The Whispering Well

The next morning at breakfast, the air was thick with unspoken tension. Liam and Sarah sat at the far end of the dining hall, their usually composed expressions clouded with unease. Tom, meanwhile, was loudly recounting his version of the previous night's events, embellishing details to an audience that seemed all too eager to believe him.

"I swear, I saw Liam near my bunk," Tom said, his voice rising above the din. "It's always the new ones. You can't trust them."

David, sitting with Ollie, Lucy, and Jake, exchanged a glance with Ollie, who rolled his eyes. "Classic Tom," Ollie muttered. "Always stirring the pot."

Lucy stabbed her fork into a piece of toast, her eyes narrowing. "Why would Liam steal from him? The guy just got here, and Tom's not exactly rolling in cash. Who'd bother?"

"Maybe we should talk to Liam," David suggested. "It's not fair to let Tom spread rumors like this."

Lucy smirked. "Look at you, standing up for justice. Fine, but let's make it quick before Mr. Thomas over there spins this into a soap opera."

After breakfast, David and Lucy found Liam sitting under a tree in the hostel's courtyard. Sarah was nearby, sketching something in a notebook, her brows furrowed in concentration. As they approached, Liam looked up, his jaw tightening slightly.

"What do you want?" he asked, his tone guarded.

"To talk," David said evenly. "Not everyone's buying Tom's story, you know."

Liam's gaze softened a fraction, but his posture remained stiff. "And what makes you think I care what people believe?"

Lucy plopped down on the grass beside him, unbothered by his defensiveness. "Because you're human, and humans hate being falsely accused. Besides, if you didn't take the wallet, wouldn't you want to clear your name?"

Liam hesitated, then let out a long sigh. "I didn't take it. I don't need anyone's money. My dad taught us better than that."

David nodded, sensing the truth in his words. "Then we'll help you prove it."

Sarah glanced up from her notebook, her green eyes wary but hopeful. "You'd do that? Why?"

"Because," David replied, his voice steady, "it's the right thing to do."

The rest of the day passed in a blur of classes, but the rumor about Liam lingered like a bad smell. By lunch, even the teachers seemed to be whispering about the incident, their eyes occasionally darting toward Liam during lessons.

During their free period, David and Ollie decided to investigate. They started with Tom's bunk, scanning the area for any clues. Ollie, who had a knack for noticing details, pointed to a small tear in the lining of Tom's mattress.

"Look at this," he said, pulling at the fabric to reveal a narrow gap. "If someone hid something in here, it'd be easy to miss."

David leaned in, his curiosity piqued. "You think he could've misplaced his wallet?"

"Or stashed it himself," Ollie suggested. "Tom's not exactly known for being honest."

Before they could investigate further, a voice startled them.

"What are you two doing here?"

They turned to see Sarah standing in the doorway, her arms crossed.

"Helping your brother," Ollie said nonchalantly. "Got any better ideas?"

Sarah hesitated, then stepped closer. "Tom's been giving Liam dirty looks all day. If he's hiding something, he won't keep it here for long. We need to find proof now."

That evening, the common room buzzed with its usual energy. Boys and girls mingled, chatting and laughing as they worked on assignments or played card games. David noticed Liam sitting apart from the crowd, his expression distant.

"Hey," David said, sitting down beside him. "We might've found something."

Liam raised an eyebrow. "Might've?"

"Tom's mattress has a tear," David explained. "It's big enough to hide a wallet. If we check it tonight, we could prove you didn't take it."

Liam considered this, his jaw working as he weighed the risk. Finally, he nodded. "Alright. Let's do it."

Late that night, while the hostel was silent, David, Ollie, and Liam crept into the dormitory. Armed with a flashlight, Ollie carefully pulled back the mattress lining, revealing a slim, worn wallet.

"Bingo," Ollie whispered triumphantly.

David opened it, confirming Tom's name inside. "This should clear your name."

Liam's relief was palpable, though he quickly masked it with a smirk. "Told you I didn't take it."

Before they could celebrate, the door creaked open, and a figure stepped inside. It was the hostel master, his stern face illuminated by the beam of his flashlight.

"What are you boys doing out of bed?"

Caught red-handed, David decided to come clean. "We were proving Liam's innocence. Tom accused him of stealing this." He held up the wallet.

The hostel master's eyes narrowed as he examined the wallet. "We'll settle this in the morning. Now, back to bed."

The next day, the truth came to light. Faced with the evidence, Tom admitted to hiding the wallet in an attempt to frame Liam, hoping to get him kicked out of the hostel. The hostel master gave him a stern reprimand, and Liam's name was cleared.

"Thanks for having my back," Liam said to David as they walked to class.

David shrugged, a grin tugging at his lips. "That's what friends are for."

For the first time since arriving at the hostel, Liam smiled a genuine, unguarded expression that hinted at the bond forming between them.