Ignoring all the doubts, I took mom's advice of talking to him the next morning. Maybe it would've worked.
If Ashton went to school on the following day.
Or the day after that.
Or the next day.
It's been a whole week since Ashton has been MIA. No one knows where he is. He's not picking up his phone or replying to any of my texts. Or anyone else's.
He's just gone. Vanished into the thin air.
Rumors of him leaving the school have started to spread from the second day. I would probably have believed them by now if Principal Samantha hadn't assured me that he hasn't sent any transfer letter yet. But she also refused to give me any of his personal information so I can know where he lives.
His friends are worse. No matter how badly Grace and I try to persuade them, they won't open their mouths.
Ashton's lucky to have friends like them.
And so am I.
It's true. If it wasn't for my friends, I might've considered moving out of the state by now. Because since the daily victimizing the students has stopped from the day Ashton left, people are starting to believe it was us behind it.
And now they're thanking whoever the anonymous person is who revealed our secret.
I can hardly make it to a class without being bullied without a friend on my side. And if none of them are in the class, Nyako, Owen or the student of the student council has my back.
Still, they aren't anything like Ashton was. I know it sounds stupid and ridiculous, but it's the truth.
Mom was right, I really do like him. Maybe that's why I'm staring at his locker across the hallway for the last ten minutes. The final bell rang long ago and students are still rushing towards the exit.
Some pauses when they see me standing there, only for a brief second before running for the door.
Cora and Asher pass by. Asher stops to greet me, but Cora makes a noise and walks away. With not many options left with, Asher waves at me before following her.
I sigh. It's all my fault now. I shouldn't have assumed Cora. Yes, there was a spy among us undoubtedly. But now, even I think it wasn't Cora. But then who else?
Cora seemed the most logical option back then. She hated me for some reason, unfriended me, bullied me, spread rumors about me, and started hating my friends because they welcomed me in their job, and then she was so nice all of a sudden.
'Maybe it was just Ashley's words all over your head,' my consciousness states.
Don't make me start on her now. Ever since the day Ashton is gone, Derek has become the new King of the school and his friends and followers from the football team are his courts. Ashley and her group of minions have joined them shortly, with our new baseball captain, Chuck. I try my best not to cross my path with them, especially after what Derek called me the other day.
I feel a pinch on my arm. "Are you even listening?" I turn around to face Grace.
She was probably saying something and I missed it since I was busy sulking over someone in particular.
Geez, I sound like a sappy girlfriend.
"I said I'm done," Grace repeats. "Shall we go now?"
I try not to bother myself with that boy more than I did already and nod. "Yeah, let's go to Jim's."
Jim's Cafe is really famous among our students, especially for hanging out after school since it's only five minutes away from here.
I don't know what Miles was thinking when he said he wants us to meet him there. He didn't give us much information, just told us to meet him and Owen here after school.
I wonder what they're up to. They even bunked Mr. Lakers' class-which was the last class today.
We head for our own cars which are parked side by side. Dylan received his driving license last week, and his parents gave him Miles's old car-much to Miles's protests-so Kat is riding home with him today.
"This better be important enough for you to bunk the last block," I tell the boys once we enter the cafe.
Miles grins and scoots over to let us sit. Owen, Luca, and Payton are sitting on the other side.
"So what's the occasion?" Grace asks.
Owen shrugs. "Don't know. Nyako told me to call you all here," he says and looks around. "Where's Jason?"
"He, Promy, and Tristan won't be able to make it. They have to work on the yearbook," Payton says.
Yearbook. I almost forgot about it. Even thinking about it makes my heart leap. Is the end that close?
"Why don't we order something to eat while we wait?" Miles suggests. We call a waiter and give him our orders.
Nyako joins us a few minutes later. "Sorry for running late," he says. He looks tired yet there's this look in his eyes that's telling me he's up to something.
"Dude is everything alright?" Luca asks.
"I'll leave that on you to decide," he clears his throat. "You all must be wondering why I gathered you all here."
We nod.
"Well, here it is," he moves to the side. Bonnie steps out from behind him.
She clenches her fist as she keeps her head low.
"Bonnie?" Grace tries to reach for her but she moves away.
"I'm sorry guys,"-is all she said before breaking into sobs.
"What are you saying?" Payton asks at the same time Luca's fist pumps in the air. "I knew there was something fishy about her!"
His girlfriend glares at him before turning back to the now-sobbing girl. "What happened, sweetie? Tell us, maybe we can help you."
Bonnie shakes her head. "You can't help me in this," she says. "Not after what I've done to you."
Both Miles and Owen shrieks.
"At least tell us what happened," I say finally. I look over her shoulder. "Nyako?"
He meets my eyes and sighs. "Why does it always have to be me?" He mutters under his breath before turning to us. "We all assumed there was someone who was spying on us the whole time. And Kiara thought it was someone among us."
Everyone turns to me. I keep my head low.
But Nyako continues. "I agree with her. But it's not who she thought it was."
I jerk my head. "What are you saying?" I look from him to Bonnie and then back to him.
Is he trying to say-
Nyako nods. "I had my suspicions from day one but didn't want to jump to the conclusion," he says. "That's when I saw those remaining posters in her locker with a Canon falling out of her locker this morning."
We gasp.
"Bonnie?" All this time, all those posters, it was her?
"I'm so sorry guys," Bonnie whimpers. "I didn't have any other option. They knew my secret and blackmailed me with it. They told me if I don't do as they said, they'll reveal my secret to everyone. I couldn't risk that."
"What secret?" Owen asks.
"It will no longer be a secret if she tells us, dumbass," Grace tells him and turns to Bonnie. "How could you do this to us?"
"I'm sorry, I wish I had another option."
I try my best not to sound as surprised as others when I say, "Who are this 'them' you're talking about?"
"I don't know," she mumbles. "I never saw them. At first, they mailed me from a spam account. I didn't take it seriously. Then they sent me a text with evidence of my crime. I had no other option but to do as they told me."
"If you never saw them how did you even work for them?" Miles asks.
"As I said, they contacted me via text, but they never used the same number twice. They text me where to leave things and after I reach there, they tell me what to do with them, it was like they were keeping an eye on me." Bonnie shows us her phone. They never used the same number twice.
"Are you the only one in this?" Nyako asks her.
Bonnie shrugs. "I don't know, but I believe there's more of us," she says. "Because the only posters I implanted around the school were the last one and the Sophie King one. I think they have more students working for them."
'Who spends this much money to reprint nine hundred copies just to fake one single column?' Ashton told me once. I shrug him out of my head.
"Do you think we can track them?" Grace asks, turning to Luca.
He shakes his head. "I'm afraid we can't, they're not stupid enough to use personal numbers."
"Please don't reveal me or they'll ruin me," Bonnie cries. "Then my parents will disown me too and I'll have nowhere to go."
At this, Payton opens her mouth at last, "Why shall we believe you? You've betrayed us once before, you can still be working for them for all we know." Her eyes are red. I remember she was the one who welcomed Bonnie in our committee despite the fact Luca didn't like her.
Bonnie opens her mouth and closes again.
"Tell me," Payton continues, "Did they blackmail you before or after you joined our committee?"
Bonnie hesitates. "I-I was interested to join but then they-"
Payton doesn't wait for her to finish as she runs out. Luca follows her. He doesn't look as smug as he was when Bonnie first revealed the truth anymore.
Bonnie is still crying and shaking in fear. "Please don't reveal my name, they'll ruin me.
We promise her we'll try to keep her opening to us a secret. Nyako and Owen leave to drop her home.
"So what now?" Miles asks. It's just three of us left.
Grace sighs. "I don't know what to do anymore."
Before I can open my mouth, my eyes land on the girl in the aisle across us. Natasha also turns away the moment my eyes fall on her. Is she keeping an eye on us?
Before I can tell my friends my eyes move to the newly approached figures in the cafe. I gasp and hide under the table. "Under the table guys!" I hiss.
"Why?" Grace asks as she and Miles look around.
"Problem 010011," I blurt out. They both look at me weirdly.
"What? Never took a computer class before?" None of them looks amused. I sigh, "Look at 3 o'clock but don't look for too long."
They do what I tell them. Grace gasps and ducks under the table. "Uh, why are we hiding again?"
"I don't want them to see me," I whisper. "I had enough of them last week."
"Maybe we should try to run for the door," Miles whispers as they gather around the table next to ours. All of them sound pretty noisy and enthusiastic as they pass by.
"Quick, This is our only chance." He and Grace get out from under the table and make a run for the exit. I crawl to follow them too. I notice Natasha doing the same. But both of us stop on our track when he opens his mouth, "We played them well, right guys?"
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Thoughts?