Tommy froze. The socks. They were the ones Cedric had given him just yesterday. He remembered how Cedric had shrugged it off, saying he didn't need so many pairs since he'd be leaving school soon.
It was a small act of kindness, but now, it was about to turn into something ugly.
Before he could explain, one of the boys stepped forward, a sly grin spreading across his face. "Those belong to me!" he declared loudly, drawing even more attention from the surrounding students. "This little thief's been helping himself to our things!"
Tommy's heart sank as the accusations started flying. He's never going to win against a white in any argument!
"He's probably got a stash of our things on him!" another boy shouted, egging the others on.
"Yeah! Let's see what else he's gotten his hands on!" the blonde girl added, her eyes gleaming with malice. "Strip him bare!"
