Zeke and Jacky walked to class. They didn’t notice that someone was close behind them and listening to every word they said.

‘Do you still see your old friends from the street gang?’ asked Jacky.

Zeke looked worried. ‘No,’ he said. ‘Why do you ask?’

Jacky didn’t want to say what she had been thinking. Instead, she just said, ‘No reason.’

Zeke could tell that Jacky was wondering if she could trust him. He knew that he wasn’t the thief but he also knew that things looked bad for him.

In their class, their teacher, Mr Newman, said, ‘The town’s Concert in the Park was cancelled last Friday night because of the storm. It’s going ahead this Friday but the planned dance team can’t make it. I’ve been asked to send four dancers in their place.’ Mr. Newman looked at his students. ‘Zeke, you’ll be lead dancer. Your backup dancers will be Ziggy, Florence and Simon.’

Zeke was excited. This would be the most amazing show he had ever done. He could just see it now. The park would be filled with thousands of people all watching him dance.

‘I’m going to do the best street dancing ever,’ he said to himself.

Mr Newman was still talking. ‘I’d like Jacky to be your music back-up,’ he said.

Jacky was excited too. She’d always wanted to play her violin at Concert in the Park. How amazing to be on stage at night and see all the people holding up glowsticks in the dark.

Their excitement didn’t last long. At the end of the lesson a boy with spiky red hair darted into the room.

‘There’s a surprise locker inspection,’ he called out before darting out again.

‘Who is that?’ asked Jacky.

‘Don’t know,’ said Zeke.

Mr Newman dismissed the class. Zeke followed Jacky to the lockers. Principal Blake was there already.

‘Everyone open your lockers,’ he said. ‘There have been reports of theft. I will

not have any sort of criminal activity at All Star High.’

There was clanging and banging as the students opened their lockers. When each locker was open, Principal Blake began his inspection. He didn’t notice that someone was close behind him, just waiting until he got to Zeke’s locker.

Principal Blake took one look inside Zeke’s locker and said, ‘Zeke, you have some explaining to do.’

‘Why?’ asked Zeke, and then he saw exactly why.

There in his locker were an mp3 player, a mobile phone, a purse, a drumstick, a memory stick, some DVDs and a camera. The Gang-Stars were shocked.

‘There’s all our missing stuff!’ they cried out.

Principal Blake turned to Zeke. ‘Give everything back,’ he said, ‘and then come to my office.’

The Gang-Stars wanted an explanation. ‘What’s going on, Zeke?’ asked Aaron.

Zeke looked at his friends. ‘I didn’t steal your things,’ he said. ‘Why would I?’

‘Well, if you didn’t steal them, who did?’ asked Becca.

Zeke took a deep breath. ‘I don’t know,’ he said. ‘But I’ve got to go to Principal Blake’s office now.’

No-one in the Gang-Stars knew what to say. They wanted to believe Zeke but how could they? They watched him walk to Principal Blake’s office. Most of them were thinking the same thing. If Zeke is a thief he is out of the Gang-Stars.