It was another usual morning at Blackwell, given that the severe lack of student presence didn't irk Clark - while there were times he didn't mind being surrounded by chattering zombies, he did enjoy personal time.

Not even halfway across the yard and Clark was intercepted by a certain brunette. Rachel caught her friend walking towards the front doors to the school, oblivious to her presence until she gave herself away and greeted him with a raspy voice.

"Hey, Price." Rachel said casually. "What a night, huh? I still can't believe that happened."

Clark swung his head around and as soon as his eyes landed on the brunette, his eyes lit up and a smile formed on his face.

"Morning, rock star. Gosh. I wish last night didn't end." Clark responded with a drained voice.

"Right? How's your sister?" 

"She's fine. After last night, I've been... pretty worked up about it. But I guess that's just expected when you feel like you gotta look after your loved ones. Especially after dad..."

Rachel could empathise his pain, though on some scale she could sympathise prior to her discovering her father with another woman, thus practically declaring him dead to her.

"I know how you can get your mind off things." Rachel spoke up once an idea formed in her mind. "It's not in Wells' rule book so I'm checking on whether you're up for it or not."

"Depends what we're doing and how illegal it is."

"First, I want to ask you something. Clark, have you ever had marijuana before?"

"Nnnnoo?"

"Oh. Well, that's what we're doing."

Clark looked at her in shock. "WHAT?! Rach, it's bad enough my sister does drugs, but I'm not so sure this is the best remedy you can just conjure up." 

Rachel scoffed and rolled her eyes at him as she began to walk off where he subconsciously followed.

Drugs was never something Clark intended to pursue and doing so now certainly made him double-think keeping a perfect record in his Blackwell file. Should he get caught tampering with substances, it could potentially doom his career in becoming an actor. As for Rachel, she wouldn't care too much until she would have to face the consequences of her actions.

"Rachel, where are we going?" Clark asked nervously when they began to walk off campus grounds.

"You'll see." She replied dismissively.

It was only a far bit down the road where the two headed around the back of the football field where they met up with a stranger who appeared to own a caravan.

A man with dirty blonde hair and a few tattoos hidden beneath the collar of his shirt noticed his company and nodded at the brunette but stared quizzically at Clark, who in turn felt uneasy being in his presence. Clark could only assume he was a drug dealer on account of how he appeared to fit the description of drug dealer, or a junkie traveller.

"Didn't expect you to bring company?" The dealer spoke, sounding tough and intimidating.

"Don't worry. He's trustworthy." Rachel said defensively.

It surprised Clark that she vouched for him, but seeing as how she was helping him take his mind off of his troubles, she wasn't just doing it of her own volition.

"Just the usual?" The dealer asked casually, dropping what façade he brought up in order to intimidate his new company as he made his way into his caravan.

"Not this time, Frank. I need some of the... the good stuff."

The dealer peeked out of his caravan, his face produced a sceptical expression when Rachel cleared her throat and pulled a face when Clark wasn't looking.

Then, realisation dawned on her dealer.

"Oh. That stuff. Yeah. I still got some."

He went back to scavenging while Clark and Rachel stayed outside and waited for him to reappear in front of them.

When he did, he approached them, holding a joint.

"Here's that stuff. But first..."

As procedure went, Rachel stuffed a hand in her pocket to withdraw cash that she traded for the joint. She provided her own cigarette to light the joint after putting it comfortably between her pink lips. As she inhaled, Rachel became instantly became a bit light-headed from the strong effects of the joint but knowing she had to show up at school, she didn't want to appear very high so she withdrew from said joint after three seconds before offering it to Clark.

Since it was Clark's first time taking part in shady business, he didn't quite know what to expect, let alone what he allowed himself to get dragged into. 

The closest Clark came to drugs was when Clark stumbled upon his sister's edibles in her room until she caught him almost consuming some. He could remember very easily how furious Chloe was when she caught him snooping around her room, being so that this occurred only two months ago. So Clark was left him wary of taking drugs should he get yelled at again.

Recalling the unfortunate event made Clark shiver when he returned his attention to Rachel offering him the joint. Clark proceeded to hesitantly take the joint, carefully pinching it between his thumb and index finger before resting it in his mouth. The brunette raised the lighter up to the end of the joint, lighting it up for him. 

By taking a deep, slow inhale, Clark breathed in the narcotics for a second until he started to cough.

"Take it easy, Clark. Don't force it. Just relax." Rachel advised sweetly.

Clark covered his mouth as he coughed madly until he calmed down. The joint was snatched from his fingers and it was returned to Rachel's dealer who tucked it away in his pocket.

"Adios, children," bid the dealer. "Until later, Amber." 

Parting ways, Rachel unconsciously took ahold of Clark's hand as if they were familiar and comfortable with it when they started to make their way back to the Academy. 

Neither said a word to each other as they walked through the front doors into the hall. There was no sign of Skip the security guard so fortunately they didn't have to undergo a quick inspection on their way in while they made their way to their lockers to collect their belongings and other essentials. Along the way, they were intercepted by Clark's sister who seemed unwonted with wanting to spend time with her brother. 

The rebellious sibling threw her arm around the back of her brother's neck and gave him a squeezed hug. Feigning disgust, Clark shoved his sister off of him but maintained a hidden smile that he didn't let her see. 

"Where have you guys been," asked Chloe. "Normally you're already in class or just coming from the cafeteria." 

Clark shrugged his shoulders and lied to his sister as the effects of the drugs lingered. "Nowhere. We decided to go for a little walk before class." 

She gave him that doubtful look, but it wasn't the fact that it was him lying to her that was bothering her. It was the fact that he was doing something unusual for somebody as obedient as he. 

Something caught Clark's attention. The detail he noticed made him look closely at the irregularity when he motioned to unlock his locker via the combination. What he found was that his locker had already been opened, given that only he knew the combination. 

Rachel noticed the lack of movement from Clark and called him out. 

"Hey, you alright?" Rachel asked with a gentle voice. 

Suddenly, a pair of hands grabbed Clark and his female companions, preventing them from making any daring escape. The uneasiness concerned the three youngsters when Skip noticed something inside Clark's locker. 

"Is this what I think it is?" Skip taunted accusingly. 

Looking closely at the bag inside Rachel's locker, Skip deciphered it as cannabis in a bag. 

"I knew it... You're in big trouble now, you three. C'mon." 

By shoving them roughly forward, Skip forced them to walk towards Principal Wells' office. Their barging into the principal's office caught him off guard. Skip politely announced their company before they entered the room and closed the door behind him. 

The principal sat moodily in his favourite leather chair with his hands on his desk. His unsettling stare at his company left them very nervous of the sentence he was going to carry out for them. 

Being caught with drugs was a big offence but given the reputation Clark and Rachel held, Mr Wells was willing to hand down a less severe punishment: due to Arcadia Bay being a town isolated in its own laws, the only people who ran the town were the Prescott's, so dobbing anybody into the authorities would not face the ramifications of their actions unlike anywhere else outside of Arcadia. 

To Mr Wells' left, Rachel occupied the chair on the other side of his desk while Clark sat on the one on the right and Chloe seated between the two. Standing on the far left side of the room, Skip Matthews had his arms folded across his chest. His expression was hard and cross knowing that even he was disappointed in Rachel and Clark for taking drugs, less so towards Chloe knowing that the two were friendly with one another. 

"Mr Matthews. Care to explain to me how you sit in my chair appearing so grievance?" Mr Wells addressed the security guard in a deadpan manner. 

Skip cleared his throat and gave his explanation. "W-Well, sir, I was anonymously notified by one of the students that Clark Price here had drugs stowed in his locker. I believe these two were his... accomplices." 

Skip took two steps forward and dumped a sample bag of weed on his boss' desk, on top of a manila folder containing documents he was previously working through prior to their entering his office unannounced. Mr Wells stared blankly at the bag of weed then looked up at the students in his company. 

"This revelation comes as a real shock: to myself and to Blackwell," said Mr Wells disappointingly as he got up from his chair and looked outside his window. "But what confuses me is the reason as to why Miss Price is here also? Let me be clear that one of you is new to the Blackwell disciplinary process... and the other is all too familiar with it. Blackwell's code of conduct is built upon foundation of mutual respect meant to foster an environment conductive to educate and enrichment. When that respect is violated, actions are taken." 

"Geez, does this guy ever shut up? He goes on more than David does. Fuck that. They can both get screwed. I can't believe my own brother got in trouble for something I would do. Badass, bro." 

Out of her thoughts, Mr Wells noticed the sister's lack of attention and called her out. "Are you paying attention to me, Chloe?" 

Innocently, Chloe stammered, "Um... what?" 

"Miss Price, the last time we met, an agreement was brokered. Do you recall what that was?" 

"Uhh... don't get into trouble again?" 

"Trouble is merely the by-product, Miss Price. What's an issue is the attitude. We agreed that you would rededicate yourself to becoming an exemplary Blackwell citizen. In the event that you were unable or unwilling to do so, we also agreed that it would come pertinent to reassess both of your future statuses at the academy." 

The further he droned on, the more anxious Clark became as to the punishment he was to face. He was equally worried for Rachel and his sister, but knowing that somebody had dobbed him in to Skip and the principal put his entire career at Blackwell at risk left him angry and upset. 

"Before I inquire about your involvement Miss Price, I want to hear it from Clark as to whether these claims - by the anonymous tip-off - are true or false. Let me be clear that even with your prodigious record, your response will not defer your expulsion, taken that you'd rather not face one year in prison for eight years because of this offence." 

Being put on the spot left Clark completely shocked, given the fact that he didn't ever consider spending time in prison for doing something he could've altered the determinant. 

"W-W-What...?" Clark uttered tensely. 

"Did you, or did you not, purchase this bag of cannabis which was later found in your locker?" 

While Rachel sat on the sidelines, listening to Mr Wells slam Clark, she noticed how pale Clark's face went upon hearing that he and his sister were being threatened with being expelled from Blackwell simply for being accused of something he didn't do. 

"It's mine!" Rachel proclaimed. 

A variety of confusion swarmed everyone in the room at how Rachel took the blame. 

"I bought the weed because I needed it when I was starting to go through some very tough moments in my life. The reason why it was in Clark's locker was because I asked him to look after it for me." Rachel explained dramatically. 

"Rach?" Clark muttered in disbelief. 

The two exchanged glances as Rachel sent a wink his way without dropping her façade. 

"Mr Price, is this true?" Mr Wells asked with a blank, monotonous voice. 

Clark looked over at the bald man whom he caught staring intensely at him. He then looked over at Rachel who practically begged him to go along with it, against his better nature. 

"Yes. It's... it's true." Clark fibbed. 

"Well, to say the least, I am most disappointed in you, Miss Amber. This being your first infraction in no way reduces its severity. Still, we will not be suspending you at this time. But you have squandered our trust. You will no longer be my administrative assistant first period. And you will no longer be involved in Blackwell's performance of The Tempest." 

The realisation and hurt that appeared on Rachel's face couldn't have been any more painful to watch as by taking the blame, she accepted the consequences and bowed her head. 

"But the show's tomorrow!" Chloe protested. 

"For someone so aware of our school calendar, Miss Price, I would expect fewer absences on your record." Mr Wells said coldly. 

In outrage, Clark raised his voice as he jumped up out of his chair. "No. You can't do this! This show means so much to her!" 

"Unless you have something to add, Clark, I suggest you remain quiet and sit down." 

"This is bogus, man! It's her first infraction... whatever the hell that means - but I have a good idea of what it means. You gotta let her keep her part in the play. She literally carries the play on her back. The show's nothing without her." 

"It does not thrill me to do this, Clark, but with today's predicament, I've no other option to carry out. Miss Amber knows the rules very well, so it only seems fair that she suffer the ramifications of her defiance against school rules." 

The longer their arguing went on, the angrier Clark became. He was very tempted and willing to stand up for Rachel but in spite of the tensity in the room, Chloe couldn't help but let out a hearty laugh, much to Mr Wells' disappointment. 

Mr Wells raised an eyebrow as he drew his attention over to Chloe. 

"Is there something you find amusing in this, Chloe?" Mr Wells asked, sounding cold and emotionless as he always did. 

Chloe looked over her shoulder at the faces looking at her particularly her brother who pursed his lips and shook his head at her very slightly. 

"Actually, yeah. There is something I find amusing. My brother possessing drugs? HA! That's rich! My brother may be wimp and a doofus, but he is not a druggie. You don't know my brother like I do, but I don't know Rachel Amber, so I can't say who owns that bag of weed." Chloe shared, expressing her disgust vividly with everyone. 

"So are you saying someone planted the bag of cannabis inside your brother's locker? Miss Price, everyone has the combination to their own locker. Nobody else must know the combination except them as the codes were distributed prior to their attendance at the academy. Therefore it being impossible for anyone to know unless one wrote it down on a piece of paper and misplaced it." Mr Wells argued calmly.

"Maybe somebody figured out Clark's locker code or jacked it open when nobody was looking. I don't know. But what I do know is that those drugs do not belong to my brother." 

"Given that the evidence was discovered by Skip Matthews inside Clark's locker, it seems incriminating enough to point fingers at Clark and say it is his."

"How did Skip even know where to look in the first place? There's no way it could've been by coincidence. Hey Skip, who dobbed in on my brother?" 

Before Skip could have a chance to answer, Mr Wells raised his voice at Chloe for meddling in a matter involving the anonymous tip-off. When Mr Wells calmed down, he gave a stern glance at the security guard then looked over at the three sixteen year-olds. 

"In light of this alibi... Clark, your prosecution is hereby postponed for a later date. You will be informed when another meeting can be held," announced Mr Wells. 

"Wait, what about Rachel?" One twin inquired. 

There was no response given except a harsh stare followed by the three teenagers being dismissed from Mr Wells' office. As the three walked our of the room, leaving Skip to now become the principal's source to vent his anger, one thought ran through each of their minds... 

Who framed Clark Price?