Compulsion - The Greenhouse Academy

40: C a p t u r e

"Oh yeah, well, we were going to watch the satellite launch together with my telescope, but she came late ... she said she had been stuck in the girls' bathroom, b-but obviously that wasn't the case," Max mumbled, ducking his head.

"So you don't know anything?" Jackie cried in exasperation.

Max shook his head miserably. "I - I wish I could tell you what was going on, guys, but I have no idea."

"Yeah, I can see why nobody would trust YOU with information," Jackie rolled her eyes.

"Jackie!" Hayley reprimanded as she sent a glare in her direction. Placing her hand on Max's shoulder, she said comfortingly, "It's okay, Max."

Max nodded and bit his lip. Suddenly, his eyes brightened and he straightened up in his seat. "Wait ... she did say something before that I thought was a bit odd ..." he tapped his fingers against his knee as he spoke. "She said t-that she saw Judy and Marcus go into Jason's office one time. I didn't think anything of it but she said it in such a weird tone; I wondered if she was okay, but - but she wouldn't answer any of my questions ..."

"That must've been the time when I caught them conspiring together on the pocket cam that I attached to Ethan's jacket!" Adalynn groaned.

"So Emma knew something was up this whole time?" Max inquired.

"She must have," Leo returned. "But, like she told us in the video, she couldn't say anything because of Jason."

"Bastard," Jackie growled under her breath.

"So, Brooke's brother and Daniel's mother," Adalynn murmured. "This is getting deep."

"Hang on, what about Ethan? Haven't you seen him with Ju ..." Max instantly stopped, regret, guilt and fear building in his eyes.

Adalynn turned on him. "What? What were you going to say?"

"Nothing."

"Don't act dumb, you asshole!" Jackie exploded. Grabbing him by the shirt, she lifted him up off his seat and slammed him into the nearby wall. "ANSWER ME! Your brother is in alliance with Jason and Judy, isn't he?"

"He doesn't need to respond," Hayley huffed glumly. "His eyes say enough."

Glowering at him, Jackie dropped her grip on Max's shirt and turned her back on him.

Adalynn bit her lip as an idea entered her mind. Glancing from one member of the ROP to the other, she decided that now was not the best time to voice her thoughts. Instead, she spoke up, "We'd better get some rest guys. We can reconvene tomorrow and talk through this when Daniel and Brooke are here."

"B-but we have classes tomorrow," Leo objected.

"None of you have classes until ten," Adalynn pointed out. "Except for me; I have science at 9.15. But I'll skip, no problem. Just be here early so we have enough time to go through this beforehand. Oh and Leo? Don't let Max out of your sight. We can't have him blabbing off to Ethan."

Leo nodded and leaned over to grab Max's arm. "C'mon, mate. Let's go."

Adalynn was the first one out of the lab. Tears stung the back of her eye-lids as she made her way down the hallway towards the Ravens' club-house. She had had a mild crush on Ethan; dark, handsome, dimpled cheeks, bright eyes, perfect wavy hair. To find out that he was conspiring with Judy was just too much for her to take in.

As a sob bubbled up within her, Adalynn dashed past the Ravens' door and burst into the girls' bathroom. Locking herself up in one of the cubicles, she sank to the floor and burst into tears. Burying her face in her knees, Adalynn didn't even bother to try and stop the waterfall of tears that streamed down her face. It'd been a long time since she'd had a good cry. Now, she just let it all out.