Chapter 4: Framed by a Friend

Now I was the thief who stole the drone?

It all started with a photo Caleb posted in the group.

In the center of the photo was a drone’s packaging box.

And that box was in my dorm locker.

After posting the picture, Caleb asked:

[Hey, is this what our class’s drone looks like?]

Derek Mason jumped on the clue:

[Yes, that’s the model we bought.]

Then Caleb told the class president:

[This box was found under @Jamie’s locker.]

Instantly, everyone turned on me:

[@Jamie, did you steal the class drone and hide it?]

[I really misjudged you. I thought you supported the student council, but you’d do something this shady?]

[Not only did you steal it, you even took the box. Shameless.]

[Give it back to the class president. That thing’s worth over $500—this isn’t a joke.]

[You’ve hidden it for three days—finally got caught, huh?]

My ears burned as the accusations piled up. I gripped my phone so hard my knuckles went white. A flash of memory: all those times I’d stayed late to help set up events, tried to be the reliable one, the team player. Now this?

I didn’t defend myself in the group. Instead, I messaged the class president privately:

[I didn’t take the drone.]

Before I could say more, Derek Mason sent a long message:

[Stop joking. If you hand it over now, I’ll tell the class you took it by mistake and forgot to return it, so you won’t be too embarrassed.]

[Everyone’s worried. That’s enough, just give it back.]

I’d just woken up, and the class president’s aggressive words instantly made me wide awake.

I got out of bed and confronted Caleb, who was watching TikTok videos in the dorm:

"Dude, ever heard of privacy? Next time, try knocking before you go digging through my stuff."

Before Caleb could answer, the student council cut in:

"Stop arguing. Caleb was just protecting public property. Hand over the drone and no one will blame you."

All because of a packaging box, I was accused of stealing class property.

I wanted to slap some sense into her.

If Aubrey knew the precious drone she kept praising was just a secondhand one bought from me, what would she think? Probably that the world’s a little smaller—and way pettier—than she’d imagined.