I hit the lockers and groaned. "Drew, it is too early for this."
"Not Drew."
I turned to face Talon. Nyssa was shaking her head behind him, arms crossed.
"Cut it out, Tal. You're not a kid," she said, yanking him away from me.
"Aw, come on, Nys! He was zoned out. I had to fuck with him," Talon said.
"Have you seen Tyson?" Nyssa asked me. "We were looking for him."
"And then you found me, lucky you," I said. "But no, I haven't seen Tyson. He was up pretty late last night, so he probably stopped for coffee on the way."
"Maybe we should get him a rat for his stress," Talon said. "It fixed Connor's separation anxiety, didn't it?"
"It didn't fix it. His parents just bought him the dog so he didn't freak out every time they left him home alone," Nyssa said, elbowing Talon. "Leave Connor alone. At least having the dog calms him down."
"Wait, he legitimately has separation anxiety? I thought you guys were just kidding," I said in confusion.
Nyssa shook her head. "He was bad as a kid. His parents ended up giving him a stuffed dog that they put his dad's tie on and sprayed with his mom's perfume. He was clinging to that when Ty and Farren met him in elementary school. His parents eventually bought him Jonesy when the stuffed dog trick stopped working."
"When you're 17 and can't function without a rat or your mom," Talon said, laughing.
Nyssa stomped on his foot. "You have no room to talk. You're 17 and you still panic if you lose me in the grocery store, idiot."
"Ow!" He hopped away from her. "That's different!"
"You really shouldn't make fun of him," I said. "He can't help it if he has separation anxiety. Besides, I did notice you're always with Nyssa. It's not a bad thing, but at least Connor found something to help him."
"What, so I should replace my sister with a rat?" Talon said.
"The rat might tolerate you better," Nyssa said. "Come on, Tal. Let's go find Tyson. I want to make sure he's okay."
"He'll be fine, Nys," Talon said, but obediently followed her down the hall and out of sight.
I was worried about Tyson too, though. We'd done our homework together and then had dinner with his parents. Tyson brought up a card game, and we ended up playing with his parents all night. I knew he was trying to spend time with them before Mallory sold him out.
We'd texted until I fell asleep, though I had a text from Tyson two hours after that about a quote from some book he was reading. He must be exhausted after staying up so late.
I spotted Drew down the hall and slipped behind a group of students, keeping hidden behind them until we were out of the hallway. I hurried my way to class, wondering how the Social Action meeting would go after school. Surely someone had come up with even a scrap of an idea.
The day went normally at first. Lectures, notes, quizzes, gossip, worksheets.
And then the phone rang in one of my classes.
My teacher hung it up, turning to me. "Nolan, head to the office. They said you're not in trouble, they just have some questions."
I got up, keeping my expression calm. They still thought I was their unknowing spy in the Social Action Club. They were probably hoping to pry something out of me.
I went to the office, the secretary gesturing me on through. I knocked on the door before letting myself in.
But to my surprise, Principal Devin wasn't in the office. Only Mallory was.
"Take a seat, Mr. Fletcher," Mallory said, gesturing to the chair across the desk. "Principal Devin will return shortly. He went to get us some coffee from the faculty lounge. It's been quite a long day."
I sat down in the chair. "My teacher said you had some questions for me, sir?"
"The Social Action Club...you said they weren't suspicious. Have you changed your opinion recently?" he asked.
I shook my head. "No, sir. We've been so busy planning for our last project. It's all we've talked about."
Mallory stood up and paced to the window, looking out of it. "It wasn't hard to put together. Really, those social menaces put the answers in our hands when they released their target names and reasons. They were attacking bullies, and using a rumored service to do so. I'm very good friends with many of the cops, you know."
"Like officer Corr?" I said, trying to play innocent. "I've been to his house. He's a nice man."
"We're acquaintances. I have some close friends in the department, though, and they let me look through some files. I found a pattern, you see. They were targeting these bullies mostly on nights that either one or both parents weren't home. Work, parties, family business, whatever it was, something drew one or both away from home and left it easier for these criminals to break in," he said.
"That was smart to notice," I said. "But Mr. Mallory, what questions do you have for me about it? I didn't know any of the kids who were targeted. I'm not sure I can be much help. The last victim was in my neighborhood, but we've never met."
Mallory turned to me, and it was surprising to see so much of Tyson in his features. Their hair, their facial structure, even the frighteningly similar grin.
"It wasn't difficult to track down bully victims and pry the riddle out of them. I gathered some of the victims and we came up with the plan to trap those criminals. We figured there was more than one, but the other one still caught them off guard." He turned back to the window, eyes staring out into the distance, watching the cars drive past the school. "I keep up with things that happen around this town. News of a young boy's eye being shot out in a tragic accident amongst children was attention catching. I told them to attack from his blindside, but I didn't tell them why."
"Blindside?" I said, deciding to play stupid. It wouldn't be unbelievable that I didn't know Tyson was half-blind, especially since only the Social Action Club and his parents knew we were dating.
"Tyson Strazio will go down for this," Mallory said, and he said Tyson's name like it was the most disgusting thing to ever leave his lips. "The question, Mr. Fletcher, is who will fall with him?"
"Tyson?" I said in surprise. "You think Tyson did this?"
Mallory faced me again. "Did you know, Mr. Fletcher, that Talon and Nyssa Zigor's father worked on Alex's house? Did you know someone with considerable skill hacked into their home surveillance system and made it inaccessible that night? Did you know the police searched that neighborhood for several hours, but someone had the knowledge of how the police patrols worked to get the group of delinquents safely away? Did you know the main menace behind all of this is either very unperceptive, or else blind in one eye?"
I could feel my face pale, and struggled to keep a confused expression on my face. He'd set it up to catch every member of the Social Action Club. He'd used Alex not just for the location of his house, but because he knew Mr. Zigor had worked on it and the twins would be able to get the layout. He knew we'd strike on a night when Alex's parents weren't home, which is how they even managed to ambush us in the first place. He knew Connor would go for the camera in the living room. He knew Farren would know enough about the police to get the others out without being seen. And he knew Tyson wouldn't be able to see them attacking him if they came up on his blindside.
Everything so carefully planned. And now he was backing me into a corner.
"Someone else was in the room with Tyson," Mallory said, placing his hands on the desk and leaning over it a little. "From what I hear, those twins don't leave each other's sides. Connor Scully couldn't have been in there, because he was behind a computer somewhere. The victims assured me it was another teenager, which means it was either Farren Corr..." His grin grew, menacing. "Farren Corr, or you, Nolan."
"Me?" I said in disbelief. "From what I heard, this started years before I even got here. My Uncle will tell you that I've spent every night except for one at home."
"It's not difficult for teenagers to sneak out," he said. "I have two children, and I can't have my eyes on them all the time. If they go downstairs in the middle of the night for a snack, I don't know until I see wrappers in the garbage the next morning."
"My car is always in the driveway, and I don't have a bike," I said. "How would I get around?"
"You have legs," he said, sitting back down. "I cut a deal with the students who told us the riddle and the answer to it. I'm willing to cut a deal with you."
"A deal?" I shook my head. "I don't understand. I haven't done anything wrong."
"You tell me the truth about the Social Action Club, and I'll pretend you were never involved," he said. "In fact, I'll even pretend you didn't cover for them."
"I'm not covering for them!" I said. "They haven't done anything wrong. All we talk about in meetings are our projects. I've hung out with Farren and Tyson outside of school just a bit, and they've never mentioned anything suspicious."
"I am not a stupid man, Mr. Fletcher," Mallory said. "They will go down for their crimes, and you'll join them if you don't take this deal. Once you leave this room, the deal is gone."
"I don't need a deal," I said in frustration. "They're not behind it. I don't know who's behind it!"
"Then leave, and face your fate," he said, gesturing to the door.
"The Social Action Club can't be behind this. It doesn't make any sense!" I argued.
Mallory folded his hands over the desk. "Daniel Bishopp had a nasty experience when he was a student at this school. From what I hear, his hand never properly recovered. I'm sure he wouldn't mind the revenge service wreaking its havoc."
"Mr. Bishopp?" I shook my head. "He just helps us with planning and some of the work. Sometimes he's not even there, or he leaves early."
"Connor Scully and Nyssa Zigor were bully victims not long before rumors of the service first sprang up," he said. "All of them started at this school the same year, which just so happened to be the year the service started. I'd bet the service disappears after the end of this year."
"A lot of people in Braxton are bully victims. It doesn't mean they're behind the revenge service," I said.
"I've heard about you. I heard you have some problems with a student here. And I've also heard you lost your close friend to a bullying-related incident," Mallory said.
I glared at him. "I came here to make peace with that and move on. Why would I get involved with anything that had to do with bullying?"
"My deal Nolan: Take it, or leave," he said. "With or without you, they'll be caught. You can go down with them, or you can keep your record clean and move on from all of this."
I stood up. "I have nothing to tell you. I don't think anyone from the Social Action Club is behind this."
I would never sell them out, not for anything. But even if I was heartless and selfish enough to do it, I knew Mallory would just keep blackmailing me with the knowledge of my involvement.
"I'm sorry I couldn't help you, Mr. Mallory. Have a good day." I pulled the door open and looked over my shoulder. "Oh, remember how you asked me if I met your kids? I actually met your son. He's a good kid."
I shut the door before he could react to that. I hurried out of the office, trying not to slap myself in the face.
God, I couldn't just keep my damn mouth shut? I just had to piss the guy off when he was ready to take Tyson down?
"Shit," I hissed. I'd have to admit what I'd said to Tyson so he knew.
I went back to class, trying and failing to focus on my lessons. By the end of the day, I was miserable and triumphant over my dig at Mallory. I shouldn't have said it, but part of me was damn glad I had. Mallory wanted to threaten me? Fine, asshole, I know you fucked a bastard into a woman just before you married a different one.
I made my way to the Social Action room, sitting down with the others. It was a few minutes before Tyson and Bishopp entered together, shutting the door to start the meeting.
"Um, Tyson?" I said, raising my hand a little.
"Do I look like a teacher?" Tyson said. "Put your hand down. What do you want?"
"Mallory called me in today," I said. I explained everything he'd said, and how he'd tried to threaten me into selling them out. I bit my lip before also reluctantly admitting what I'd said at the end.
Talon burst into laughter. "Oh fucking shit, you are one ballsy dude!"
"Talon!" Nyssa said, glaring at him. "This isn't good!"
"Yea, congratulations, outcast. You just got Tyson and the rest of us fucked even faster," Farren said. "Piss off the guy who knows what we did, genius idea."
But my eyes were on Tyson. He ran a hand through his hair and leaned back in his chair.
"This is bad," he said at last.
"That's all you have to say?" Farren said. "He kicked the hornet's nest, Ty."
"No, I kicked it. I beat it with a baseball bat and spit on it. Nolan nudged it with his foot," Tyson said.
"What do we do?" Nyssa asked.
"There's nothing we can do," Tyson said, looking exhausted. "There's enough reasonable doubt that I can probably be found not guilty if they try to take me to trial. I won't sell any of you out, and you aren't his targets."
"But they are. They are because they're your friends, Tyson," I said. "He wants to hurt you. He's a sick man, and he wants to do whatever he can to hurt you."
"Then we have to find a way to hurt him first," Nyssa said. "We can't just sit back and take this."
"Once he accuses us, I'm sure we'll get off with reasonable doubt. But that won't stop the media coverage, or the suspicion of 'did they do it'," Bishopp said. "It'll do enough damage."
I thought of Farren's words yesterday and my eyes widened. "One man."
"What?" Tyson said, glancing at me.
"One man can't make a difference," I said, looking over at Farren. "That's what you said."
"And it still stands true," Farren said.
"No, no, it's not true." I gestured to Tyson. "One man built and controlled Tyson's family."
"I love when affairs and bastard babies push women into the arms of the man they were truly meant to be with," Tyson said. "Is there a point to this?"
"Turn it back on him," I said. "We attack Mallory. The blackmail he's using against you guys? Turn it back on him. It's you, Tyson. You're the key to all this. You're the target, but also the very thing we can blackmail Mallory with."
"Wait, wait, wait," Bishopp said, throwing his hand up. "You're suggesting we target Patrick Mallory, one of the wealthiest, most influential men in this entire city? A man who probably has a well secured house, and even more security now that he knows Tyson is the one breaking into houses?"
"Yes," I said simply. "And we have to do it before he goes to the cops about us."
"That is quite possibly the dumbest idea I have ever heard in my entire life, and I've heard plenty of Tyson's ideas," Farren said. "We're really digging our own graves. There's no doubt he would catch us."
"His charity thing for the police and firemen is soon, right? That means he'll be away from home organizing that. I'm sure he'll want his wife and kids there, just to really make it look good," I said.
"So now you want to attack him in the daytime?" Connor said. "Just hang yourself. It'll be simpler."
"This is how you get him to back off," I said, meeting Tyson's eyes. "You threaten him right back. You tell him if he goes to the cops, you'll reveal the truth. You won't have anything to lose at that point, right? So you'll tell the truth, and if he denies it, you demand a DNA test. And if he denies that, you put pictures of the two of you side-by-side. You have a lot of his features. Side-by-side, it'd create a stir. Just like he's doing to you, maybe you can't prove the truth, but you can leave the doubt. His wife would never forget the accusation, never stop seeing the similarities between the two of you. Ask Mallory's wife where Mallory was all those nights back when they were engaged and he was cheating on her with your mom. He's already trying to ruin you, your friends, and your family. There's nothing stopping you from revealing the truth now."
Tyson was silent for a moment, and I could almost read the conflict in his expression. His siblings. He was worried about what it would do to them. He was worried what people would think of his mom. Even if she hadn't known it was an affair, I'm sure Tyson could imagine the things people would call her.
But he also knew he was backed into a corner. Mallory was after his family and friends, and he didn't have any other options. He was out of time, out of options, and out of ways to protect the people he cared about.
"Farren," he said slowly. "Ask your dad if Mallory is worried his involvement will make him a target. Get your dad to talk about any security systems he has. I know his address. Connor, can you hack the systems?"
"Possibly," Connor said. "I'll need to know what I'm up against. But...we aren't seriously considering this, are we?"
"If we don't get caught, there's nothing to lose," Tyson said, his usual confidence slowly creeping back into his voice. "We'll find out his schedule. Nolan is right; he has to leave at some point to work on his cop and fire department project, and he'll bring his wife and kids. He always does. We'll be even more careful when we strike."
"Oh my god," Farren said, letting out a disbelieving laugh. "You're really stupid enough to do this."
"What do you want me to do? He's threatening me, my family, my friends. He's threatening you, Farren. Do you want me to just let it happen?" Tyson demanded. "Either you're helping me, or you're getting out of my way. Door's over there."
Farren glared but slowly nodded. "I'll ask my dad tonight."
"We should still have time. He'll try to gather a little more evidence. Nolan might've actually bought us time. He'll want to make this stick if he can, so he'll gather every scrap of evidence he can before he goes to the cops. We don't have long, though," Tyson said.
"I know Carly Mallory," Bishopp said. "She's in the study hall I cover for. I can ask her about the project and see if she'll mention when they're going to be away for it."
"Make it all sound casual, you and Farren both. We don't need suspicion when we hit them," Tyson said. He checked the time. "Twins, this'll be a rough one. Don't get hurt before we strike."
"No promises," Talon said. "One time I sprained my wrist trying to get a box of cereal."
"Well don't get any cereal this week then, I don't know what else to tell you," Tyson said. "Go get to work. Mallory has a big yard, but it has a fancy garden in the back we can easily hide in. We can make this work if we're quick and careful."
"Saving our own asses is what we do best," Talon said, getting up. Nyssa copied him.
The others started getting up and gathering their stuff. Tyson grabbed his bag and came over, waiting for me to get up with my bag.
We left the room together and headed down towards the parking lot. As usual, we walked just close enough so that our hands could brush together.
"I'm sorry. I just got so angry," I said quietly.
"And you wonder why I got so reckless about it," he said. He nudged me with his shoulder. "Don't mope over it. I wish I could've seen his pathetic face."
"I shut the door before he could react," I said. "Damn, should've taken a video for you."
"I don't think this relationship is working out," he said. "You can't even take a video of my biological father's face when he finds out I haven't kept my big mouth shut about the truth."
"I told him you're a good kid. I might have lied a little," I said.
"A good kid?" He raised an eyebrow before slapping on the dazzling smile. "I'm a great kid. A real role model."
I kissed his cheek as we reached our cars. "Are you ready for this?"
He nodded. "It needs to be done. Maybe it should've been done a long time ago." He pulled out his keys. "Come over. Dad's teaching me how to make stuffed shells. I can give us food poisoning together."
"How romantic. I'm sick of the Braxton uniform, so if you're giving me food poisoning, you're at least letting me borrow sweatpants and a shirt," I said.
"Fair enough," he said. "Let's go."
What we were doing was going to be emotionally hard on Tyson. It was going to be dangerous for all of us. So much could go wrong, and we could be caught in the act.
But it had to be done, or Mallory would control all of us. Maybe this could finally get Mallory away from Tyson and his parents.
Good or bad, it was all coming to an end soon.