a bomb. He knew Jin was somewhere behind it.

"We're literally two minutes away from my house," Karron said, revving up the engine.

"We can't go to your house," Bella said quickly as Karron backed out of his parking spot. "Everyone knows where everyone lives!"

"Tacos and Cones!!" Angelica blurted out. "Amanda's got a part-time job there, maybe she can hide us in the back for a while!"

"Good idea," Karron said, turning out of the school parking lot. Bella leaned over to Angelica.

"Are you sure your sister won't mind our intrusion? What if her boss finds out she's hiding potential customers behind the counter? What if she looses a promotion?"

"Believe me, she's not getting a promotion either way," Angelica said.

Leigha laughed from the front seat, just as Karron turned onto Main Street. He parked his car in the CVS parking lot, and quickly helped everyone out of the car, including Jin, who was starting to regret her agreement to ride in the trunk.

"Hurry, I think they followed us," Karron said, pointing to a large white van turning into the lot with the words 'I HEART ANGIE' written in big letters on the car doors.

The Gang ran to Tacos and Cones, nearly getting hit by a car when they crossed the road. Tacos and Cones was a pretty building, with outdoor seating beautified with string lights and a beautiful shade of teal acting as a mascot.

Amanda was inside, her thin brown hair pushed back into a ponytail. She was trying to help an elderly woman pick out a ice-cream flavor for her daughter.

"I would say Monster, but that has a lot of artificial flavoring, but Tiki Thursday is good...wait shoot, that has some rum...hmm, so.... cookies and cream?"

The woman agreed and handed Amanda a twenty dollar bill as she scooped up a black speckled white ice cream out of a bin. Amanda handed the lady her change and her cone, before bidding her farewell and noticing the Gang for the first time. She sighed.

"Whaddaya want?"

"Not ice-cream," Bella said quickly. Leigha rolled her eyes.

"We need hiding."

"Fine." The Gang was extremely surprised at how little Amanda actually cared. She didn't even ask why they needed hiding.

"Under the counter," Amanda said stiffly, gesturing towards under the cash register. She smirked. "Or, if you're feeling hot, you may feel free to hide in the freezer room."

"Shaddup," Kaleb snarled, following his friends behind the desk.

"So, I hear Angelica's famous. What'd she do, get another A on a test? Whoopee."

Angelica frowned. "I've killed a teacher, apparently."

Amanda's face brighted up tremendously. "Really? Was it Gardens, I hate the old quack...."

"No, Boheaty," Karron said.

"Even better."

"But I didn't kill him!!" Angelica yelled.

"I never said ya did." Amanda scoffed. "Take it in. Sooner or later, the kids are gonna find out that it's all a joke and leave it be. It's nice to be popular. At least, for a day or two. I betcha tomorrow that Principal Callan will tell the student body what really happened. And then that'll be that. End of fame. Poof."

"Wow," Jin muttered. "Deep."

"Something like that happened to me in 1st grade," Amanda said.

"I was accused of stealing a fruit pop. The whole thing was ridiculous. It was the orange one flavored grape. Why would I want the stupid thing?"

"Yeah, but compared to killing a teacher?" Angelica said.

Amanda shrugged. "Okay, so you beat me in intensity. Whaddaya think Katie will be framed for? I'm thinking egging the school, at the least."