Now You See Me-Gifted 5 by Marilyn Kaye Read Free Book Online

her summons dawned on her. The stapler she’d borrowed – Ms Simmons wanted it back. She took it out of her backpack, and when she entered the office she held it out to the secretary.
    But Ms Simmons barely glanced at the stapler. Her disapproving eyes were on Jenna herself, and Jenna thought the secretary looked just a little too harsh considering the situation. So she’d kept the stapler for half an hour – big deal.
    Ms Simmons nodded towards Mr Jackson’s closed door. ‘You’re wanted in there,’ she told Jenna.
    Jenna’s forehead creased in puzzlement. Now what? But Ms Simmons offered no further explanation. Jenna crossed the reception area and rapped on the principal’s door.
    ‘Come in,’ the principal called.
    Jenna opened the door. And then she just stood there, her hand still on the doorknob. It was an unexpected and unsettling scene that greeted her.
    Mr Jackson sat at his usual place, behind his massive desk. On the chair facing him sat Jenna’s mother. By his side stood a uniformed police officer. Jenna wasn’t sure who looked more frightening – the cop with his stern expression, or her mother, who had tears in her eyes.
    ‘Oh Jenna,’ her mother moaned. ‘Why did you do this?’ She couldn’t seem to bring herself to even look at Jenna as she spoke.
    Jenna stared at her in utter bewilderment. ‘Why did I do what?’
    Mr Jackson had no problem looking at Jenna. ‘You know our policy about weapons,’ he said.
    ‘No,’ Jenna replied honestly.
    ‘It’s in the student guide,’ the principal snapped.
    Yeah, like anyone ever reads that , Jenna thought, but she decided it would be wiser not to say it out loud.
    ‘We have a “no-tolerance” policy,’ the principal continued. ‘Do you understand what that means?’
    Jenna nodded slowly. ‘I guess it means nobody should bring any kind of weapon to school, right?’
    ‘That’s right,’ Mr Jackson said. ‘It doesn’t matter if it’s an assault rifle or a sling-shot.’ He opened his drawer. ‘Or a knife.’
    It was a big, sharp knife, the kind that Jenna imagined would be used for carving meat. Jenna stared at it blankly.
    ‘Where did that come from?’
    ‘Your locker.’ He placed the knife down on the centre of his desk. ‘Unfortunately for you, we held a random locker search today.’
    An odd, shivery sensation went up her spine. ‘I – I’ve never seen that knife before in my life.’
    ‘Of course you haven’t,’ Mr Jackson said with a sneer. ‘It just sprouted legs and walked into your locker. It even knew your combination.’
    Jenna turned to her mother. ‘Mom, I swear, it’s not mine! I didn’t bring a knife to school.’
    ‘I want to believe you, Jenna . . .’ her mother began, and her voice broke.
    Mr Jackson finished the sentence for her. ‘But she can’t, because we have the evidence. I’m sorry, young lady, but you’re in serious trouble.’
    ‘Are you suspending me?’ Jenna asked.
    ‘Given your history, I don’t feel suspension is an adequate punishment,’ the principal declared. ‘You are being sent back to Harmony House, for an indefinite period.’
    Jenna froze. She opened her mouth to protest but no words came out.
    And she wasn’t only mute. She had difficulty hearing too. Vaguely, she was aware of being told that the police officer would escort her to Harmony House, but the sound seemed to be coming from very far away. Her mother was saying something too, but the words made no sense at all. Maybe because she was crying as she spoke.
    Then she was in the hallway, with the policeman’s hand on her shoulder. The bell must have just rung, because there were people in the hall, and she knew they were looking at her. Strangely enough, she wasn’t upset, she wasn’t humiliated. She didn’t care. How could she?
    She’d gone completely numb. She was too shocked to feel anything at all.

C HAPTER F IVE

    T RACEY WAS IN THE bathroom when three girls she didn’t know made a noisy entrance. They