Jared sat quietly on a bench under the big, old oak tree, looking at his watch. He had asked Mia to meet him there. The sun was going down, and the long shadows stretched across the schoolyard.
He saw Mia coming from far away, and she looked serious. When she got closer, Jared stood up, putting his hands in his pockets.
“Mia,” he started, trying to sound calm, “I need to talk to you about something important. It’s about the beauty pageant and everything that has been happening.”
Mia raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. “I’m listening.”
Jared took a deep breath before continuing. “Mr. Best wants the pageant to be fair and honest. No tricks and no cheating. But he knows that Mr. Thompson and his team might try to change that. That’s why he asked me to keep an eye on things and not let
