"Attention everyone," the intercom blares. "Due to some unforeseen circumstances, classes are canceled for the remaining period. At this moment everyone is required to proceed to the gymnasium by the principal, she has an important announcement to make. I repeat, everyone, proceed to the gymnasium in ten minutes."
Mrs. Glenda turns off the intercom and smiles. "Was it okay?"
I smile and give her a thumbs up. "Perfect."
I told Ashton about my master plan after Ezra left us with the cookies. At first, he didn't like the sound of it but agreed to help right after.
All we have to do is make it look real and make them confront in front of everyone.
I look at Principal Samantha who's standing beside me with her arms crossed.
"Are you sure it's going to work?" She asks. "I hope I haven't pulled my husband and his team in this for nothing." Her husband is a sheriff, not that many know about it.
It's another secret of the principal that Ashton somehow knows. But he won't tell me how he got to know about her husband.
Yesterday, Ashton and I went over to her place to convince her to help us. We told her everything I heard and she agreed to help us. To make the trap look real, we requested her husband to help us. He was a bit too excited to accompany along and called his coworkers right away, much to his wife's dismay. But he told her that what they are doing is violating human rights.
He also said he's going to arrest them if we can make them confront and as many of them are already eighteen, it won't be that hard to send them to jail.
I grin at our Principal. "It'll be all okay." Then she looks at Ashton.
He looks a bit uneasy. "I'm with her."
Principal nods and turns to the door. "Then I should keep going. You two should go hide in the back before anyone else notices."
"Come on, let's go," I tell Ashton and pull my hoodie on so no one can recognize us.
Ashton does the same and follows me. "Are you really sure this will work?"
I tilt my head. "It should be better or we're doomed forever."
Ashton nods. We run down the (luckily) empty hallway to the back of the gym.
Kat turns around when she hears us. "Why am I imprisoned here?" She asks.
"This is for you best," I say and pat her head. "They'll question you if you sit with everyone out there."
She swats my hand and tries to peak through the gap of the curtains. Students have started to arrive.
"It's better if we don't try to sneak," Ashton says. "We'll be doomed if anyone catches us."
Kat walks over to the couch. "I hope it'll work." She digs out her phone and plugs headphones in her ears.
I peek outside to the gym and gulp. Is it really going to work? I feel someone entwining their fingers with mine. I glance to my side. Ashton gives me a reassuring smile and squeezes my hand. I squeeze it back.
As told, all the students are presented in the gym within the next ten minutes. I try to find Derek.
As expected, he's sitting in the middle with his friends. Emery is sitting beside him. Ashley is sitting on the other side of Emery along with their friends.
I look at the other side of the room and find the newspaper committee sitting together. Asher, Cora, Owen, Nyako, and Bonnie are with them too.
Payton looks still a bit mad at Bonnie but doesn't say anything.
Voices die around the room when Principal Samatha walks up on the stage with her husband and two of his coworkers. I peek at Derek and his friends. Emery looks alarmed. His friends turn to look at him, but he keeps his eyes fixed on the stage.
"I know you all must be wondering why we called you here all of a sudden," Principal Samatha says. "But we've been informed a while ago that some of you kids have done a great job."
Low murmurs of the everyone whispering to each other fills the room.
"We all know about the newspaper scandal that has been going around from the beginning of this semester. And we all know there are more than few issues about Ashton Fellan and Kiara White," she pauses and looks around. "We still don't know who did it, but it has led us to another great conclusion."
Everyone stares at them with wide eyes. Ashton tightens his grip around my hand.
"Honestly Snow," he whispers. "I can't believe it was him all along. I thought he was the nicest guy of the group."
"I know, I thought the same," I tell him. "But as they say, life is always full of surprises."
Corner of my lips turns up.
*flashback starts*
"We played them well, right guys?" Emery says as they all gather around the table.
Everyone in their table mumbles in agreement. The twins' snickers. I wonder why Derek isn't with them.
"You should've seen Kiara's face in the hallway the last few days. And Ashton," Ashley laughs. "He's so scared that he might've left the school."
"Only if we could send Asher out of the school like that," a guy says. If I'm not wrong, that's Chuck. He became the baseball captain after Asher was suspended from the team.
"Don't worry man, his time will come too. All of theirs' will," he says. "After all, we did bring them all down, didn't we? I'm still having a hard time to believe that they all bought our lies."
My eyes widen. It was them all the time?
"Well, not the Ashton and Cora one," Another cheerleader says.
"When are you going to tell Derek about us?"
"Be patient my friend, I'll tell him when the time is right," Emery chuckles. "He wouldn't have supported our plan if we had told him in the beginning."
"You sure he won't get mad now?" A cheerleader asks.
Emery furrows his brows. "That's bullshit, he's my best friend, of course, he will understand that I did this all for him," he chuckles. "I've to thank Kiara for bringing it to us. Too bad she decided to betray us and join the delinquents."
"What about me?" One of the twins-Mark- says. "After all, I was the one who stole that picture from Miles after he showed it to that lavender hair joker."
Emery nods. "We need to thank those fools too," he says. "If they hadn't brought that photo in the party and if you hadn't seen it, trapping Ashton would've become impossible," he chuckles. "And the coach also believed me instantly when I told him Ashton paid Kiara to challenge his words."
A guy from the football team rolls his eyes. "I still can't believe no one believed our condom and drug selling rumors, it was pretty gullible regarding his reputation."
I gasp. That was them too?
Emery pats his back. "As shocking as it was, we need to accept the reality," he says. "But look where it brought us. We didn't only take Ashton but all those big mouths down."
"Are we ever going to mention that I was the one who signed up Cora for that video?" Ashley huffs. "That stupid girl actually thought she was wasted when she signed the contract." She snorts, very unladylike-ly.
Emery kisses her on the cheek. They don't notice me as I hide my face behind the menu.
The table howls and cheers them. Across the aisle, Natasha throws a disgusted look in their way before walking out.
I, on the other hand, mentally cheered them for pouring out the entire truth without acknowledging.
*flashback ends*
"I wish Derek was in this t-ouch that hurts," Ashton mumbles when I smack his head.
"Why do you hate Derek so much other than the coach made him the captain after you?"
Ashton doesn't meet my eyes. Something doesn't seem right. I wanted to ask him more about it, but the Sheriff's voice catches my attention. "Thank you all for accommodating us," he says, stepping beside Principal Samantha. "As your principal was saying, after your school did some research, they found that Ashton Fellan and Kiara White are a part of a large gang who're selling drugs around this city."
We heard gasps from all the other bleachers. More murmurs follow.
"Like Bonnie and Clyde," someone comments
Ashton chuckles and squeezes my hand again. I blush a little, thankfully it's dark in the backstage, otherwise, Ashton wouldn't have let me live through it.
"It's working," I tell him. "They are buying it."
"But not the ones we want," Ashton points. I follow his gaze and find Emery sitting warily.
Has he figured out that it's a trap?
The sheriff continues, "That gang was tormenting our town for a while, the police have been looking for them for a while. But all thanks to you kids, we've been able to track down the gang yesterday Ashton Fellan and Kiara White. Now our department wants to thank the person who helped us to lead the way."
He sides to let the principal take charge again. "We believe someone who is connected to such a gang can be the ones who spread lies about our students. As a small reward for their service, we decided that whoever has tracked them out is going to get a high recommendation for scholarship from our state governor to any ivy league. The governor of our state already talked with the university boards this morning. They promised to take their applications as a special case. So their chances to get in any Ivy League they want will increase fifty percent."
Everyone in the room looks stunned, some look like they're about to faint. Other wonders who that person can be.
I look at my friend. Everyone other than Jason and Nyako stares at the stage with open mouths. Grace looks like she's about to bust out of the seat. Owen holds her back.
I told Jason and Nyako about my plan this morning, he's out back up. They're out back up.
The principal tries to shush them. "I know it happened very fast, and it's shocking for me too that two of my students can do something so infernal," she gives a sad smile. "The good thing is they have been caught."
A junior raises her hand. "But how are we going to find out who they are? They didn't leave a name behind."
Principal Samatha smiles. "We thought about that and that's why this call was made. I request all of you to be truthful and help us to find the real heroes," she pauses. "Don't lie to us or we'll be forced to expel you from school."
Everyone looks at each other eagerly and waits for the person to show themselves out.
I keep my eyes on Emery. He hasn't moved an inch. Chuck says something to him but he shakes his head.
ð¸
I can almost taste the end.