Free Extraordinary Losers 2 by Jessica Alejandro Page B

page!” Miss Teo thundered.
    â€œYes, you do,” Janice continued. “Under the pseudonym Genevieve Teo.”
    â€œIt was you? Miss Teo?” Madam Siti started towards her. “I should have known. You are one of the few persons in this school to have access to my identity card! No wonder you made a photocopy of it and gave it to these children!”
    When the policeman saw the exchange of words and glances among us, he felt it was appropriate for him to take over. “We will detain Miss Teo for a while, to ask her some questions,” he said. “The rest of you, especially you four, go back to class. We will take it from here.”
    Miss Teo marched towards us. “Wait. Wait, children, it couldn’t have been me, remember? I was the one who told you about the graffiti on the wall a few days ago,” she insisted. “Be good, tell the officer what happened!”
    Mundi, Clandestino, Janice and I looked at one another.
    I saw the desperation in her face, her voice faltering with fear. But it was too late. Fire created as much evidence as it destroyed.
    â€œYes, we remember,” I said. “But it was you who did it, and then you ran to tell us, to make it seem like you didn’t do it!”
    Janice took out the green glove. “And you left this in class 3A. While you were setting fire to the classroom, your left glove must have caught fire. In a frenzy, you took it off and ran!”
    Clandestino chimed in, “And you came back on Saturday night to retrieve it, but you realised we were already there!”

    â€œTha-tha-that’s ri-ri-right!” Mundi added.
    As we were speaking, Miss Teo’s eyes took on a look of contempt. “After all I have done for you LOSERS! I should have done away with all four of you when I could! Where is that silly boy Adam?” she raged.
    â€œThis school is pathetic! I hate this school. What am I doing here answering to all these losers?” she yelled. “I hate the way I have to do brainless paperwork. I hate it that the children are always squeaking and squealing! And I hate it that the teachers and principal pile me with so much mundane work. Who do they think I am? Their slave? I am a well-known artist! I am not just a clerk! They say I am an operations manager, but all I do all day is a clerk’s job!”
    Miss Teo was so hysterical that Mr Grosse quickly forced us out of the staff room.
    â€œYou will never get away with this, Miss Teo,” Mrs Priya said, as the police officer handcuffed Miss Teo.
    â€œI don’t believe this! You’re listening to a bunch of losers!” she snapped. “Look at them!”
    The police officer tried to restrain Miss Teo but her tongue was still on fire!
    Mr Grosse continued to usher us out of the staff room. He put his arm around us and smiled. “You know what, children? You shouldn’t have gotten involved in this, but thanks anyway. We appreciate your help. Rest assured, your courage and sacrifice will not be in vain. We will definitely get to the bottom of this. If Miss Teo is guilty, she will be dealt with.”
    Before I stepped out of the room, I turned to catch a glimpse of Mrs Priya our principal. Her eyes met mine and just when I thought she was going to shoo me away, she beamed. The brightest sweetest smile any of us had ever seen.
    â€œWe scored with her, Darryl,” Clandestino whispered into my ear. Before I could smile charmingly back, the door was shut. Mr Grosse and Mrs Priya would definitely remember us for life! Just weeks ago, we were the chosen ones for Operation Pants on Fire and now we had solved the case of the great Vandal Scandal.

CHAPTER 10: DONUTS FOR CHAMPS
    Darryl, Clan, Mundi! Look!” Janice toddled up to us, clutching something grey in her hand. We had assembled early the next morning in school. She slammed the newspapers on the wooden floor.
    â€œI can’t believe this,” she said excitedly.