Busted!

The next day, Harriet and I were so nervous. We can barely pay attention to our lessons.

Finally, lunchtime came. Lucky for us, Alyssa's best friend was absent and she was sitting by herself. She was just picking at her food, staring moodily in space.

Harriet and I sat down on each side of her. She looked up in surprise.

"We know you cheated.", I told her directly.

"Yeah, right. Prove it.", she dared us.

"The thing is we can't.", I bluffed. "But I hope you know that you not only ruined your education and reputation, you also ruined Harriet's. And all this just to get your dad to give you a guitar?"

She gasped, her eyes widening, looking at me in surprise.

"How did you know about that? I didn't tell a soul! Nobody knows I want a guitar but me and that I was planning on asking my dad for it once I get good grades.", she blurted out, caught off guard by my revelation.

"Isn't it a little selfish of you to implicate Harriet just to get a guitar?, I asked, trying to knock some sense and conscience into her.

"Well, it sounded like a good plan then. I didn't think I was gonna get caught and Harriet was going to be involved. And now it's too late to back out. Anyway, you can't prove anything.", she said.

"I hope you think long and hard about what you did." I said and we left.

Harriet and I went outside where there were no people.

"So, did you get it?" I asked her.

"Yup! Every single word!!!", she exclaimed, waving her phone at me happily. "That was a good plan.", she added.

"Yeah, and I'm so happy it worked too. For a second there I thought she wasn't going to talk. It's good she was caught off guard and blurted out the truth before she realized what she was doing." I said in relief.

So we went to Mr. Gomez and let him listen to the recording of Alyssa admitting it was her who cheated. Finally, we were able to expose Alyssa. Harriet was cleared!

After everything was settled and Mr. Gomez said he will talk to Alyssa and her parents and assured Harriet that her grades will definitely be recorded, he looked at me in wonder and said. "I just have one question though, Marcciela."

Uh-oh. Here it comes, I thought.

"How did you know about all that?", he asked.

"About what Mr. Gomez?", I asked, feigning ignorance to buy time.

Think, think, think, Ela!!!

"Well, about Alyssa wanting the guitar and everything else that she admitted to.", he patiently explained.

Harriet came to my rescue. "I saw Alyssa looking at a guitar at a music store on my way home one time. Ela and I just made a lucky guess and took our chance.", she said.

Whew! I thought in relief. That was close! Quick thinking Harriet. Great going.

Harriet and I celebrated our success by eating at our favorite fast food restaurant before going home. I was really happy that I was able to help my best friend. I pocketed my ring, thinking how helpful it was to have its magic.

"I'm home!", I called out when I opened the door.

"You look happy.", Mom observed.

She always knows when something out of the ordinary happens to me.

"I'm just relieved Harriet and I got decent grades in our History exam." I explained.

"Well, that's good.", she said smiling. "I have news for you too."

"I'm all ears.", I told her. "Oh, wait. Where's Yasir?"

"He fell asleep while reading a book. He must have been really tired.", mom said.

"Yeah. I saw them practicing their dance routine for their program earlier today. So what's your news?" I reminded her.

"Remember my best friend in college?", she asked.

"Yeah. Andrea, right?" I answered.

"Yes. She's going to be in town for a week and I invited her to stay with us for a few days so we can catch up. It's been a while since I last saw her.", she said happily.

"Great! I'm looking forward to finally meeting her." I told her.

And I really was. Mom told me she and Andrea were best friends in college but haven't seen each other in a while. I think they last saw each other at my parents' wedding day. After that Andrea moved aborad and haven't visited our town since. They talked quite often so I know they're still very much in touch. I can imagine just how excited mom really is about their upcoming reunion. I realized, I barely knew anything about Andrea except that she's a very successful lawyer and still single because men are intimidated by her intelligence. So I am also looking forward to meeting her.

Little did I know I was in for another "adventure".