Chloe Took Maya’s Lunch and Used Her Meal Card — Then the Cafeteria Computer Showed Who the Account Really Belonged To
Chapter 6 — It Wasn’t Only Maya
Mr. Morris asked a question that made Chloe start crying.
“How many cards did you make?”
“One.”
Mrs. Helen looked at the printer history.
Then shook her head.
“That’s not true.”
During the previous month, nine replacement cards had been created under Linda’s login while she was away from the office.
Linda stared at the list.
“I didn’t authorize any of these.”
They checked the accounts.
Seven belonged to younger students.
Most had large prepaid balances.
Mrs. Helen began opening transaction histories.
One account had lost forty-three dollars.
Another sixty-one.
Another nearly ninety.
Mr. Morris looked toward Chloe.
“Were all of these you?”
She shook her head quickly.
“No.”
“Then who else?”
Chloe remained silent.
Maya remembered the girls who had laughed when Chloe took her lunch.
“Her friends.”
Everyone looked at Maya.
“What?” Mr. Morris asked.
Maya pointed toward the cafeteria.
“They always get food with her.”
Mr. Morris reviewed the register-camera footage.
Maya was right.
Several older students appeared repeatedly using red meal cards.
Different cards.
Same group.
Chloe’s friends.
But then one recording showed something unexpected.
A boy named Aaron tried using one of the duplicate cards.
Before he reached the register, he handed Chloe cash.
Five dollars.
She gave him the card.
Mr. Morris stared at her.
“You’ve been selling access to other students’ lunch accounts?”
Chloe’s face crumpled.
“It wasn’t supposed to get this big.”
