Andrew Miller's The Ordeal

Act I:

Denny was the smartest kid in Ms. Nagi's 11 AP english class. He got A's on all his tests and homework, meaning he had the highest grade. However, unknown to all the students in Ms. Nagi's class, Denny was actually getting his answers from Nidhi! She would text him the answers during class, and he would write them down on his test or homework. But suddenly one day, Nidhi hadn't texted Denny the answers, so here we find him at his desk praying to his phone he would get the homework answers soon.

(Denny's best friend Abdullah walks in)

Abdullah: Is everything alright Denny?

Denny: Step off Abdullah!

Abdullah: Did Nidhi not send you the answers today?

Denny: (wildly trying to get out of his seat to chase Abdullah) I said step off! (He is overcome with sadness and begins to cry, he goes to his desk and gently caresses his phone)

(He is sobbing over his desk holding his phone, when Evan walks in and sees him)

Evan: Denny?

Denny: Wh-what (furiously wipes away his tears) I-I wasn't crying.

Evan: Denny you don't need to hide the fact you were crying.

Denny: I swear I wasn't cryin- hey wait a minute. Why did I see you with Abdullah, Pedro and Blake in the media center yesterday?

Evan: Uh we were just chilling.

Denny: But it looked like you were all writing something down after Abdullah would say something.

Evan: Well Abdullah was rapping to us and we wanted to remember some of the lines he said, so we wrote them down. 

(Denny was awfully suspicious of Evan at this moment, but figured he'd stop asking about it)

Denny: Listen Evan, there's a group of students in class who want to be the smartest kid in class, so they'll do whatever it takes to overthrow me. I think they may have cheated on our last vocab and grammar quiz. 

Evan: Cheating!?!? That seems a bit over the top Denny (Evan is slightly sweating and his body language has shifted) couldn't they have just studied?

Denny: Impossible!

(From across the room, Kaylie walked over after eavesdropping on their conversation)

Kaylie: You could always call in Darius, Denny, he's very good at detecting whether or not someone has cheated.

Evan: How can he possibly do tha-

(Before Evan could finish Darius was already there next to him)

Darius: Did someone say...CHEATING!??!?!?

Denny: Yes, I believe a few students in here cheated on our last vocab and grammar quiz.

Darius: I suppose I could have a looksy. 

(Darius pulls out a Sherlock Holmes hat and over-sized magnifying glass and equips them. He then checks underneath each desk in the classroom)

Darius: Nothing written under the desks.

(Darius then goes and checks the whole floor for any suspicious pieces of paper)

Darius: (gasps) Well, well, well, what do we have here.

(Darius is holding a piece of paper that says "Prepositional phrases" on it with the rest of the text cut off)

Denny: Whose desk was that by?

Darius: It was by Abdullah's desk!

Denny: I knew it!

(Darius and Denny run out of the room with ludicrous speed, holding the piece of "evidence" they found. Shouting things like "The marshal, I'll call the marshal!" and "Glory to God! It is broken, they are free!" and other random quotes from the Crucible)

Evan: Uh-oh (texts a group chat on his phone called "Da Sqwad")

(On the text message) Guys...we have a problem.

To Be Continued