The Principal Rushed In and Asked, “Who Does This Green Backpack Belong To?”

Banks led us further down the hall to two separate classrooms across from each other.

“You,” He pointed at David. “In here.”

Then he pointed to me.

“You in there.”

I walked into the empty classroom. It was one of the old science labs with black countertops and gas outlets for Bunsen burners.

Officer Reyes followed me in and closed the door. He gestured to a stool.

I sat. He pulled out his notepad.

“Name: Kyle Brennan,” He wrote it down. “Grade Junior.”

He nodded.

“Tell me about your backpack, Kyle. Describe it.”

I described it. Green JanSport, two main compartments, side pockets for water bottles, and a small front pocket for pens.

It was nothing special. He wrote everything down.

“When did you buy it?”

“Last August before school started. My mom got it at Target.”

He nodded again.

“What’s in it right now?”

I listed everything I could remember: textbooks for history and English, my math notebook, pencil case, calculator, gym clothes, deodorant, and that granola bar I’d started eating third period.

“Anything else?” Officer Reyes asked.

His tone was neutral but his eyes were sharp, watching my face for any tell.

“No. I mean, probably some old papers at the bottom, stuff I forgot to clean out, but nothing important.”

He wrote more notes.

“Where is your backpack right now?”

“My locker, number 247. Wait, that number is forbidden. My locker number 312.”

He wrote it down.

“Anyone else have access to your locker?”

“No, just me. Well, I mean, the school has master keys, but no other students.”

He nodded.

“Has anyone asked to borrow your backpack recently, put something in it, or use it for anything?”

“No. Why would they?”

Officer Reyes didn’t answer my question. He just kept writing.

Then he looked up.

“Kyle, this is important. Did you bring anything to school today that could be considered a weapon, anything that could hurt someone?”

My heart started pounding.

“No, absolutely not! I swear I didn’t bring anything like that.”

He studied my face for a long moment.

“If you’re protecting someone, now is the time to say something. If someone put something in your backpack without your knowledge, you need to tell me.”

“I don’t know anything, I swear. My backpack is just a normal backpack with normal school stuff.”

Officer Reyes closed his notepad.

“Wait here.”

He left the room. I sat there alone with my thoughts spiraling.

A weapon. Someone had brought a weapon to school in a green backpack.

My backpack was green, but I hadn’t brought anything. Which meant one of the other five had.

But who, and what kind of weapon? A knife? A gun? Something else?

My hands were shaking. I’d raised my hand and volunteered myself as a suspect for something I didn’t do.

How was I going to prove my innocence? Would they believe me?

Would they search all our lockers? What if they found something in mine that someone else had planted?

The door opened. Officer Reyes came back in with Principal Garrett.

The principal’s face was still red, but now he looked tired too, exhausted. He sat down on one of the stools across from me.

“Kyle, I’ve known you since you were a freshman. Good grades, no disciplinary issues, your teachers speak highly of you.”

He paused.

“So I’m going to ask you directly: did you bring a gun to school today?”

The word hit me like a physical blow. A gun.

“No,” I said, my voice coming out shaky. “No, I didn’t. I would never.”

Principal Garrett nodded slowly.

“Okay, I believe you. But we’re going to need to search your locker and your backpack anyway for elimination purposes. Do we have your permission?”

“Yes, absolutely. Search whatever you want.”

He stood up.

“Officer Reyes will escort you to your locker. You’ll open it and step back. He’ll conduct the search. If everything checks out, you’ll be released back to class. Understood?”

I nodded. We walked back down the hallway, past the room where the others were waiting.

I could see them through the small window in the door, all sitting in various states of anxiety. David was being led out of his classroom by Officer Banks.

We reached my locker on the second floor. My hands were shaking so bad I could barely work the combination.

First try failed. Second try failed.

Third time I got it open. My green backpack sat on the top shelf, exactly where I’d left it that morning.

Officer Reyes pulled on latex gloves. He lifted the backpack out carefully, set it on the floor, and unzipped the main compartment.

He pulled out my textbooks one by one, checked inside each one, then my notebooks, then my pencil case. He unzipped every pocket and felt along every seam.

He found my gym clothes and grimaced at the smell, but kept searching. He found the granola bar, my calculator, and some crumpled papers.

Nothing was there that shouldn’t be. He looked up at me.

“This everything?”

“Yes, sir.”

He re-zipped the backpack and stood up.

“Okay, you’re clear. Go back to lunch.”

Relief flooded through me so intensely I felt dizzy.

“What about the others?”

Officer Reyes’s expression hardened.

“Not your concern. Go.”

I grabbed my backpack and headed back toward the cafeteria. My legs felt weak.

I’d been cleared, but that meant one of the other five had brought a gun to school and had it with them right now. Who?

I kept walking, but my mind was racing. I needed to know who, and I needed to know why.

I reached the cafeteria entrance and paused. The cafeteria was still half full of students.

Lunch period had another thirty minutes. Kareem spotted me immediately and waved me over.