TAKE ME BACK
1180 Words
** KIM’S POV **
I kept pressing the button frantically, wishing sounds would come out of the device.
Any sound at all.
Camille kept staring at me, the look of angst on her face now morphed into a relaxed, disdainful gaze.
Mrs Thorne looked on, unimpressed as I battled hard with the device. I kept hoping the ground would open up and swallow me right there and then.
“ I think that’s enough, Kimberly”, Mrs Thorne snapped with a cold voice.
I dropped the recorder in defeat, trying to piece together the right words that would somehow make a good apology for this nightmare.
“It was there earlier... it was there, I checked it,” I mumbled to myself.
“ Are you sure you got the right device, detective?” Camille quipped in a mocking tone.
“ Shut up!... what did you do?!” I snapped at her
“ Language in my Office, Kimberly.... is this all a joke to you guys? Mrs Thorne cut in, now visibly annoyed.
“ I’m really sorry, ma’am, but I had them on record, I swear!” I pleaded frantically
“ She’s trying to distract you from asking the real questions here, Mrs Thorne”, Camille said calmly
“ No I’m not!, I’m just trying to clear my name, and I swear ... I had them on tape,” I retorted, inching closer to tears.
Mrs Thorne watched us go back and forth for a while as she reclined in her chair.
“ I think I know what to do with you, Kimberly”, she said in a flat tone “Since you think this is all funny, why don’t you go have a laugh for one week in detention?”
“ What!, why!?” I screamed in disbelief
“ Maybe I should also call your parents and tell them about all this, let’s see how that’ll work out for you!” she snapped.
“ I think she should be suspended, ma’am. " It’ll teach her not to lie to you,” Camille said, still gazing at me.
“ Is that so, Camille?” Mrs Thorne said, glaring at her.
“ It’s just what I think, you know... lying to you after stealing that amount of money is bad”, she said, shifting uneasily in her chair.
“ I do remember you saying you had CCTV footage of Kimberly stealing the money, I am yet to see anything of the sort”, Mrs Thorne said.
I saw fear flickering in Camille’s eyes as she cleared her throat and fidgeted around.
“ I’ve got the footage, it’s just that I need to ...”
“ Then why have I not seen it if you have it ?” Mrs Thorne asked impatiently.
“ I’ll get it for you, Mrs Thorne... I just need a bit more time,” Camille mumbled
“ You know what I think, Camille?” Mrs Thorne whispered in a cold tone, “ I think there’s no footage, and you think this is a nice prank, just like this stupid recorder.”
“Let me assure you there’s going to be consequences if I find out you’ve been falsely accusing your fellow student.” She added, tapping on her table for emphasis.
“ I’m sorry, Mrs Thorne. I’ll get the footage as soon as possible,” Camille muttered, visibly shaken from the berating Mrs Thorne gave her.
“ I’ve heard enough from you two today. Get yourselves out of my office and don’t come back till you have the footage,” Mrs Thorne ordered, pointing at the door,r “ and your detention starts today, Kimberly.”
Allison hugged me tentatively as soon as I stepped out of the office. I still could not piece what happened together.
My head was growing dizzy from thinking and asking questions. None of which had a befitting answer.
I closed my eyes to keep the tears in, but they were too heavy. I felt rivulets stream down my cheeks as I struggled not to cry.
“ It’s alright, Kim. We’ll prove your innocence another way,” Allison whispered, hugging me tightly.
“ It was there... it had to be there... how did it..” I mumbled in a teary voice, breaking down in her arms.
“It’s okay.. It’s alright. We’ll take care of this together like we always do,” Allison assured me.
“ I don’t know, Allison. I think I might actually be in trouble this time,” I said, sobbing into her shirt.
“No, you’re not, we’ll figure this out together, I promise,” she assured me, holding my face and looking into my eyes.
I nodded slowly, still crying when Camille strutted out of the principal’s office with her head held high. A cold, triumphant smile was plastered on her face as she glared at us.
“ You know you should have just apologised and begged me when I asked, maybe I’d have forgotten about it”, she sneered.
“ Get lost, Camille. Don’t you think you’ve done enough?” Allison shot back.
“ I’ve not done anything yet, b***h. You can bank on that,” she spat.
“ Well, go run to your queen bee, I’m sure she’s waiting for her slave”, Allison said
“ I’d love to tell you to watch that stupid mouth of yours, but you can rant all you want; I’ll get the last laugh”, Camille said as she calmly walked away.
I broke free from Allison and started walking. No direction. No place in mind. Just wherever my legs take me.
“ Hey! Where are you going?” Allison called after me
“ Nowhere in mind”, I answered
“ What are you trying to do, Kim?”
“ Nothing... Nothing whatsoever”
I kept walking and walking until I stood at the basketball court.
I sat down and closed my eyes, trying to block out the noise of the bouncing balls and running feet, when I heard a familiar voice beside me.
“ Fancy seeing you here, I’ve been looking everywhere for you.” It was Jason.
“ What do you want, Jason?” I asked curtly
“ We go way back, you know. That’s no way to speak to me”
I sighed, “ I’m not in the mood for this, please leave me alone”
“ That problem you told me about, I think I might be able to help you.”
I looked up at him, surprised by his sudden eagerness.
“ You swore you’d never help me ... what changed?” I asked suspiciously.
“ I just love helping the wrongfully accused clear their name; it brings me untold joy.” He said airily
“ Well, it’s not too late, we can go now to the principal’s Office.” I pointed out
“ Well, you just have to agree to something, and I’m game ”
“ What is that, Jason?”
“ If I’m to do this for you ... you’ll have to take me back.”
- Writer
