Aurion
You ever hear the story of Ali Hassan and the Forty Thieves?

Ravi
No, are you about to tell it?

Aurion
(Dissertating.)
In a way. See: Ali Hassan, his brother Cassim, and their maid, they stole from the thieves – but then the thieves went looking for justice. They marked every door they thought could be the right one, but then Ali and Cassim copied the marks to confuse them. Eventually the thieves found it anyway, and staked the joint by hiding in these jars. The maid knew how to stop them, though... by boiling them alive inside the jars, with hot oil.

Ravi
Holy shit.

Aurion
Being that we, in this situation, were like the thieves, we didn't want that story to repeat. The last thing we were gonna try to do was hide out under some desks, where only the blind wouldn't see us. But it did give us some inspiration. As I was saying...

...the Oman Toads were waiting to make their move.

[Ravi
Hey, how'd they become a crew in the first place? Aarav got here a month and a half ago just like me.]

Who knows, they all met and clicked. Maybe they were out looking for quarters on the ground and they all found the same one. But they were tight.

[Ravi
One more thing: why not just ask Hubert for the ring back? Or buy it from him.]

There's only one thing more important to a young man than money, and that's love. Poor fool thought he was in it. No more questions.

So, while all the teachers were in the staff room, Lawke and Murphy went around writing big red X's on all the door's little windows, so all the teachers had to get up and wash them off. Where was the custodian? Cleaning little kid puke in the K-6 wing. Their moment came when The Principal was delivering another one of his angry tirades over the PA.

The Principal
ATTENTION STUDENTS: IF I SEE ANYONE RUNNING IN THE HALLS, IT'S A WEEK'S DETENTION! NO EXCEPTIONS! WE ARE ALL SICK AND TIRED OF YOUR DISOBEDIENCE AND DISRESPECT. IF YOU WERE MORE FOCUSED ON YOUR WORK THAN HAVING FUN, YOU WOULD NOT HAVE SUCH ABYSMAL TEST SCORES. DO YOU WANT TO SHOW YOUR PARENTS A REPORT CARD THAT MAKES THEM CRY? DO YOU WANT THEM TO BE DISAPPOINTED IN YOU? DON'T RUN IN THE HALLS! THAT IS ALL.

With the staff room empty, Yuna and Aarav strolled in with one of those roller carts for boxes and stuff, and put the microwave on it. It was the only microwave in the entire school, and only staff were allowed to use it. That was The Principal's rule, as he felt that the students were "too irresponsible". They wheeled it into the gym where the kids were eating, slow and steady, put it up against a wall and plugged it in. These kids, they'd gotten used to eating cold leftover pasta and whole grain balogna and mayonnaise sandwiches. Everyone likes cooked and steamed food, so when that little oven rolled in, it was like the hope had returned to their hearts. Or their mouths, whatever.

[Ravi
It's twenty-sixty-six everywhere else, but in Manitoba, it's still nineteen-eighty-four.]

Is that a reference to something?

[Ravi
(Smug.) Nothing comes to mind.]

Seeing the light in this miracle box, the oppressed saw their chance. They lined up, and when the supervising teacher, big Miss Parfait, got back from washing a red X, she looked around.

Miss Parfait
Who put this microwave here?!

Silence. Sure, they saw Yuna and Aarav do it, but nobody wanted to give it up. That's when Coach Fadel, in a rage, burst in looking for trouble.

Coach Fadel
WHICH ONE OF YOU PUNKS HAS MY RED WHITEBOARD MARKERS?!

Miss Parfait
Hey, did you put this microwave here?

Coach Fadel
Me? No, I-

Coach Fadel saw Harley heating up some ravioli, looking scared. Instantly, he cooled off.

Coach Fadel
As a matter of fact, I did. I figured the kids have gone long enough without one, and it's Fall, isn't it? Almost winter. Cripes. They need hot food in their bellies if they're gonna survive those cold, cold days when we kick their butts outside. I know I didn't ask anyone, but I felt like it was a matter of... of, uh... well, it was important.

Miss Parfait
...yeah, I guess so. Next time you should talk to someone, though. What do you say, guys?

All the students went:

Students
THANK YOU, MISTER FADEEEELL.

Oh, he was dazzled. It was like music to his ears, that he'd never heard before.

Coach Fadel
Well, uh, wow. YOU'RE WELCOME!

But, his good mood didn't last, cause while everyone was distracted, Lawke had snuck back to the room to plant the red marker in Hubert's lunch bag, just stickin' out. All according to plan. Coach Fadel saw red, and then he saw RED.

Coach Fadel
(Enraged.) IT WAS YOU!! HUBERT, YOU LITTLE SCUM-SCRAPE!!

Hubert looked up, in a haze. He didn't even know where he was. He was crashing hard.

Hubert
What... what happened?

Coach Fadel
YOU VANDALIZED THE WHOLE SCHOOL!!

Hubert
No I didn't!! Did I? I... I don't remember! It was all that coffee...

Coach Fadel stomps over, to tower over him.

Coach Fadel
Come on, I give you a cup every morning and now you're an addict? I don't buy it.

Hubert
(Distressed.) I've been forgetting things... but then I drink it... I can't keep track of anything anymore! Everything between me and that hot cup of joe is a blur!

To everyone else, Hubert looked genuinely out of his own control. But to Coach Fadel, he was just an ugly-crying kid with buck teeth. He looked at Huberts face, and again, that look of disgust came over him.

Coach Fadel
(Annoyed.) Let's go, Wood Chipper. You're staying in my classroom for recess, AND the dance. Now GET!

Hubert
But I have to go with Harley!

Harley
(Forlorn.) Oh, shit.

Coach Fadel took Hubert away, sad as a beaten mutt. All according to plan.

A little while later, Aarav rolled into Coach Fadel's room while the man was out. Aarav looked over at Hubert, kid was too far gone to look back.

Aarav
Hey, I heard what happened.

Hubert
I'm a criminal. A miscreant. I don't deserve your pity.

Aarav
What if I could prove that you're innocent?

Hubert
How would you do that?

Aarav
The Journalism class makes a newspaper, every year, that goes out to all the students, teachers, and parents. The deadline is today, and I've got a space in that paper to write pretty much whatever I want. You might not be able to go to the dance tonight, but if we make your case look good in that paper, you might be exonerated next week. That means less time in detention, and more time with Harley.

Hubert
What do you need?

Aarav
Get your sister here before the dance, and I'll interview the two of you. We'll build a sort of... character profile, based on your testimonies. We'll even take a couple's picture, really get the community rooting for you. They'll see that what you're doing is about love, not some cheap perversion.

Hubert
I haven't really been hearing anyone say that, actually.

Aarav
(Nodding.) They're saying it, buddy, trust me.

Hubert
(Deflated.) Ohh...

Aarav
So, let me help you help yourself.

Hubert
You would do that?

Aarav
Of course, it's a great story. Besides, it was a whiteboard marker on glass. All they had to do was wipe the marks off, so what are they so upset for in the first place? If you ask me, Coach Fadel is just punishing you for your way of life.

Hubert
He acted like he wanted to be my friend... but he just wanted to be Harley's friend. Do you think he wants her for himself? He's supervising the dance, and...

Aarav
Oh, it's possible. You never know. But if we bring Harley here...

Hubert
She'll know I'm not a thief! Let's do it. I'll um... can you bring her here?

Aarav
I'll ask a friend.

So Yuna brought Harley to Coach Fadel's class, ring and all. The man had to watch as Aarav spun a story about his captive's innocence, cause nobody messes with the kid in the wheelchair. They do up the story, get the quotes, snap a nice photograph with big smiles and a shiny ring, and Coach Fadel says:

Coach Fadel
Hey Harley, how'd you like that hot ravioli?

Well, everyone likes hot food.

Coach Fadel
If you need a place to keep that ring-

Harley
Hubert told me, your desk locks. Thank you, Coach Fadel.

Harley dropped the ring in the drawer. Cha-ching!

Harley
(Extremely feminine.) I'll need it again for the dance, though.

[Ravi
That's an eerily good impression.]

That's called 'immersion'. And with that, we were at Phase Two. There was some setup, but I'll skip to the good part.