The Mystery of Black Hollow Lane by Julia Nobel

Author:Julia Nobel
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Published: 2019-02-11T05:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 14

Trouble

Jonas led them down a long staircase. Emmy gripped the railing to stop her knees from giving out. What would their punishment be? Detention every Saturday until the end of term? A weeklong suspension? Please, don’t let us get expelled!

Jonas unlocked a door and flicked on a lamp that left most of the room still dark. “So, who’s going to tell me what that was all about?”

Emmy stared at her shoes. It was her fault they were here. Jack didn’t even want to come. She couldn’t let her friends go down with her. “You see, Sir, I—”

“It’s my fault,” Jack said.

Emmy gasped. What was Jack doing?

“It was my idea to break into the office,” he continued. “I wanted to look something up on the computer.”

Emmy looked at Lola, who was staring straight ahead, her expression completely blank.

“Jack, what are you—”

“Don’t try and cover for me, Emmy,” Jack interrupted. “I was the one who broke into the office. I’m sure the security cameras caught me picking the lock.”

Jonas nodded, and Emmy stared at Jack. She couldn’t let him do this. “No, I—”

“I was the one who actually broke in,” Jack cut in, “so I’m the one who should get in trouble.”

Jonas eyed Jack carefully. “I’m quite sure it was Miss Willick who was sitting at the computer.”

“She was looking up something for me. She’s much better with computers than I am, so I asked her to do it for me. She didn’t want to, but I kinda made her.”

Emmy opened her mouth, but Lola stepped on her toes.

“I see,” Jonas said. “And what was it she was looking up for you?”

“The midterm report being sent to my parents,” Jack said. He didn’t blink, he didn’t shuffle his feet, he just stared into Jonas’s eyes and told a bald-faced lie. “I haven’t been doing so well this term, and I was afraid my parents would find out. I wanted to know what the teachers were going to tell them.”

“I see,” Jonas said again.

Jack bowed his head. “I know it was wrong. I’ve just been having such a hard time this term. I promise I won’t do anything like this again, and I promise I’ll try harder in class. But please, sir, don’t tell my parents. They’re worried enough as it is.”

He sniffled. Lola snorted, then coughed to try and cover it up. Jonas gave Jack a shrewd look, then stood up. “I’ll speak to your head of house about getting you some extra study sessions. It’s Larraby, right?”

Jack nodded and looked up. His face was filled with so much contrition, Emmy didn’t know whether to laugh or try and stop him.

“But no more nighttime wandering, or I’ll have no choice but to report you,” Jonas said. He opened the door and they all nodded as they shuffled out as quickly as they could.

Nobody said anything until they were safely in the common room. Lola threw herself down in a chair and burst out laughing. “I cannot believe you did that.”

“I can’t believe he bought it,” Jack said.

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