by Ruby Vincent
“What? What does that have to—”
“Can you explain to me why there is a boy going into your bedroom on the night in question?” Evergreen’s voice was so chilly I swore I could see his breath. He twisted the monitor around and there on the screen was a short-haired figure in a boy’s uniform.
Airi’s jaw worked but no sounds came out.
“Miss Tanaka, this is a serious offense.” Evergreen removed his hands from the screen to steeple them beneath his face. This was a pose I knew well. “I’m afraid I can’t ignore this. The punishment for having a boy in your room is—”
Airi quickly found her voice. “Punishment?” she cried. “Why would I be punished?! I don’t have a clue who that guy is.”
Gus stepped forward. “He clearly uses your passcode to get in. If you don’t know him, how was he able to enter your room?”
“I don’t know,” she replied, waving her hands. “But I have no idea who that is.” She cut furious eyes to me. “And what about her? She must know that guy. She must have gotten him to break into my room.”
“Impossible,” Gus spoke up, “unless she or he had your passcode to begin with. Did you share your code with Miss Moon?”
“Of course, I didn’t,” she snapped. “Why are you asking me all of these questions when you should be speaking to her?!”
Evergreen stayed fixed on Airi. “We can see who enters your room and it is not Miss Moon. If someone truly has managed to steal your passcode and did so to destroy your possessions, then that person will be found and subjected to the harshest possible punishment.”
Evergreen finally acknowledged me. “You may go, Miss Moon.”
I stood up before he finished the sentence.
“You can’t let her go!” Airi sounded near tears again. “I know she had something to do with this!”
“If that is true, the investigation will bear that out.” Evergreen pointed at the door. “Leave, Miss Moon.”
I left. The door closed with a soft click that I was somehow able to hear even among Airi’s renewed shouting.
“I need to speak to my son now.”
I looked up and almost fell back against the door. Hera help me, that’s Levi Van Zandt!
I want to say I wasn’t staring like an open-mouthed fool but that was exactly what I was doing. Levi was even cooler in person—in spite of looking spitting mad. The leather-clad, boot-wearing middle-aged man was tapping those boots so hard I could almost dance a beat to them.
“Of course, Mr. Van Zandt,” said the receptionist. “But he’s at lunch right now if you’d like to wait.”
Levi’s response was to sweep out of the room.
“Mr. Van Zandt? Mr. Van Zandt!” The receptionist stuck to yelling from her desk, but I didn’t. I darted through the doors and trailed Jaxson’s dad as he stalked toward the lunchroom. Levi didn’t seem to notice me behind him which was just as well. I didn’t want to slow him down.
I picked up speed when he reached the double doors and was only a few feet behind him when he burst into the cafeteria. Our eyes both zeroed in on the same spot.
Jaxson sat at his table on the dais, laughing at something the girl on his lap was saying. I recognized her as one of the girls who brought the Knights lunch every day. Levi was halfway to the table when Jaxson finally noticed him.
He dropped his smile quick. “Dad? Dad, what’s wrong?” He got to his feet despite his lap being occupied and sent the girl to the floor.
Levi’s boots clomped on the steps to the dais, ringing in the rapidly quieting cafeteria.
“Da— Ow!”
Levi seized his son’s ear and dragged him off the platform.
“Dad! Stop!” Jaxson stumbled along after his father, face screwed up and practically neon red. “Dad!”
“Do you have any idea what you’ve done?!” Levi roared. He gave his son’s head a shake. “What were you thinking?!”
“What did I do?!”
Jaxson was still repeating that question after they disappeared through the doors. My mouth was still hanging open.
SOFIA SHOOK HER HEAD in disbelief. “I can’t believe this. The unreleased albums of five bands and artists have hit YouTube. The feed is blowing up.”
I reclined into the couch cushions and leaned my head back to the sky. “Jaxson’s dad was blowing up. I think the entire campus heard him chewing the guy out.”
“Of course, what Jaxson did was every kind of stupid, and then to go posting it online.” I turned in time to see her shake her head. “I heard from Paisley that he’s saying he was hacked, but he can’t pretend he didn’t record the songs in the first place.”
That night we were back in our spot with our dinners on our laps. There was only one thing on our minds to discuss.
“I’ve heard him brag about it,” I said.
Sofia sighed. “Jaxson really did it this time. Who knows what is going to happen to Interstellar Records because of this.”
“What?” My head shot off the couch. “What do you mean?”
“Val, it’s all over the feed.” She handed me her phone so I could see for myself. “These artists sign contracts. They’ve got deals and money hanging on these albums. They might sue the label.”
My mouth fell open for the second time that day. I scrolled through her feed as dread filled my bones. It was true. Her page was on fire with news titles like “Is This The End of Interstellar?”
“But I didn’t want this,” I blurted. “I never wanted to hurt his dad or the label.”
Sofia’s eyes bugged out. “What did you just say? Val, did you have something to do with this?”
I gave her a look that seemed to say it all.
“Val! How?”
“I got into Jaxson’s phone and leaked the audio files, but only he was supposed to get in trouble,” I added quickly at the shock on her face. “He deserves everything that’s coming to him for this, and I hope he felt a fraction of the humiliation I did when his dad dragged him out in front of everyone.”
“But, Val.” She gently took the phone from me. “This has gotten bigger than him now.”
“I know, and I’m sorry. Really, I am, but I can’t take it back. Hopefully they’ll realize that it’s not the label’s fault.”
“I hope so too.”
The two of us fell into a silence that I didn’t know how to break—that was until I noticed the corners of Sofia’s mouth twitching.
“What are you smiling about?”
She stifled a giggle. “That was really funny though. Levi pulled him out by his ear like he was a poopy-pants toddler who drew on the walls.”
Before I knew it, we were both howling. Every time I tried to catch my breath she would say “poopy-pants” and I was at it again. I fell on Sofia’s lap, trying to hold on to this mood for a little longer.
She patted my head. “You going to tell me about the rest of this plan yet?”
I was expecting this question and was ready for it. “I can tell you part of it right now, because it involves you.”
“What do you need me to do?”
“The masquerade dance from last year. Can you get as many photos as possible from that night so I—”
“—can find the person in the red-and-white mask who fought with Ryder,” she finished. “Good idea, but if they have their mask on in the pictures, how will you know who it is?”
“I can still narrow it down. Hair color, skin color, height, if they wore a tux or dress. I just need something to go on.” I sat up and shifted to look her in the eyes. “Every single second since I found that card in my locker, I’ve been going over that night.
“The Spades marked me right after it happened, but neither Ryder or that mystery person came forward to reveal what happened. They knew what I saw, but that only happens if Ryder or the mystery person told them, or they are them. Either way, one of them is connected to the Spades, but if I’m honest, I don’t think it’s Ryder.”
“Why not? He’s proven that he hates you.
”
“Exactly. The guy can’t stand me which makes me wonder why, if he had the power to mark me, he didn’t do it the second he saw me. He wouldn’t have needed to wait until I stumbled on him in the woods.”
Sofia paused, chewing her lip as she thought. “That is a good point.”
“I need to find out who the other person is and that is the most important thing you can do to help me.”
She nodded. “Okay, I’ll do it. You know I have your back.”
“Thank you.” I fell back into her lap and got comfortable. “Now... I need to tell you exactly what I did to get Jaxson’s phone...”
I ALMOST SLEPT THROUGH my alarm the next morning. Between the early mornings, and Sofia refusing to let me go to bed until I went over every second with Jaxson in the broom closet at least a dozen times, I didn’t get to sleep until almost three in the morning.
I dragged myself into homeroom cursing this blasted school for not allowing us to drink coffee. We weren’t even allowed black tea.
I noticed the eyes on me as I put my phone away, but I refused to make eye contact with their dirty looks.
What do they have to be so mad about? It’s not like they’re innocent. Not like I was.
Chancing a look, I glanced at Jaxson while I took my seat and almost felt a twinge of sympathy for him. Almost.
Gone was the cocky smile, half-buttoned shirt, and twinkling blue eyes. His homework sat before him while he stared unseeingly at the back of Ryder’s head. The guy looked so out of it; he probably wouldn’t twitch if the fire alarm went off.
I lowered my head and pulled out my own homework. I was done with Jaxson. His name was crossed off my list, and as long as he didn’t do anything else, it would stay that way.
I got through the rest of my classes thinking only of what would happen when they let out. The moment the final bell rang I was out of my seat racing toward the sports complex. Yvette waved at me from the bleachers when I stepped inside.
“Hello, Valentina,” she said as she stepped down. “You’re the first to arrive so why don’t you get changed and start warming up.”
“Okay.”
I headed to the locker room to do as she asked and ten minutes later was stretching out on the mat. My forehead touched my knees to the sound of the gym doors opening and closing.
“Everyone, get dressed and join Valentina.”
The mat shook and dipped as the others took up their spots next to me. I rose up and twisted my back around, keeping my legs straight.
I heard the door open behind me. “Ah, there you are.”
“Sorry I’m late.”
I went springing around like a top. Isabella smiled sweetly into Yvette’s face.
“Not at all,” said Coach. “You’re right on time. Get changed and join us.”
Isabella headed for the changing rooms, but not before tossing me a shit-eating grin.
Shaking my head, I continued my stretching. This girl’s need to show people up is almost pathological. She should really do something about that.
I couldn’t help but raise my brows when Isabella came back out wearing a blue leotard while the rest of us gathered around in tanks and sweats. Although, come to think of it, I had never seen Isabella in anything so casual—not even jeans.
“I want you all to welcome the newest addition to the team,” said Yvette.
I gave a half-hearted clap with the rest.
“Now that everyone is here, we can talk about what I expect for the coming semester.” Yvette patted Isabella’s back to send her to the line. “We will meet twice a week on Wednesdays and Saturdays.”
Isabella’s hand shot up. “I can’t come on the weekends. I leave campus to practice with my ballet instructor.”
“Yes, your... mother was good enough to share the conditions of your being on the team. As I was saying, we meet twice a week and if you miss more than three practices, you are off the team. Our first competition is at the end of October”—excited whispers broke out—“so I expect you all to work as hard as you can.” She clapped. “Alright, let’s get started.”
I was completely focused on practice—I really was. I tried not to spare Isabella a thought, but it wasn’t easy.
“Isabella, you’re too stiff.”
“Isabella, you’re thinking too hard.”
“Isabella, hip-hop isn’t about perfect technique,” Yvette said for the third time. I almost felt bad for the ballerina; she looked as frustrated as Yvette sounded. “You don’t just master the moves, you own them.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” Isabella snapped.
“It means I don’t want you to copy me, I want you to add your own personality, okay?” Yvette scanned the sweaty faces until her eyes lit upon me. “Valentina, will you show her, please?”
If I thought Isabella was red before, she was lighting up brighter than Rudolph’s nose now. The group fell back as I stepped into the middle of the mat.
To be fair, Yvette’s moves were difficult for people who were beginners with hip-hop, but I wasn’t one of them. I twisted myself into the spin, and then added a little flip at the end for fun. People were clapping by the time I landed on my feet.
“Very good,” Yvette cheered. “See what I mean, Isabella? She did the move, but she wasn’t afraid to add her own flair. We’re a team of dancers, not robots.”
Isabella said nothing. She just went back to the other side of the mat and tried to do the move again. Was I ten kinds of rotten that I had to smother a laugh? It wasn’t my fault that she assumed this would be easy. She should have stuck to her pirouettes.
“Alright, everyone, that’s it for today,” Yvette announced twenty minutes later.
I jogged off the mat over to my backpack. I snagged my water bottle and squirted the lot in my mouth.
“You’re pretty good.”
I choked. Hacking, I pounded my chest as Eric stepped into my line of sight. “We might win regionals this year with you on the team,” he continued like it was no big deal. “No one wants to be on a team with someone marked, but we want to be on a losing team even less. You keep it up and... you’re off-limits during practice.”
Eric blew off before I could catch my breath to respond. I watched him go with mixed feelings. Knowing that no one was going to purposely drop me on my head, or slick the mat with grease was good of course, but I hated that it depended on me winning for a team that despised me.
Pushing that aside, I gathered my things and made for the door as Isabella slammed out of it. I hopped in the shower right after entering my room and took my time washing practice from my hair and body. Wrapping myself in a fluffy towel, I padded out into my bedroom. My phone buzzed at me from my backpack.
Sofia: I’ve been looking at photos for over an hour. These are the ones I found that have people wearing red and white masks. Are they here?
The towel almost slipped off, I was rushing so fast to hop on my bed. I pored over every attachment she sent me—zooming in and out, squinting until my eyes hurt—but none of the masks I saw belonged to the person in the woods.
Me: Sorry, they’re not there. Were these all you were able to find?
Sofia: Only in the last hour. I’ve still got more to go, and I think I can get more from Ezra.
Me: Ezra?!?
Sofia: Broadcast club’s photographer was going around the party getting in everyone’s face. The kid washed out in freshman year, but Ezra may know where the photos are backed up. Goes without saying that I won’t bring you up.
Me: I seriously could not do this without you. Thank you, and be careful.
Sofia: I’m not the one actively pissing off the Knights. It’s you who should be careful. Love ya.
I shook my head at her last text. Only she could be the perfect mix of supportive and disapproving at the same time.
THE SKY WAS STORMY the next morning. I stuck my head out of the window and could practically drink the moisture in the air.
It’s going to piss down in a fe
w minutes. Better get ready.
I closed the window and turned back to my closet. Evergreen expected full uniform whether it was raining, snowing, sleeting, or lava was falling from the skies. I wriggled into my skirt and blazer, then pulled on my bright pink rain boots.
The skies opened just as I was reaching for my umbrella. Quickly, I grabbed the rest of my things and rushed out of the door.
Wind and rain tore at me as I stepped out of the dorm building. I popped open my umbrella and raced across the quad, my shoes squeaking in the soaked grass. I heard screams as those unlucky to be without an umbrella ran for cover, and I pulled mine lower on my face.
My head bent, I saw their feet before I did their faces. I stopped short, yanking up my umbrella as the Knights fanned out and closed me in.
“It was you, wasn’t it?” Ryder had to shout to be heard over the rain. In one hand, he was gripping the handle of his umbrella so tightly his knuckles were white.
“Me?” I took a step back and bumped into a solid wall of flesh. I twisted around and found Maverick behind me. “What do you think I did?” They had formed such a tight-knit circle that their umbrellas were giving me extra protection, but only from the rain. The looks on their faces made unease skitter up my spine.
Ezra didn’t have his blandly polite smile hanging off his lips today. The fury that wasn’t expressed on his handsome face shone brightly in his obsidian eyes. The same couldn’t be said for Jaxson or Ryder, their anger was clear in every line of their bodies.
Ryder’s lips curled into a snarl. “You leaked those recordings.”
“I didn’t—”
“Don’t fucking lie!” Jaxson burst out. “I thought about it and there’s no way I left my phone in class. I had it on me until I went into that broom closet with you.”
I shrugged. “That doesn’t prove anything. Maybe it slipped out while your pants were down and a custodian got their hands on it.”
“This is how you want to play it?” Ryder took a step forward until our umbrellas knocked together. He dropped his and stepped under mine, getting in my face. “A few days ago you were running your mouth about getting us back, and now you don’t want to take credit?”