Criminal by Helen Chapman Page A

all watching him dance.
    â€˜I’m going to do the best street dancing ever,’ he said to himself.
    Mr Newman was still talking. ‘I’d like Jacky to be your music back-up,’ he said.
    Jacky was excited too. She’d always wanted to play her violin at Concert in the Park. How amazing to be on stage at night and see all the people holding up glowsticks in the dark.
    Their excitement didn’t last long. At the end of the lesson a boy with spiky red hair darted into the room.
    â€˜There’s a surprise locker inspection,’ he called out before darting out again.
    â€˜Who is that?’ asked Jacky.
    â€˜Don’t know,’ said Zeke.
    Mr Newman dismissed the class. Zeke followed Jacky to the lockers. Principal Blake was there already.
    â€˜Everyone open your lockers,’ he said. ‘There have been reports of theft. I will
    not have any sort of criminal activity at All Star High.’
    There was clanging and banging as the students opened their lockers. When each locker was open, Principal Blake began his inspection. He didn’t notice that someone was close behind him, just waiting until he got to Zeke’s locker.
    Principal Blake took one look inside Zeke’s locker and said, ‘Zeke, you have some explaining to do.’
    â€˜Why?’ asked Zeke, and then he saw exactly why.
    There in his locker were an mp3 player, a mobile phone, a purse, a drumstick, a memory stick, some DVDs and a camera. The Gang-Stars were shocked.
    â€˜There’s all our missing stuff!’ they cried out.
    Principal Blake turned to Zeke. ‘Give everything back,’ he said, ‘and then come to my office.’
    The Gang-Stars wanted an explanation. ‘What’s going on, Zeke?’ asked Aaron.
    Zeke looked at his friends. ‘I didn’t steal your things,’ he said. ‘Why would I?’
    â€˜Well, if you didn’t steal them, who did?’ asked Becca.
    Zeke took a deep breath. ‘I don’t know,’ he said. ‘But I’ve got to go to Principal Blake’s office now.’
    No-one in the Gang-Stars knew what to say. They wanted to believe Zeke but how could they? They watched him walk to Principal Blake’s office. Most of them were thinking the same thing. If Zeke is a thief he is out of the Gang-Stars.

Being in Principal Blake’s office usually meant that you were in trouble for something. Zeke’s heart was pounding. He knew he was in big trouble.
    â€˜Zeke, you know I let you come to All Star High because I wanted to give you a second chance,’ said Principal Blake.
    Zeke knew what Principal Blake was talking about. When he was in the rough street gang, he had been caught shoplifting. When he left the street gang and started at All Star High, Zeke had promised Principal Blake never to do it again. He wanted to prove that he could be trusted.
    â€˜I know you gave me a second chance,’ he said. ‘That’s why I don’t hang out with the old street gang. I swear I didn’t steal that stuff.’
    He stopped talking when he heard a knock on the door. Before Principal Blake could answer, Jacky came into the office.
    â€˜I’ve got to tell you something important,’ she said to Principal Blake. ‘None of those stolen things were in Zeke’s locker when the bell went. We looked for my camera in there. After that Zeke was in class with me, so it couldn’t have been him who put the stolen stuff in his locker.’
    Principal Blake looked at them both.
    â€˜I want to believe you, but I need some proof,’ he said.
    Jacky felt her camera in her pocket and thought of a brilliant plan.
    â€˜We can get you proof,’ said Jacky. ‘Just give us a few days.’
    Zeke didn’t know what Jacky had planned, but he was glad she had a plan.
    â€˜I think someone is setting you up. They want you to get into trouble,’ said Jacky.
    â€˜But why?’ asked Zeke. He