Eric Did Not Steal the Pen

It was written across the whiteboard. It was one phrase that would change the rest of Eric’s life.  

I patted Eric’s back as we walked across the room. All eyes were on us. Sera had already taken her seat and she looked up with a worried look at the two of us. She waved.  

I smiled back. Eric walked awkwardly towards the coat rack. He went to put away his raincoat. The rest of the class, still drenched in rain, followed behind him. He placed his raincoat next to a flowery pink one. It must have felt like the whole class was staring at him. They probably were.  

A boy walked forward, shoving Eric as he went. Eric bumped into me right after.  

“Watch where you’re going, Nate!”  

“Shut up, Emily. Your boyfriend’s a dirty, rotten thief.” He put his coat on the rack, revealing the same bright orange soccer uniform he’s worn every day this week.  

“You’re one to talk with that ratty old thing.”  

“You’re just jealous ‘cause I made it into the soccer team and this no-good thief didn’t”  

“You shut up, Nate!” Eric managed to spit out. “Like I’ve said a million times, to everyone, I didn’t steal it!”  

“You want to fight?!”  

A small girl stepped between the two.  

“St-stop fighting!”  

This small girl was June. She’s a really nice person, but…

“Hey, June, what’s up? This jerk’s the one that stole your pen.”  

That’s what everyone said. That was the story for the last eight months. That was what Eric had to look forward to starting the next grade with. He became a thief that day.  

On that day, during that one recess, June’s green froggy pen disappeared and it was found in Eric’s desk.  

Whoever wrote that on the board, knew the truth.  

Eric did not steal the pen.

Eric looked desperately at the board. Then he looked around the class.  

“Who wrote that? Come on! You know I didn’t steal it. Please tell everyone! Please.”  

No one came forward.  

“Was it you, Kelsey? Kaylee?” The twins shook their heads.

“Victoria? Marshal?” The duo shook their heads. Every person Eric went to said no. Nate stood between him and June.  

“Wasn’t it, Sera? She was here first!”  

“Don’t go spouting nonsense that you can’t back up.”  

“Come on! The three of them are friends. Obviously, Sera’s covering for him.”  

“Are you calling me a liar, you worm??”  

“What did you call me? You wanna fight, Irving?!”  

“Wait…”

A voice called out from the crowd. Kaylee stood behind her sister. Under everyone’s gaze, her already small figure shrank. Even her twin was surprised.  

“Mind your own business, Kaylee!”  

Kelsey shrugged her sister off of her shoulder.  

“Oh… never mind then…”  

June, seeing everyone getting upset, spoke. Everyone went silent. It was her pen after all. She approached the twins, making a small smile towards Kelsey. Kelsey couldn’t help but look away.  

“What were you saying, Kaylee? I didn’t quite hear you.”  

Kaylee nodded, pushing her hair out of her eyes.  

“I-If someone wrote that down, they probably figured that it’s enough to prove Eric didn’t do it, right?”  

June stepped back, thinking.  

“Hey,” Nate stepped forward. “It’s your pen, what do you think?”  

The small girl paused to take a moment. The class was silent. It seemed like that pause would never end.  

“I don’t like how you’ve been treating Eric, Nate. You’ve been a jerk to him since this started.”  

Nate flinched. He looked around the class. Everyone nodded in agreement.  

“Don’t any of you remember what happened?” Nate put his hands up. “You’ve gotta remember! It was in his desk! How could he not have stolen it?”  

There was the problem. If we don’t figure out how or why it was in his desk, no one would ever believe Eric was innocent.  

“Let’s back up.” I stepped before the class. “How do we know it went missing that day?”  

Almost everyone seemed to think hard about it. Nate seemed like he couldn’t care less. Kelsey even managed to shake off her temper long enough to think. Kaylee looked around the class.  

“Oh!” June began to look through her bag. “Here!”  

She pulled out a notebook and began to flip through the pages. She mumbled to herself as the class came closer.  

“Have a look here!”  

The notebook was opened to October 12, the day the pen went missing. The page had notes on Math for first period.  

“...why did you use three different colors?” Kaylee asked. Kelsey scoffed, rolling her eyes.  

“Umm… how do I explain…” June thought to herself. Everyone waited patiently. Then a minute passed. Then two.  

“Uh, I think I can explain,” I walked up beside June. “The top of the page is in red ink. But right around here, a few lines down, the ink begins to fade.”  

Everyone looked closer and nodded in agreement.  

“Just after that, the notes are written in green. June probably started to use her new green froggy pen to write these notes. Sound about right?”  

June nodded.  

“But after that, the notes are in blue. What’s the class after recess, Kaylee?”  

“That’s–”

“Science!” Kelsey barked. Kaylee smiled at her sister.  

“R-Right…” It was then that I noticed that everyone started turning towards the twins. Kaylee shrunk behind her sister while Kelsey rolled her eyes. “Ahem… And as you can see here, the notes for science, and for language arts after lunch, are in blue.”  

A girl in a hoodie stepped forward. A boy in a hoodie seemed to follow in tow. Victoria pulled back her hood and pointed at the fourth period notes.  

“Then why are these notes in green?”  

June perked up at this point. “That’s because Nate asked everyone to look for the pen.”  

Nate smiled wide, puffing out his chest. Then, suddenly, he deflated and his eyes began to point daggers at Eric.  

“It’s green for fourth period because I found the pen in Eric’s desk. Obviously, I took the pen back and gave it to its rightful owner.”  

Everyone looked at Eric, who seemed to be thinking desperately about what happened. With everyone staring at him now, Eric began to breathe quickly.  

“Hey, hey, you’re fine. Look,” I patted his back, “everyone’s trying to solve it for you.”  

“I ain’t doing anything for that jerk.”  

“Except for Nate. Because he’s too stupid.”  

“Shut up, Emily!”  

Looking around the class, I think everyone is at least willing to give this a shot. But someone has to push them in the right direction…

“Ok!” I called out. “So, Nate got everyone to stay inside to look for the pen–”

“–Actually… That might not be why!”  

Victoria pulled out her phone. It had a skull sticker in the back. She leaned against Sera’s desk as she held it out for everyone to see.  A tiny, exasperated whimper came from behind the hooded girl.

“Can you get off my desk?”  

“Ok ok! Sheesh. New kid’s got a temper.”  

“I do not have a temper! You’re just messing up my pencils.” 

Victoria rolled her eyes and held up her phone. There was a picture dated October 12. Everyone looked closely. It was a picture of a piece of paper clumsily held up on display for the camera.  

“Yeah? You guys get it right?”  

No one got it.  

“Ugh. Goodie-good, explain!” Everyone turned my way. Since when was I “Goodie-good?!” I took a look at the picture.  

What could be another reason we stayed inside that day? Oh.  

“That’s why.” I motioned for everyone to have a closer look. “Can everyone see the pink raincoat in the back? It was raining that day. We must have stayed in for recess.”  

“Exactly! You should remember, new girl. That was your first day! We stayed in because it was raining.” Victoria pocketed her phone.  

“And that’s what you call… WRONG!” Nate barked from across the circle of classmates. “Because of this!”  

Nate held out a small piece of paper proudly. Everyone saw it and shook their heads. It was a detention slip.  

“That’s not something you’re supposed to be proud of, idiot.”  

“Shut up, Eric. This was my first detention slip. Which I got during second recess for walking on top of the monkey bars.”  

Everyone shook their heads. June suddenly spoke up.  

“Oh, that's right. Nate didn’t convince anyone. Everyone was complaining that recess ended early because he was walking on the monkey bars. We basically changed into our raincoats for nothing! We weren’t even outside long enough for the rain to come.”  

Everyone shook their heads.  

“D-don’t be like that, guys! I-It’s super cool!”    

“Wait…” I suddenly realized. “That means everyone was out during the first half of recess! Well, almost everyone. Why were you inside?”  

I pointed at the girl leaning against Sera’s desk. Victoria looked up at me, then around at everyone.  

“Wh-whoa. Hey now. I didn’t steal it.”  

A boy in a hoodie stepped in front of her. “Everyone calm down. I can explain.”  

That boy was Marshal. He was a really tall boy for his age.  

“I asked V to send me some notes ‘cause I was sick that day.”  

“Sounds like a lie to me!” Kelsey snickered.  

“I-I believe Victoria and Marshal.” Kaylee softly shouted right after. Kelsey glared at her sister. Kaylee glared back.  

“Show them the other pics, V. You’re always slacking off so you probably left it last minute.”  

“You don’t need to tell ‘em that, man, c’mon! Alright, alright, lemme show ya.”  

She held up her phone once again. Everyone looked at the phone, then at me. They barely even looked at the phone! Think for yourselves, people!  

I sighed. 

“Let me have a look…”

The picture showed the second page of notes that Victoria sent to Marshal. The room was just like it was in the first picture. The pen was right at the edge of June’s desk.  

I swiped to the next picture. The picture showed the third page of notes for Marshal. The room in the background was different. The pen was gone and a person wearing a vibrant orange soccer uniform was holding his hands up as a teacher towered over him, likely screaming.  

“I see…”  

I turned to Nate. Everyone turned towards him too. He stepped backwards, everyone staring at him.  

“Nate, what are in your pockets, right now?” I looked him straight in the eye.  

“D-don’t look at me like that! I’m not hiding anything, look! I don’t even have pockets.”  

And that’s the last clue. I patted Eric in the back and smirked. The class turned towards me. Kaylee pushed herself through the crowd, looking at me, her breath held.  

“I know who did it.”  

Nobody said a word. Kaylee stepped forward, looking around. Everyone looked around them. They’re thinking, who is the thief? How should I put this…

“Come on, then, Goodie-good! Tell us!”  

I cleared my throat.  

“Let’s walk through this. Victoria! Show everyone the second picture.”  

She held up the phone for everyone to see. It was the picture of the second page.  

“This is Victoria’s second picture of her notes for Marshal. What can we see right here?” I point at June’s table in the picture.  

“It’s the pen!”  Kelsey shouted.

“That’s right. The pen was in the class during second recess. Now, Victoria, the third picture, please.”  

Victoria swiped the image on her screen and the third picture appeared. There in the background, a familiar bright orange soccer uniform could be seen. Everyone looked toward him.  

“...Nate?” June gasped. “You’re the one who stole my pen…?”  

The twins gasped. Marshal shook his head. Nate looked everyone in the eye. He was shaking his head.  

“It wasn’t me! You’ve gotta believe me, June!” He backed up into the white board. The markers clattered on the railing. “Come on, Emily! Tell ‘em!”  

Everyone turned my way. I gestured towards the phone. Victoria and Marshal shook their heads in disappointment. Kelsey scoffed. Kaylee looked around the room, shaking her head. She looked towards me, questioning. I winked.  

Just a little bit longer…

“I didn’t do it! I swear! It… It wasn’t…” One moment, he was tearing, the next he was bawling his eyes out. “It wasn’t me!”  

I cleared my throat and walked between him and the mob of classmates.  

“Alright, alright, I think he gets it.” I held my hands up. Eric looked at me furiously. “It wasn’t him.”  

“He’s right there, Emily! That’s his uniform. The pen’s gone.”  

Everyone nodded.  

“That’s true, but if you look closely… right here… his hands are empty.” I tapped the screen, zooming into the image. “And before you ask, he doesn’t have pockets.”  

Nate continued to cry loudly behind me. Victoria and Marshal gave each other a glance, confused.  

“Wait," Marshal said. "then who did it?”  

I swiped the phone to the first image. Everyone looked closely. An empty room with a paper taking up most of the screen.  

“There’s nothing here.” Sera voiced. Her eyes widened. “Except…”  

She gasped. That’s right. Everyone looked at her, then at the picture, then at me.  

“Who was it?” June asked.  

“It was Sera.” I wrapped my arm around the girl with a grin. “She didn’t even mean to though.”  

“SERA?!” The class shouted in unison. Everyone looked at each other confused.  

“What do we know about that day?” I called out, hoping they would remember. “It was Sera’s first day at school. It was a rainy day, so Sera was wearing this.”  

Everyone peered closely at the picture. Sera’s flowery pink raincoat was in the background.  

“That’s Sera’s raincoat, inside during recess. It was supposed to rain later that recess, so everyone wore it outside. Except her.”  

Victoria clapped her hands loudly.  

“That’s right! She stayed inside too because Mr. Smull wanted her to have a look at my notes. It was the perfect time to explain things because I was already going over the notes for Marshal.”  

Sera snapped her fingers. “That’s right! And then… everyone in class suddenly came in early for recess.”  

“...because this dummy got in trouble.” June tapped the crying Nate with her foot. “...but where did the pen go?”  

I flicked the screen to show the second picture.  

“See how the pen’s just sitting right on the edge? When Nate walked in, he must have bumped the desk.”  

Eric walked forward, a hand to his chin, thinking deeply.  

“The pen fell, and Sera must have noticed… She hates when things are scattered about… so she put the pen back where she thought it came from.”  

I patted Eric’s back.  “But it was her first day, and she put it in…”  

“Eric’s desk…” Sera whispered. She looked towards Eric, her eyes glistening. “I’m so sorry, Eric.”  

Eric sighed. A heavy weight seemed to lift from his shoulders. He gave Sera a smile before shrugging.

I couldn’t help but sigh as well.

It was done.

The real “thief” was found and Eric was able to start the next school year without any trouble. The writer of the message seemed to be satisfied with the outcome and I got to help my friend out. That was quite a bit of fun. I hope there are more things to solve in the next grade.