Chapter 4
Sophie wasn't at school.
Her house looked empty when Dad drove past that evening.
No cars.
No lights.
The curtains were closed.
Dad wouldn't let me knock on the door.
“She asked for help,” I argued.
“And we don't know what is happening inside.”
“So we just leave?”
“No. We handle it safely.”
He called Sophie's father.
No answer.
Mom called Sophie's mother.
Disconnected.
Finally Dad contacted an attorney who worked with the education foundation.
Not to sue anyone.
To make sure the school and proper authorities knew a minor had sent a message asking for help and then vanished from contact.
By the next morning, we learned Sophie was safe.
Physically, at least.
Her parents had taken her to stay with relatives two towns away.
She would not be returning to school that week.
Principal Whitmore told us nothing else.
Then Madison returned.
She walked into school wearing sunglasses and a white designer jacket.
Lauren followed three steps behind.
Students stared.
Madison acted like she didn't notice.
When she passed me in the hallway, she stopped.
The corridor went quiet.
She removed her sunglasses.
“You happy now?”
I stared at her.
“No.”
“My family is being harassed.”
“So is mine.”
“Because of you.”
“Because someone filmed what you did.”
Her jaw tightened.
“You could have stopped this.”
“How?”
“Your father could tell everyone it was a misunderstanding.”
“It wasn't.”
She stepped closer.
A teacher at the end of the hallway started walking toward us.
Madison lowered her voice.
“You have no idea what you're doing.”
“You're right.”
I looked directly at her.
“I had no idea how many people you hurt.”
Her face changed.
Just slightly.
Then she walked away.
During chemistry, a folded piece of paper landed on my desk.
I looked around.
Lauren was sitting two rows over.
She stared straight ahead.
I opened the note under the table.
DON'T TRUST WHITMORE.
My pulse jumped.
At lunch, I found Lauren in the girls' bathroom.
She was washing her hands even though they were already clean.
“Did you send the note?”
She didn't look at me.
“I don't know what you're talking about.”
“Lauren.”
She shut off the faucet.
“You shouldn't have come in here.”
“Then why warn me?”
Her breathing became uneven.
“Because this is getting bad.”
“It was already bad.”
“No.”
She looked at me for the first time.
“You don't understand.”
“Then explain it.”
The bathroom door opened.
Lauren jumped.
Two freshmen entered, saw us, and immediately left.
Lauren whispered, “Not here.”
“Where?”
“Library. Back stairs. Three fifteen.”
Then she walked out.
At 3:15, I waited near the library stairwell.
Lauren arrived wearing a hoodie.
She looked around twice before speaking.
“Madison kept everything.”
“The videos?”
She nodded.
“Where?”
“Cloud storage. Private account.”
“Do you have access?”
“Not anymore.”
“What was on it?”
Lauren rubbed her arms.
“Stuff she thought was funny.”
“Like what?”
She looked ashamed.
“Kids crying. Arguments. Pranks. Rumors we started.”
“We?”
Her eyes filled.
“I did things too.”
At least she admitted it.
“Why?”
She laughed bitterly.
“You think rich kids aren't afraid of anything?”
I didn't answer.
“My mom works for Victoria Bell's charity. My dad's company gets half its contracts from Richard Bell. I became friends with Madison when I was twelve. At first it was fun.”
“And then?”
“And then friendship became obedience.”
I remembered all the times Lauren had laughed beside Madison.
“You could have walked away.”
“I know.”
Her voice broke.
“I know.”
She reached into her pocket and gave me a flash drive.
“What is this?”
“Copies.”
My heart pounded.
“Of the videos?”
“Some.”
“How did you get them?”
“Madison made us download clips to edit. She likes putting music over them before posting to private groups.”
I felt sick.
“How many students?”
“Maybe thirty.”
I stared at the flash drive.
“Why give this to me?”
“Because Sophie told the truth.”
“What happened to her?”
Lauren's face tightened.
“Her father got a call.”
“From who?”
“I don't know.”
“Madison's parents?”
“I said I don't know.”
She started to leave.
I caught her arm.
She pulled away instantly.
“Don't touch me.”
“Sorry.”
She was shaking.
“Lauren, did someone threaten Sophie's family?”
Her eyes answered before her mouth did.
“I don't know.”
Then we heard footsteps.
Lauren went pale.
Madison appeared at the top of the stairs.
Neither of us moved.
Her eyes dropped to the flash drive in my hand.
Everything changed.
“Give me that.”
Lauren stepped backward.
Madison descended one stair at a time.
“What did you do?”
Lauren whispered, “I'm done.”
“You stupid—”
Madison lunged.
I moved between them.
“Don't.”
Madison stopped inches from me.
“You think having Daniel Carter for a father makes you untouchable?”
“No.”
“Then move.”
“No.”
Her eyes were wild now.
“Lauren stole private property.”
Lauren shouted, “Evidence isn't private property!”
The sound echoed through the stairwell.
A librarian appeared below us.
“What is going on?”
Madison instantly stepped away.
“Nothing.”
I held up the flash drive.
“Actually, something.”
The next hour was chaos.
Principal Whitmore called our parents.
The school copied the drive.
Lauren gave a statement.
Madison denied everything.
Victoria Bell arrived with two attorneys.
Richard Bell came fifteen minutes later.
It was the first time I had seen him in person.
He was tall, silver-haired, and calm in the same way Dad was calm.
But Dad's calm made me feel protected.
Richard Bell's calm felt like a locked door.
He looked at Lauren.
Then at me.
Then at the principal.
“My daughter will not answer additional questions without counsel.”
Victoria whispered something to Madison.
Madison stared at the floor.
Principal Whitmore said, “Mr. Bell, some of these videos may involve serious violations of student conduct policy.”
Richard gave a small smile.
“Then I trust you'll follow policy.”
Dad had arrived by then.
He stood beside me.
Richard looked at him.
“This is unnecessary.”
Dad replied, “Then why are you here with two attorneys?”
Richard's smile vanished.
The school reviewed the flash drive that evening.
There were seventeen videos.
One showed Madison humiliating a freshman by pouring juice over her chair.
Another showed Lauren hiding a boy's inhaler as a “joke” before returning it minutes later.
Lauren cried when that video played.
She admitted everything.
Another showed Sophie spreading a fake rumor under Madison's instructions.
Then came a video filmed six months earlier.
Madison was sitting in a car beside the athletic field.
Her mother was in the driver's seat.
They didn't know they were being recorded.
The camera must have started accidentally.
Victoria's voice was clear.
“Stop worrying about Reynolds. Whitmore owes us.”
Madison asked, “What if I get another C?”
“Then I'll speak to him.”
“He said he won't change grades.”
Victoria laughed.
“Everyone changes their mind when the right person asks.”
The room went silent.
Principal Whitmore's face turned gray.
Victoria stood so fast her chair hit the wall.
“That recording is illegal.”
Richard grabbed her arm.
“Victoria.”
“No!”
She pointed at Lauren.
“That girl stole private conversations!”
Lauren started crying.
Dad looked at Principal Whitmore.
“What did she mean when she said you owed them?”
Whitmore didn't answer.
Dad asked again.
“What did she mean?”
Richard Bell stepped forward.
“This meeting is over.”
But Principal Whitmore whispered, “No.”
Everyone looked at him.
His face seemed to age in seconds.
“No,” he repeated.
He sat down.
Then he looked directly at my father.
“Five years ago, the school was close to losing its athletic program.”
Richard Bell's expression turned hard.
“Whitmore.”
The principal ignored him.
“Bell Development donated the money.”
Dad said quietly, “Donations aren't debts.”
Whitmore gave a broken laugh.
“I know that now.”
My stomach tightened.
“What did you do?”
I asked.
He looked at me.
And his eyes filled with shame.
“Three times over the past two years, I changed disciplinary recommendations involving Madison.”
Madison stared at him.
Victoria shouted, “That's a lie!”
Whitmore continued.
“And last year, I pressured a teacher to allow her to retake an exam after she violated testing rules.”
Richard's lawyers started speaking at once.
But Dad raised one hand.
He wasn't looking at Richard.
He was looking at Whitmore.
“Did you change her grade last night?”
Whitmore shook his head.
“No.”
“Then who did?”
Silence.
Whitmore's face became even paler.
He looked at Victoria.
And suddenly Victoria stopped arguing.
Dad noticed.
So did I.
Whitmore whispered, “You still had the emergency access code.”
Victoria grabbed her purse.
Richard blocked her path.
His voice was low.
“Victoria.”
She looked at him.
For the first time, Richard Bell seemed shocked too.
“You told me you stopped using it,” Whitmore said.
Victoria's face twisted.
“This is absurd.”
The principal stood.
“I changed the code months ago.”
She laughed.
“Then obviously I couldn't have used it.”
Whitmore shook his head.
“No.”
He looked devastated.
“I changed my personal password.”
Then he pointed toward the hallway.
“I forgot to change the emergency code on the administrator terminal.”
Nobody moved.
The room became completely silent.
May you like
Because Principal Whitmore had just explained how Madison's grade could have changed.
And everyone was staring at her mother.
