Why Angelica Didn’t Do It - Part 3

The next day. Artisan. Reef, Angelica, Arney and Albert enter the class and await the teacher.

The teacher enters, seemingly in distress. She walks around in circles next to her table. She suddenly comes to a stop and just throws at the class: “Whoever is doing this... Why? Can’t you see our school holds prestige? We were the first school that was tasked to help the janitors. Do you think it’s by accident?”

The students murmur quietly. Albert looks at Reef who looks at him right back, as if confirming their discussion about Artisan being the only school that was actually tasked with the cleaning. Albert then looks at the rest of the students, thinking “It doesn’t seem like they’ve realized being the first school to participate, after cleaning for only a few months - may mean no other school has participated yet. In fact, it’s possible they postponed adding other schools until the culprit is caught since depending on the reason for the vandalism - the same result may be replicated in different areas.”

Sophie suddenly speaks up: “I think it could have been someone from our class.”

The students start murmuring a bit and look towards her. She also caught the teacher’s attention. She feels pressured to keep talking.

“The other day we went to clean with Angelica, and...”

-“Who is ‘we’?” The teacher interrupts.

-“Me, Margie and Anna. We headed home together, but went different ways from her and who knows what she did afterwards?” Sophie says.

-“That’s so stupid.” Reef suddenly says loudly. “The other day I was with her the entire time and yet, it happened again. And...”

-“See? We were with her the entire time too! Until we didn’t...” Sophie keeps pushing.

-“You can’t use that as proof!” Reef yells. He then softens his voice just a bit to seem calm and calculated: “Yesterday, I walked her home and it happened again.”

-“So? Doesn’t it mean it could have been the two of you together?” She counters.

-“No. If it happens both when she is with someone or without someone, that someone has to be in on it and then there won’t be a reason for that someone to not stay and help her out since they are already complicit.”

-“How do we know for sure you are not in on it?” Sophie adds.

Arney suddenly interrupts: “How do I know for sure you didn’t do it yourself? Maybe with your two little friends?”

-“Of course you will defend your girlfriend! Why should I take your word for it?” She answers.

-“You knew we were... Dating?” Angelica blushes, the embarrassment keeps her mind away of the shock of being accused for a moment.

-“If anyone you don’t keep watch over could have done it, then as far as you know it could have been me without Angelica even knowing it. You can stretch it out however you want. If you say that it was me, isn’t it like saying that I walked her back home just to return to the site and trash it though? And so how was it trashed on the day when I wasn’t with you?”

-“No, I literally saw you walk to the direction of your house...” Angelica adds.

-“And what if I did it on the day you cleaned with them and I wasn’t with you guys?” He addresses Angelica’s comment. He then continues towards Sophie: “What if I just came after all of you finished? Lately we even separated to smaller teams, and you can’t keep eyes on everybody. From our perspective it could have been just as much the doing of you three. The amount of litter would even suggest it takes multiple people if anything.” Reef counters more aggressively, Protecting Angelica and himself.

-“Excuse me?” Sophie asks, embarrassed. She is unprepared to face someone willing to stand up against her.

-“Come to think of it, I remember the other day I got the papers I asked for...” The teacher mentions. “Sophie, I asked you to deliver those... How did the papers even reach me?”

-“I delivered the papers.” Reef answers. “Sophie, I don’t actually think you did it. I was just trying to show you why proof is required in a case like that or you can just blame anyone. If anything I can vouch for you too since I saw you with Anna and Margie at the coffee place. Would you really send me to deliver the papers only to buy you and your friends some time to trash the areas we already cleaned? It will make you an obvious suspect, you’re obviously smarter than that.”

Sophie stays quiet. Reef knew she would realize any further conversation will either make her look more guilty, or concede that nobody has proof of anything. “That way she will leave us alone.” He thought to himself.

“The point is, it’s stupid to just think of the time frame. We are all students here... It could have been anyone. You will have much better chances of looking for a reason for someone to do it. So I’m telling you it wasn’t me, but if there is one thing you know for sure... It wasn’t Angelica. She is going to be an amazing artist. She already is one. Aren’t you artists too?” Reef tries to touch their hearts a bit.

-“My art... Is very important to me. I wouldn’t jeopardize that.” Angelica says with a tear in her eye, with both of her fists closed and wavering, from keeping on clenching them in an unwavering determination.” Arney puts his hand on her shoulder.

-“I’m sorry.” Sophie tells Angelica. The rest of the classroom is quiet, mostly in shock of the drama, but also surprised that Sophie actually apologized.

-“Objectively, nobody would have a reason for doing something like this...” Albert says.

Everyone is quiet for a bit.

-“So you knew we were dating?” Angelica asks.

-“I’m pretty sure all of our class knew already. Me and Reef DEFINITELY Knew.” Albert answers.

Angelica laughs a bit. Her mood changed for the better.

-“We all have a reason for striving to be great artists.” Arney adds, looking at Angelica.

He then looks at Albert, as he puts his other hand around him. Albert then pats his shoulder back and smiles. Without saying anything further, Arney and Albert think of the memories of how the two of them have decided on becoming artists.

12 years ago. Year: 2288. A year before Reef and Angelica joined “Artisan”. Young Arney and Albert are bleeding on the street. Their blood drips and flows with the rain as they yell to the sky with a huge smile.