A Snitch in the Snob Squad by Julie Anne Peters Page A

broke. The bag thudded to the floor. It was so overstuffed that
     something squirted out the top. That something was her billfold, and as it slid across the floor the end flaps unfolded. A
     whole wad of money was exposed.
    Ashley quickly snatched it up.
    Since Lydia sat in front of Ashley, she couldn’t see the billfold. But Prairie and I could. We looked at each other and dropped
     our jaws.
    Mr. Krupps said, “We’ve had another theft. I don’t know what’s going on, or who’s doing this, but I expect anyone with information
     to come forward. I will
not
tolerate this sort of criminal activity in my school. Do you understand?” The blood vessels in Mr. Krupps’s forehead throbbed.
    Melanie raised her hand. “Who got robbed?” she asked.
    Mr. Krupps shot her full of eye daggers. Thank God I hadn’t asked. In a gravelly voice, he said, “Ms. Milner in the resource
     room.”
    There was a group gasp.
    I looked at Prairie. She’d clapped her hand over her mouth. Hugh was watching Prairie, too. At the ready, I guess, in case
     she fainted. Then, for some reason, Hugh and I both looked at Kevin. He stared straight ahead, expressionless.
    The bell rang. Usually the final bell signaled the hysteria to begin. Today we quietly gathered our things and slithered out.
    Prairie and Lydia accompanied me to the bus stop. As we passed the A wing, Prairie said, “At least they c-can’t blame Max.
     She wasn’t even here.”
    Lydia and I exchanged glances. Our eyes hit the dirt. Ever wish you hadn’t seen something? That you didn’t know the truth?
     Because once you know the truth, you can never unknow it.
    Dear Faith in Friends, Frozen Food Diary,
    I can’t believe Max did it. I don’t believe it. By the way, I ate a Healthy Choice frozen dinner tonight and about puked.
    Maybe I should have. It might’ve calmed my stomach. It wasn’t just the plastic pork riblets that made me sick. I couldn’t
     stop visualizing Max rushing into the PC lab. Oh, man. Oh, Max.
    The front doorbell interrupted my thoughts, thank goodness. I jumped into action. Not that I was anxious about Kevin’s imminent
     arrival, but I tossed my food diary on the bed and hauled butt down the hall.
    Dad was closing the door as I screeched to a stop. “Bible thumpers,” he muttered, handing me a religious leaflet. The phone
     rang in the kitchen.
    Vanessa called, “It’s for you, Jenny.”
    I hurried to the kitchen. Shoving the leaflet at Van, I grabbed the phone. “Hello?”
    “Hi. It’s me.”
    My shoulders sagged. Not that I didn’t want to talk to Prairie.
    “M-Max ran away from home,” Prairie whispered urgently.
    “What? Where?” I said. “When?”
    “Today,” Prairie answered.
    Today? Like right after she robbed Ms. Milner? I couldn’t believe I was thinking that. “How do you know?” I asked Prairie.
     “Where is she?”
    “She called me,” Prairie said. “From a phone booth. She s-says she’s quitting school, too.”
    “What? She can’t quit. It’s against the law. Isn’t it? It’s almost the end of the year. She can’t quit now.” My brain was
     combusting, and all the cells were crashing and colliding, just like pins at the bowling alley. She must’ve been caught. “What
     happened, Prairie? Did she tell you?”
    “Yes,” Prairie said. “But she asked me not to t-tell you guys.”
    “Why?” I said. “We’re her friends. We don’t care if she’s—” I let it dangle. The sentence finished itself in my head: “a criminal.”
    “I know.” Prairie sighed. “She just has some s-stuff to work through.”
    My head fell against the wall. Poor Max. What if she was convicted? What if she went to jail? What if I never saw her again?
    “I’ll see you tomorrow,” Prairie said. “Maybe we can figure something out.”
    “Yeah, okay,” I said, feeling weak and helpless. “And thanks, Prairie. Thanks for telling me.”
    “You’re welcome,” she said.
    Since Kevin hadn’t arrived yet, I immediately