Battle of the Brightest by Hope McLean

Author:Hope McLean
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Published: 2013-10-15T04:00:00+00:00

“I knew this was a setup!” Erin yelled.

Arthur Atkinson laughed. “It was, but not the kind you think,” he said with a grin, his tall frame looming over them. “When my nephew here announced that he and his friends were no longer going to play my little game, I suspected he would go behind my back and try to find the sapphire. Getting you to help him was his own idea. Smart. But unfortunately, Ryan, you weren’t smart enough to make sure I wasn’t following you.”

Ryan’s cheeks flushed red and he looked down at the table. Erin realized how difficult his relationship with his uncle must be, and that made her sympathize with Ryan. But she was angrier than ever. She quickly grabbed the sapphire.

“If you think we’re handing this over, you’re crazy,” Erin said.

“On the contrary, I am thinking quite clearly,” Atkinson replied, his voice as smooth as oil. “The sapphire belongs to Atkinson Preparatory School. I am the director of the school. If you don’t turn it over to me, I will simply call the police.”

“You’d better give it to him, Erin,” Jasmine whispered. At one time, the police suspected that Jasmine might have stolen the Martha Washington diamond. She didn’t want to go through that terrible experience again.

“Call them,” Erin said, keeping her eyes locked with Arthur Atkinson’s. “We’ll tell them the whole story.”

“You could,” Arthur Atkinson said. “But then they’d have to believe you. They didn’t believe you when you said the Rivals had stolen the diamond.”

“Listen to him,” Ryan said. “It’s not worth it.”

Willow turned to Erin, and her face was serious. “I hate to say it, but Ryan’s right.”

Erin’s grip on the sapphire was so tight that her knuckles were white. She hated to give it up, but she knew she had to. Reluctantly, she loosened her grip and handed it to Aaron.

“You do it,” she said. “I don’t want to go near that creep.”

Aaron walked over to his principal and gave him the sapphire.

“Thank you,” Arthur Atkinson said with a slick grin.

“You should,” Erin said. “You couldn’t have done it without us.”

Atkinson slipped the sapphire into his jacket pocket and left the library without another word.

“Well, that’s it,” Jasmine said glumly, sinking into a chair. “Game over.”

“Maybe not,” Lili said, and everyone turned to look at her. She put a finger to her lips and slowly held up her right hand.

“No way!” Erin whispered.

Lili had drawn the symbol from the back of the sapphire on her palm!

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