The next morning at school, the mood around Mia was unusually tense. She seemed nervous, kept tugging at her sleeve, and was hardly approachable. Her locker was right next to Max, Lena, and Sam’s – and that was exactly where the problem was.
“Hey, Mia, are you okay?” Lena asked cautiously as she stood next to her during the break.
Mia shook her head and looked around frantically. “My phone is gone. Just gone! I swear, I had it in my locker last night.”
“What?” Max exclaimed surprised. “That’s really bad. Have you looked everywhere?”
“Yes, of course! I opened the locker, and it was just gone. No trace. And I didn’t lend it to anyone or anything.” Mia bit her lip. “I think someone stole it.”
Sam frowned. “Who would do that? And why?”
“That’s exactly what I want to know,” Mia said determinedly. “But I’m afraid to tell the teacher. What if she thinks I lost it or, even worse – I made it disappear on purpose?”
“Sure, that would be bad,” Lena said. “But we can help you find the thief. The three of us together, like always.”
Mia nodded gratefully. “Thanks. I have no idea who it could be. But I have a feeling it somehow has to do with the parking garage and what you saw yesterday.”
“That doesn’t make things easier,” Max muttered. “But we’ll figure it out. First, we should ask everyone if anyone saw anything.”
But as soon as they started asking around in class, things suddenly got more complicated. Curious glances kept shooting at Max, as if everyone suddenly had a suspicion.
“What’s up with Max?” Lena whispered to Sam.
Sam shrugged. “No idea, but I heard that Mia also saw Max fiddling with her locker yesterday.”
“What?” Max exclaimed indignantly. “That’s total nonsense! I just wanted to see if there was something inside because Mia was acting so strange.”
But the rumors spread faster than Max’s explanations. Soon several students were whispering, and even Mia looked uncertain as she looked at Max.
“Max, are you sure you have nothing to do with the disappearance?” Mia asked cautiously.
“Of course not!” Max defended himself. “I would never…”
“Maybe we should clear this up first before accusing anyone,” Lena intervened. “We’re friends, right? We have to stick together.”
Max nodded, but his gaze was dark. “I’ll find out who did it. And I’ll prove it.”
The friends decided to examine the locker more closely. Max couldn’t make himself look suspicious, so he suggested that Sam and Lena check the lock while he distracted Mia.
“Okay, watch out,” Sam whispered as they approached the locker. “The lock looks normal, but wait...”
He pulled a small paperclip from his pocket and began carefully fiddling with the lock. After a few tense seconds, it suddenly clicked – and the door opened a crack.
“Wow, that was almost too easy,” Lena whispered.
But then they discovered something strange: On the floor in front of the locker lay a small, crumpled note that no one had noticed. Carefully, Lena picked it up and unfolded it.
“‘You better stay out of this, or there will be trouble.’” she read aloud. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Doesn’t sound like an apology,” Sam murmured seriously. “Someone doesn’t want us investigating.”
At that moment, they were startled by a voice: “Now, now, what are you doing there?”
All three froze. At the other end of the hallway stood Mrs. Becker, the strict teacher who always kept a watchful eye on the students.
“We just wanted to help,” Lena said quickly. “Mia’s phone was stolen, and we’re trying to find the thief.”
Mrs. Becker looked at them for a long time, then shook her head. “I understand your concern, but you should be careful. Sometimes it’s better to leave things to the adults.”
Max stepped forward. “But Mrs. Becker, we’re all friends here! We just want Mia to get her phone back.”
The teacher sighed and turned away. “Take care of yourselves, and no fighting. I’ll keep an eye on things.”
After she was gone, the three friends looked at each other. “This won’t be easy,” Sam whispered. “Someone really wants to stop us from finding out the truth.”
“And I have a feeling it’s even worse than we thought,” Lena said seriously.
Max clenched his fists. “No matter what happens – we won’t give up. Together we’re unbeatable.”
But just as they were about to regroup, Mia’s phone suddenly rang – from Max’s backpack.
All three stared in disbelief at the ringing device. Max slowly opened the backpack, and Mia stepped back, eyes wide open.
“How did my phone get in there...?” Mia whispered as the others looked at her questioningly.
Max’s heart beat faster. Was this really a stupid coincidence – or a perfect plan to frame him?