Crushes Over Papercuts- A Mid 90s Tale

Chapter 35

Principal Morris threw the plastic baggie of little white pills on his desk. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

I laid my backpack across my thighs to try and still my trembling legs. "Those aren't mine."

Ms. Deskin was leaning against a bookshelf but sat down in the chair next to me. "Jenny, this isn't like you."

"I'm glad we agree on that because it isn't me. I'm being framed."

Principal Morris glared at me over his glasses. "And why would somebody want to frame you? For what purpose?"

"Courtney Ritter thinks I stole her boyfriend."

He grunted.

"I know it's a ridiculous reason but it's true. They broke up, we're together, and she can't stand it."

"You can't just go around accusing people of such things."

"You just accused me!" I protested.

He dangled the baggie in his hand. "But the proof was in your locker."

He was right. I had no defense or logical explanation for how those pills ended up in my locker. I opened my mouth to speak...to find an excuse, but he cut me off before I could respond. "Courtney is an excellent student and this would be completely out of character for her."

"Ms. Deskin just said the same thing about me and yet you're accusing me of doing drugs," I snapped. "I'm telling you I don't do drugs. Give me a cup right now and you can test me."

"We don't have a test for that here. Besides, it doesn't change the fact that drugs were found in your locker."

It felt like the air conditioning had died in that small office and my body would scorch me from the inside out. "What made you even look in my locker?"

A look past between them.

Principal Morris opened his top drawer and pulled out a white envelope.

I slowly shook my head. "You've got to be kidding me."

"Do you know what this says?"

"I have a pretty good idea."

He raised his eyebrow.

"My mom received something similar yesterday."

"And was the letter true?"

I took a deep breathe. "It's true that I've gone to parties but the letter said I take drugs which is completely false."

"This letter accuses you of not only taking drugs but dealing drugs."

It felt like I got the wind knocked out of me. "What! That's a total lie! Ask anyone at this school. No one would say I take or do drugs except maybe Courtney and her friends."

Principal Morris read a portion of the letter. "It states that you started dealing drugs when you dated Mark Thompson." He patted the envelope in his hand. "We're familiar with Mark and his troubles. Were you two involved at one time?"

My head fell into my hands. "I can't believe this is happening."

A wall of silence fell over us until Ms. Deskin asked. "Jenny, does anyone else know your locker combination?"

"Yes," I mumbled.

"Do you think they put the pills in your locker?"

"No chance."

"Does your boyfriend know your combo?"

Tears welled up in my eyes. "No. The only people that know the combo are my three best friends."