The Philosophers' Game

Chapter 16: No More Than Pawns

Chapter 16: No More than Pawns

As usual, my parents were already eating breakfast and reading the newspaper at the kitchen table by the time I'd bounded down the stairs to pour myself some cereal. Instead of a flat "Good morning," however, the first words out of my mother's mouth were "Sounds like there are actually two vandals working together. They broke into your school last night again. Cops were on the scene when it happened."

For a moment, I froze in place. Had they heard me sneaking out or in last night? Hoping my parents hadn't noticed my now shaking hands, I swallowed a lump in my throat and grabbed the cereal off the top shelf in the cupboard. "Oh?"

My dad nodded and chipped in, "Says right here there was even a chase, yet the delinquents still got away clean. Only thing left behind was a bit of spilled paint."

This time I didn't have to feign surprise. "Wait. What?" I set the cereal down and furrowed my brow, replaying the start of the chase in my mind. Someone else must have picked up Plato's paint brushes and bucket just before the police busted into the main hallway, I guessed. Someone else must have been in there with us, must have made the noise I first tried to investigate. My blackmailer, maybe?

I downed my breakfast in record time, then grabbed my backpack and raced out the door. Most of the school would arrive early to see the vandals' newest masterpiece in person, anyway. In fact, it seemed I was already late to the party. Virtually the entire popular group was huddled by my locker, watching from a safe distance as the crowd ebbed and flowed near the graffiti. Its message, A SOLUTION NOT CONSIDERING ALL OPINIONS LEAVES A PROBLEM HALF SOLVED, was the clearest yet; my friends, and probably most other students, didn't need any further explanation as to its inner meaning. 

I took Nathan's hand in mine and followed his and the rest of the group's curious gaze to see Socrates casually strolling past. "What's gotten into him? He looks even more smug than usual," Plato observed snidely.

Kaitlyn sighed. "Rumor has it Drew's the one who called the cops on you last night."

"He was there on watch for Daniel," Anna confirmed, her expression grim. Plato's immediate reaction to glance over at me, his eyes flashing in silent question, told me that Socrates hadn't approached him with the truth like he did me. Playing dumb, I just shrugged.

Will shook his head in disbelief and said to Plato, "First the fire alarm, now this? I know you guys had that fallout after middle school, but he keeps stooping lower and lower. You're lucky you weren't caught, or worse." We all nodded in agreement.

"I'm done with this back alley shit," Nathan suddenly muttered. With a fake smile, he called out to Socrates and waved him over, but dropped the act to match Will and Plato's fury as soon as the blithe rich kid had joined the circle. "Look, we make a good team in ASB and you know I respect you, but this underlying feud between you and Benny is affecting our whole group and almost got him expelled. It has to stop, Drew."

Now Socrates looked marginally offended, but he still managed to maintain his cool, his arrogance. "Whoa, hold up a minute. I'm a school hero," he said, glancing pointedly at me to make sure I recognized my own words. I snickered, a reaction that wasn't well received by my friends, and he continued boldly, "If you even try to touch me, you make yourselves look awfully guilty. I don't necessarily want Benny here to be expelled, but the vandal is hurting our school. Something has to change. And soon."

Nathan crossed his arms, stretched taller, and stepped closer to his running-mate. "Are you blackmailing us?" he insinuated, not knowing that I had already ruled out Socrates as the person framing me for being promiscuous.