The Twelve Year Old Mystery by Faith Osunde

Since the age of nine, besides wanting huge boobs, you know, standing in front of the mirror and stuffing the top half of your midsection with a t-shirt or balloons, I wanted to be like Cam Jansen. Yep, the amazing girl who can take pictures in her head and remember who did what, how it was done, and how to find the mystery out. Basically, Cam was a detective! But unfortunately, I am not Cam Jansen. I am just Amber. Amber Rosetta Graye. The girl who just has long hair, long eyelashes, and a high nose bridge. But it doesn’t really matter to me about not having a photographic memory. Nope. Even if I had to go a week without straightening my hair, I was going to figure out a mystery. The biggest mystery in the San Antonio Middle School. Every year, we have our annual Christmas dance party, and someone for the last 3 years decides to put little rocks into the finale glitter dance of the night. So instead of glitter sprinkling down, rocks attack! One time, Principal Jackson got hit very badly by a huge rock as she pulled the lever to let the “glitter” down. Sadly, she has a bald patch that is never going away. Actually she had one before that, so this is the second one. Anyways, enough of the chatting due to the fact that tomorrow is the dance. My mission will begin, as soon as I go and find my partners in detectorship….Jaden and Dara.

2:27 PM Mrs. Warner’s Class: “You can’t POSSIBLY believe that you can figure out who’s doing this can you?! I mean (chewing) it’s just dangerous.” Complained Jaden as he was chomping down a deli sandwich. “No Eating in class Mr. Feebly!” hollard Warner. He’s a cool friend, and weirdly girls have the hugest crush on him. I can’t lie he’s very handsome and well built, especially with his yugi-oh! Card hanging down the back side of his pocket, but he is a slob. I don’t like to hang with slobs, but he’s an exception.
“ I mean as twelve year olds, there’s not a lot that we can do.” “Jaden! We don’t have enough time to sit here and complain. Lets get to Rodney’s shop right after school and get what we need!” “Well you guys just meet me there.” Whispers Dara, who just awaken. “That’s it you two. 2 stickers off of your goody charts.” “What are we, fwive?” remarked Jaden with a string of salad greeting all that watched from the side of his mouth. Did I add that he is arrogant? Ugh, like, what do girls honestly see in his raz attitude? “No candy cane for you either! And demerits to that Feebly.”
In Decembers, living in California provided no snow, no cold weather, no signs of when we should bring out the snow sleds, Christmas lights, and tree. Just the year round ranges of 80-90 degree weather, offering the beautiful skin cancers and salt scrunched hairs. The palm trees stayed the way that summer has left them, and the salty smell of the ocean danced it’s ways onto the streets of Autumsdale, San Antonio, instead of bringing snow to decorate the ground. “ It’s really beginning to look a lot like Christmas, isn’t it?” greeted Dara, whom by the way is extremely gorgeous, wearing just sweatpants and an Abercrombie shirt, as we met her in the shop. “Everywhere you go!” I joked. The quiet and queer Toby was in the shop, picking up things also. I smiled at her with a wave, but she just slipped into an isle. Looking immensely uncomfortable as if she was staring at Ms. Jackson’s permanent bald spot, Dara shifts closer to me. “I feel like someone…is watching us Amber.” I look around, and quickly someone shifts to the 5th isle. “Who is that?” I say walking toward the isle. “It’s Toby!” follows Dara behind me. Why the hell is she running? “See you guys at the dance.” “Young ladiessss, pleassse no running in the shop.” Says the man with the lisp. “But, it was too late, Toby ran out of the shop, right when Jaden lumbers in. “Why didn’t you stop Toby!” puffs Dara. “It’s not my fault I was about to trip over the diamonds she had in her hands.” What a stupid reply from a bonehead. “Those aren’t diamonds you idiot. Diamonds shine. These are rocks.” All staring at each other, we finalize that one suspect for this dance MUST be Toby. Breaking the silent talk, Dara concludes that she probably wants to make jewelry for the dance, which has to be another pretty stupid idea. “Thank God i’m here with reasonable thoughts.” I say laughing, with no one to join in. We were finally done after spending about an hour at Rodney’s shop, and buying all that we needed, ready for the event that was going to take place, tonight.

5:26 PM, onto the streets of San Antonio, every kid decides to stay out instead of go home and get ready. Autumsdale is a small neighborhood so everything is very close knit. “I can’t believe that he’s getting suspended.” A fat kid with a severe case of overbite gossips to another. Jaden chimes in, “Wait, who’s getting suspended?” “Man you guys are late!” I wipe the traveling spit off of my forehead. “ Travis James was caught upstairs in the mechanics room trying to take the glitter out of the boxes.” “Really?” adds Dara. “Things are becoming too confusing.” “You telling me” continues the fat kid. “Also, it’s been rumored that Travis has been working with the most weirdest and quietest girl Toby.” “Funny because we just saw her with rocks in her hands, running away from us.” I add. “Well, she’s not the one getting in trouble for it, her partner in crime is.” In the middle of this conversation Toby catches my eye again as she sneaks out from the back of the school, with bags in her hands. Subconsciously I start walking towards her. I can hear Dara from the back of me asking where I was going repeatedly, her voice getting lower and lower with every heavy step. Toby stops beside a silver sudan car, while i stoop behind the orangy green bushes. Weirdly, principle Jackson steps out of the car, taking the bags and giving Toby gummy snacks! “What the hell is Jackson doing with the main suspect!” I whisper to myself..... “What the hell are you doing behind these bushes?” asks a deep voice with raspy undertones and a hint of Travis in it. “Who let you out of the office?”
“They did. They said that I was innocent.”
“Listen, i’m on to you, and know all about your plans.”
“My plans? Aren’t you talking about the person that you’re spying on?”
“Oh don’t kid with me. Everyone knows that you’re trying to make Toby look like the suspect.”
“You think that you got everything figured out don’t you? There aren’t just
things about me swirling around. There’s things about you too.”
Pause.
“What?”
“Yep. People view you as a stuck up know-it-all. Even your so called best friends Dara and Jaden.”
“That’s not true they would never say such things about me!”
“Heyy, keep it low. You don’t wanna get caught, do you?” He was getting me irritated by how calm he was. I didn’t need to talk to someone lower than my standards anyways. With his messy hair, off-white teeth, and stained hoody.
“Get out of my face” he smirks
“You see? There goes the attitude that everyone is talking about...you think you’re Cam Jansen? That you can figure things out on your own like that (flips a coin)? No, we’re only twelve year olds dudette.”
I too am like Cam Jansen in some ways. The headstrong girl who knows what she wants and does what she wants. Holding back tears, I try to threaten him about what I’d do.

“Keep talking to me like this and i’m just going to have to inform Principal Jackson about what you and your partner in idiocy is planning to do.”
“Why don’t you look forward to that car...i’m not the one planning this.”
I roll my eyes.
“Maybe you just have to wake up and realize AMBER that you are not in a book series. And that you are not Cam Jansen. And that you DO NOT know everything.”
My mouth opens, but he walks away, into the crowd behind me.


Dara’s older sister Renee had just finished doing both of our makeup. My eyes, sparkling with silver, and 2 miniscule diamonds on the ends, spider eyelashes, glamour finger waves, and a pink lip to finish it all. Dara looked stunning in golden eye makeup with pink undertones, and a light blush just enough to make her have a sun bronzed glow. And Jaden….wait… where was he? “Where is Jaden?” asked Dara. “I don’t know. This isn’t the first time that he has disappeared today. Honestly, I could care less about where Jaden was. I kept thinking about what Travis said.

6:27 PM in Renee’s car: “Renee, we have to hurry before the annual glitter dance starts” commands Dara. Was she talking to other people about me? Like Kareena the pretty spanish girl with a JLo body already, or Jeremy, the cute guy that always seems to look my way when I enter the room? or even, to Travis? He seemed to know a lot...about me actually. Weird. “Why would you say that I am a stuck up know it all?” I ask, turned directly towards her face. The question didn’t mean to come out just yet. “What’re you talking about?” she smiled. “Cut the crap Dara...Travis told me that their are things said about me from other people, including you.” suddenly, her facial expression changed. As if she was caught stealing my lipgloss. “Amber, I’m sorry. I was just scared to tell you how I felt.”
Renee couldn’t hear us over Jesse McCartney’s, Beautiful Soul playing on the radio.
“Seriously? You’re supposed to be my best friend. One who doesn’t judge me or talk behind my back to other people.”I intended to come off strong, but my voice cracked. Wrong time for puberty to take it’s course.
“Well, I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you directly to your face about how I felt you act. But I am not sorry for speaking the truth. You think so highly of yourself, Amber. So highly that you are blind to the much more important and true things of childhood.”
“What are you, my mother now?”
“No. I am your friend.”
Silence...
“And if you would stop judging people by their clothing and sterio-typing people just because they act a certain way, you’d see many things.” she begins to smile again.
“Travis has liked you FOREVER.”
“Really?” I gasp. Hmmm, maybe that’s why he stopped to talk to me.
“Yep. And he gave me a clue on who the real suspect for tonight might be.”
“Well, it’s only him right?”
“Nope.”
“Then who?”
“It’s not him, or Toby”
Silence. Pause. Beautiful Soul by Jesse McCartney on repeat, again.
“It can’t be Jaden.”
Dara gives me a quizzical look, making my fear true.

7:39 PM: Destination. Dara and I get out of the car, with our bags of tools, strutting in our two inch heels to the door entry. We greet all of the main staff in the front, but oddly enough Principal Jackson wasn’t there. I spot Travis, while Dara goes to talk to Kareena.
“Hey”
“Hey, you look really nice” he says.
“Thanks. You too. Hope that makes me less stuck up” I smile. “I am sorry”
“It’s okay. But it’s about to be 8:00, better go upstairs in the control room to catch the suspect.”
“But is it really Jaden?”
He chuckles, having strangely whiter teeth, that are still crooked but pretty nice. “How could it be Jaden Dudette if he’s with Dara and Kareena?” Suddenly certain things start unraveling. Toby had those rocks in her hand, then went straight to the school after running away from Dara and I. Then she went to the car that Ms. jackson was in. Travis also told me that the suspect I was looking for was right infront of me near the car, but he didn’t specify who it was, but then he also told Dara that it wasn’t Toby. He also says that Jaden isn’t the one and walking in to the party, we didn’t see.....Ms. Jackson! She’s the suspect! “Oh my gosh thank you Travis” I squeeze his hands then run off grabbing the tool bags and Dara along with me.
“Am-ber” she says as if she’s driving on many bumps. “You kno-ow that the sus-pe-ct isn’t Jad-en right?”
“Yup!”
“Now let’s get into the bathroom to get things set up.”
We change into our sneakers, gloves, scarves, hats(just incase rocks fall on our heads), scotch tape, and flash lights since the control room is dark. 3 minutes and we were done changing.

7:53 PM: Showtime. Stair after stair, Dara and I swiftly made our way to the corners of the control room. “Wanna go in first?” I ask her. “Sure....” With trembling hands that seemed to reflect the floor since it was all sweaty, she was about to twist the knob. “What are you young ladies doing here?” It was Mrs. Feebly. “Oh, the principal just wanted us to give her these flashlights since it’s too dark in the control room.” Eyes narrowing, “hmm, Okay? Just tell her to come downstairs later, we’ll need her in the front with the rest of the staff.” “Sure!” Dara exhaled. She’s completely gone. Dara now opens the door, and we creep in, landing our eyes right on our Principal, who is doing the grinch smile and looking down at the party through the glass. Dara and I are looking at each other getting ready to tackle her, but then she turns around. “I can get you guys suspended for being up here without permission” she states matter of factly. “We know what you’re here to do. We just don’t know why.” says Dara. “Yeah.” i squint. since when i’m the side chick? ugh. There goes my ego again. “Why i’m doing this? I knew you two were in on this. I just expected that your friend Jaden will be here to help you too, but he isn’t.”
“That doesn’t explain why you’re doing this.” “Listen, kids.” Dara and I instantly scrunch our faces as she starts pacing back and forth. “I can do whatever I want and not get caught because I am, the Principal.... I am a very attractive lady right?” she turns to us with a raised sharp eyebrow. “...yeah?” “Yes. Yes I am. However there’s a wittle little, problem. Well two.” “Your plan to drop rocks on kids?” I respond. “No. The two bald patches on my head.” Dara snickers, causing me to snicker also. “That’s not funny young ladies. The circulation is that part of my luscious hair just stopped working therefore hindered the hair growth! I shouldn’t be the only one with that, the staff at least deserves it too!” Dara turns to me. “Is she serious?” She can’t be. “Principal Jackson, this is seriously idiotic! You want revenge because of your bald patch incident? You had one before the first rock incident.” I laughed. “Oh whatever you spoilt brat. I’m going to blame you two and get you both expelled for even being up here.” Universe, you’ve got to be kidding. I thought I had everything figured out. Find the suspect, then bring justice. But so far my partner and I have only found the person. Now I’m lost. “Countdown to your suspension ladies!” “It’s about to hit 8 o’clock Dara!” Oh what do we do Cam, what do we do? BOOM! Jaden and Travis enter....with the rest of the main staff and two cops. Principal Jackson quickly reacts, grabbing Dara and I. “I’ve got the students who’ve tried to do the prank this year. You guys are going to be in big trouble.” “I knew that they were up to something” said Mrs. Feebly with a disappointed look. “Yes” smiled Jackson proudly. “But I didn’t know that they were up to something great.” Jackson’s face suddenly slid down against her bones. “We’ve left a video tape recorder going on. That’s why you guys haven’t seen me.” finished Jaden. Wow, intelligent after all. “Sorry i’ve always insulted you.” Suddenly feeling guilty, I give him a long hug, while Dara and Travis join in, and the cops escorting Principal Jackson out.

It’s 7:59 PM, about to be 8 o’clock. “Who wants to do the honors of pulling the lever down for the glitter dance?” asks Mrs. Feebly. “Hmmm” Jaden thinks, chomping down on a deli sandwich. “Why not all of us!” Mrs. Feebly clasps the lever first, with Dara’s hand on top, Travis’s hands on after, mine, and Travis’s hands on top of mine. Making it greasy with sandwich juice as we pushed down to let the glitter spill down on all that attended the annual christmas dance.