Framed

Detective Vizzini fixes an electric monitoring anklet on Griffin’s leg. The officer explains that police will be signaled and Griffin will be arrested if he goes more than 200 feet from the monitor, disturbs the monitor, or turns it off. Though he denies he is guilty, his parents point out that his attempts to prove his innocence have just made matters worse. His father says, “You don’t need me to tell you you’re in deep trouble here” (139). All of the members of the posse are also in trouble and have been told not to have any dealings with Griffin.

Though Griffin is locked away from his friends, members of the posse still try to investigate the theft of the ring. Pitch breaks into Celia’s office and goes through her things to see if the ring is there. Ben takes a metal detector and runs it over Vader’s gym bag, only to be discovered and drenched with Gatorade. An email Melissa discovers, in which Tony has tried to find out the value of a Super Bowl ring, implicates him as the thief. Some still believe that Dr. Egan is the prime suspect. The posse realizes that Mr. Clancy, the custodian, has a lifelong hatred of the Jets because they beat his favorite team, the Colts, in the Super Bowl. They realize he must have a copy of the key to the trophy case and therefore should also be on the list of suspects.

As she cleans the attic after the command center debacle, Savannah notices a small cache of shiny objects on a high shelf. Instantly, she realizes what happened to the Super Bowl ring. She dashes to Griffin’s house and tells his mother she must see him. She explains to Griffin that a pack rat that had been in her house found Griffin’s retainer. Somehow, the rat took the retainer—transported in Savannah’s backpack—to the school, where he swapped it for the Super Bowl ring. This meant the ring was in the middle school building in the rat’s nest. Griffin’s skeptical reaction was disappointing. “She expected him to be excited—overjoyed—jumping and cheering. Instead, he lay down on his bed, looking even gloomier than before” (153). Because of his doubtful response, Savannah leaves in a state of despair.

In the JFK lunchroom and feeling lonely and depressed, Griffin accidentally exposes the anklet he wears. All the kids stare at him, and, as they leave, various tough kids nod at him, showing their respect. Amazed, Griffin thinks, “The only thing worse than attending Jail For Kids was belonging there” (159).

Seeing the anklet, Shank confronts Griffin, demanding to know why he is in JFK. After all the days of concealing why he is at the alternative school, Griffin pours out his heart, explaining the stolen ring and what the posse has done to help him. He tells Shank the outlandish story of the pack rat. Shank immediately confirms Savannah’s idea and tells Griffin he knows how to catch the rat and will help him prove his innocence.