Lawrence hated being hall monitor. High schools weren’t even supposed to have hall monitors, that was something for little kids, but the school administration had decided that there was a problem with delinquency during class time and that having a student patrolling around checking on everyone would be the best solution. And furthermore, somehow they decided that the best candidates for the position would be the best students academically, rather than kids who were at all liked, feared, or otherwise respected enough not to be laughed off while performing their duties. Lawrence was certainly one of the best-performing students academically, had a free period thanks to the honors course he was taking after school, and lacked the spine to stand up for himself and refuse when being offered the job, so there he was, walking around the school looking for anyone skipping class or causing trouble and desperately hoping that he wouldn’t find any, to save himself the embarrassment of trying and failing to get them in line. They even made him wear the ridiculous sash, the last thing that his already lowly reputation needed.
His route brought him to the cafeteria, and he looked around. No one there, fortunately, but his eye did catch a glint on one of the tables. Approaching it, Lawrence saw that it was a golden ring, with a dull light blue gem and a strange, looping pattern that made his head hurt when he tried to focus on it too much. Weird. Well, he figured, he better take it to the lost and found in the school office--that was one duty of his that he could actually perform. He carried it in his palm as he left the cafeteria, but then on an uncharacteristic impulse slipped it onto his ring finger instead (and was briefly surprised to find that it fit perfectly). It was the most adventurous thing Lawrence had done any time recently, but he assured himself that he could take it off before reaching the office with no harm done.
Lawrence decided that it would be best to take a shortcut to the office instead of the main hall, both to deliver the ring to the lost and found more quickly and to avoid running into anyone who he might have to talk to or, God forbid, carry out his hall monitor duties on. He slipped through an alley between two school buildings, not an easy task given his chubby, pudgy build. And then his hopes were dashed, because in an alcove he came across a group of...