***
Our schoolmates littered the hallway, as typical of this time of the day. Standing in groups, they chattered about whatever they found interesting. Doreen scowled at us as we stepped into her class. Nengi, on the other hand, didn't seem bothered by our presence.
"Here for more questioning?" Doreen asked.
Raheem played deaf to her question. "Nengi, can we have a word with you?"
Nengi grew pensive for a second too long, probably trying to figure out why we returned. "Yeah."
"No way," Doreen said. "You are not. We can't entertain them questioning us as though? I mean, it's encouraging them."
"Please relax," Nengi said. "It'll only take a moment. I'm sure whatever they're doing is for our good."
Doreen looked away.
"Shall we?" Raheem asked, gesturing toward the exit. With Nengi beside us, we walked out of the class.
"What's up?" she asked.
"Something came up," Raheem said. "It's about the story you told us. Why did you hold back from mentioning a certain Henry?"
"Henry?" Nengi's face contorted to a grimace. "That girl told you about him, didn't she? I should have known. She's basket mouthed and says even the unimportant things."
"Unimportant?" Raheem echoed. "Let me be the judge of that. So, this Henry, care to tell us who he is?"
"He's Dory's elder brother," she said.
"And?" Raheem asked.
"And my boyfriend."
"And while you were aware he texted Maxwell the whole time, you kept that from us, and kind of turned the whole thing around to make it look like Maxwell had a spark for your friend. Why?"
"W-what?" Nengi looked genuinely shocked. She made to speak again when the intercom screeched on, cutting her off.
"Raheem Kadir and Victoria Brown," the secretary's voice called over the intercom. "Report to the main office ASAP."
Raheem fumed. "What the hell?"
Everyone in the corridor turned to look at us. They probably assumed we'd gotten into some kind of trouble. Had we?
"This conversation isn't over," Raheem said to Nengi.