SHD
CHAPTER 6: Revelation
Umer stepped out of the car and stretched his body. It was a longer drive than he had in mind due to traffic. But none of that mattered anymore because now he was here. He took a deep breath in. "*Cough* Damn it, I don't remember the air being this dirty…"
"That's Lahore for you." His father said as he unloaded the bags from the car. "Better get used to it soon, son." Umer nodded. Still, it didn't feel like this last month. 'Must be the season.' he thought. Setting that train of thought aside, he focused on what was ahead of him.
He talked to his father about joining Scarsedale and luckily for him, he managed to convince him. He told his dad that the international level of the school will help later in life and it was a great opportunity for him. That was true but it wasn't the whole truth. The problem was that the final date on which he could start was 3 weeks before his family could move there. Now, he'll be living at Michael's place for the time being till his family shifts.
Of course, he wasn't joining the school just because of the fancy education. His new friends, the ones that he made last month, were in that school as well. And of course, the most important reason was keeping an eye on his best friend. Staying at his place worked very well for him in that regard.
He helped his father unload his bags. "Make sure to look after yourself, okay? If you need anything and I mean anything, me and your mother are on speed dial." His father told him as he closed the trunk. Umer smiled, "Will do, Dad."
His dad was still worried like any other parent, but what could he do? As Umer was about to hug his father goodbye, his dad stopped him and placed a stern hand on his shoulder. He looked at him seriously. "Don't get involved in anything you can't handle, son."
The shift in tone caught him off guard. He didn't think much of it though, writing it off as his dad just being overprotective. "I got it." His father then smiled and hugged him. "See you in a few weeks then. Take care."
"You too, Dad."
He gave his son one final look and took off. Now, Umer found himself standing in front of Michael's house alone with his bags. It was already 9 pm. He looked up at the night sky and sighed. He was supposed to arrive a lot earlier than this. Oh well, it couldn't be helped. 'Hopefully, Michaeel doesn't sleep early.'
He rang the doorbell and waited. After a few seconds, he was greeted by his mom. "Hello there! How are you?"
"I'm fine Aunty. The drive was a little long though." He muttered the last part.
"Is that so? Well, you made it just in time for dinner! Come on in." She opened the door for him and thanked her, taking his bags inside. The scent of the house was very welcoming, which he appreciated. He looked around awkwardly, wondering where to put his bags.
Michael's mother noticed and pointed upstairs. "You'll have to share your room with Michaeel for a few days. The guest room is being renovated right now." She said apologetically.
"Oh, it's no problem at all, Misses Farooq. I'm lucky to be here at all and sharing a room with Michaeel is no problem haha," Umer quickly responded. He really had no problem with sharing a room with him. In fact, he preferred it because they could stay up and hang out often.
She smiled. "Glad to hear it. Go place your bags in the room, dinner will be ready soon."
He nodded and went upstairs. He opened the door to his room and he was met with darkness. He fumbled with the light switch a little bit before finally turning it on. The room was cluttered, with books and folders on the floor, clothes hanging out of the closet, and the bed wasn't kept. Umer wasn't one to judge but it was not how he expected his room to be. The last time he was here, it was very well maintained.
It was obvious his friend wasn't there. But at this time? It was more than a little strange. It was night. 'Maybe he is out with friends.' he thought. That should be it but if it was the case, he would've told him this morning. Maybe he was overthinking. He placed his bags and tried to tidy up the room a little bit.
With the time he had, he did a pretty good job. 'And now Michaeel owes me one.' As soon he was done, he was called downstairs for dinner. His stomach gurgled. "Perfect timing…" He muttered.
He walked down the stairs to see Misses Farooq placing the dishes on the table. "Come, take a seat." She said. He greeted Mr. Farooq and Ayema as he sat down. Once the dishes were set, they began eating. During the dinner, Michaeel's mother and father asked him about the ride to Lahore. It eventually came down to his studies as well. After which they just talked about random things that happened throughout the day.
It felt very strange to have dinner with just Michael's family and him not being there. But to them, it seemed normal. Were they used to it? He still couldn't shake the feeling that something was missing though, so he finally asked about the elephant in the room.
"So, where's Michaeel right now?"
Mr. Farooq smiled. "He is working late at school."
"Like usual," Ayema added, not looking up from her phone.
'This late? It's almost 10 pm for god's sake!' Umer thought. 'This can't be ordinary school work. Are the council duties really that intense?'
"Don't worry, he'll be back soon." Mrs. Farooq brought him out of his thoughts. She wasn't sharing the same smile as Michael's father. Umer didn't want to think too much of it right now. The long drive started to weigh on him, letting out a yawn.
"Why don't you get some sleep? You'll have plenty of time to hang out with him tomorrow." Mrs. Farooq said as she collected the used dishes from the table.
Tomorrow was Saturday so there was no doubt about that. Regardless, Umer was here for a while so he could have a serious talk anytime. He lazily nodded and went upstairs to sleep.
He woke up the next morning early. The place on the bed next to him was empty. He assumed Michael came in late and woke up early. But there was no sign of his bag or anything new from last night. He quickly dressed up and walked downstairs. The lounge and living room were quiet. The morning light peered through the windows. It was clear to him that no one was awake at this time. Mr. Farooq most likely had left for his job as well.
He sighed and sat down on one of the sofas. No sign of Michael. Did he spend the night out? Umer made himself a sandwich for breakfast. It would be a while till others woke up. 'Perks of waking up at 6 am, I guess.'
He thought about his upcoming first day at school while munching on his sandwich. It was no secret that he wasn't the best socially. How was he going to fit in? The school system is vastly different from his previous school. And he didn't hear a single good thing about the students. Maybe it was a mistake transferring to scarsedale- 'No. I have friends that can help me blend in.' He reasoned with himself. 'And besides, I had to transfer anyway. Why not the school my friends go to.'
The noise of someone fumbling with the keys at the front door made Umer jump. He was almost surprised to see his friend finally show up. So he really did spend the night out. Umer sat quietly as he watched his tall friend stumble his way in. He was still in his uniform. He hadn't noticed Umer who was in the other corner of the room.
In a very self-aware cliché way, he made his presence known. "Ahem." Michael quickly turned his head to face him, eyes wide open. "Where were you, bro?"
Michael stared for a second and then sighed. "I completely forgot you were supposed to arrive today."
"Yesterday." Umer corrected. "I came yesterday."
"Right… Sorry."
Umer sighed. "It's fine, man. Where were you anyway?"
"I was working."
Umer raised a brow. "Huh?"
Michael quickly followed up. "For school I mean. You know, homework, internship, and council duties piled up so tackled them in one night."
Umer didn't want to buy it but he knew he wasn't getting an answer right now. "If you say so, man."
Umer could clearly see the bags under his eyes. He knew he needed to have this serious talk sooner than later. And maybe get him to be more honest. He already knew his friend was involved in shady business. But just how shady was it is the question.
"You want a sandwich?" Umer sat back down.
"No, I'm good. Are you settled in?"
"Yeah, I moved my stuff into your room. But you sure? You don't look like you've eaten anything."
"Not in the mood to eat." Michael walked up the stairs. "I'll be in my room if you need me."
"Not sleeping?" Umer questioned. He was sure Michael hadn't slept at night.
"No. I have school in an hour because of some council work and club obligations."
'You have to be kidding me…' Now, it was getting annoying. Was council work really that important? And how in the world did he hide this from his friends? He stayed up all night and now he is heading to school. This is absurd. Well, to be fair, Umer was living with him now so he would have a better idea of what was happening. And he had only trusted him with this secret of his as far as Umer knew.
Michael left Umer downstairs and he didn't know what to do. Should he follow him up or wait downstairs for a little while before that? He decided to stay downstairs and watch a little TV before he went up.
Flashback, Yesterday:
"Yeah, I'll be home late. Don't wait up for me, okay?"
Sarah watched Michael as he leaned back in his chair while talking to his mother. The school day had reached its midpoint. Sarah shifted around her seat. She didn't know how to feel about the student council office. She didn't dislike it but felt so foreign, despite being there a few times already.
It was a rather large room with multiple sections. A few paintings and motivational posters decorated the off-white walls. The desks were cluttered with paperwork and files. Typical office appliances like printers, scanners, etc were in the corner of the room. Right now, she was in the Vice President's aisle.
"Yeah, I know. Take care, Mom." Michael shoved his phone into his pocket and turned his attention to Sarah. "See? It wasn't a problem, like usual."
"Michael, maybe you should reconsider-"
"No." He cut her off. "We've been over this countless times already. There's no way I'm letting her blackmail you with that video."
"I-I know but if someone finds out about this, forget suspension. It can get you expelled!" She reasoned.
"Stop it. You know no one can do anything even if they find out." Michael rubbed the bridge of his nose. "How do you think the student council has been running all these years?"
She didn't say anything. She knew he was right but she was still hesitant. The events that happened yesterday lingered on her mind.
"I swear, when will you stop hiding behind him anyway." Zoha leaned back at the locker. "It's getting hard to find you alone like this" She smirked.
Sarah ignored her and started walking away. She was too tired to deal with her. And she learned that sometimes, ignoring people like Zoha is the best thing she could do. Zoha did not appreciate her new way of dealing with her though.
She forcibly grabbed Sarah's shoulder and pulled her back. "Look at me when I'm talking to you, bitch!"
Sarah pulled herself away from Zoha. "L-Let me go!"
"Huh? This attitude of yours is starting to piss me off." Zoha scowled. "Maybe leaking that video of you begging like a dog will put you into place."
Sarah's heart sank. "You wouldn't."
"Yes, I will." She smirked. "Maybe tomorrow. Or the day after so you can sit in your little room, cryin' like a bitch for a while." She laughed as she walked off.
Sarah's back hit the wall as she slid down. Her hand in front of her mouth, she fought back tears. She couldn't hide it anymore. She doesn't have a choice except for telling Michael.
She knew he'd listen but she still felt hesitant. Because he would be risking a lot. His position and life at the school were being risked because of her made her feel anxious. But the fact that he was going this far for her made her smile, no matter how serious or messed up the situation was.
"I'll take it and destroy it tonight. She won't have the chance to use this against you tomorrow. I promise you that."
She nodded. "Be careful. A-And thanks, again…"
He smiled. "No need to thank me. After how much you've done for me, this is nothing in comparison."
"Don't feel obligated to do this just because I helped-"
"You know damn well that's not how I meant it," He rashly stood up from his seat. "I have to get to class now. You should as well if you don't want to be late."
Sarah nodded. She felt a buzz in her pocket. She took her phone out to see an anonymous text.
'Imagine the looks everyone will give you tomorrow. Get a good night's rest '
She shuddered. All she could do now was wait.
The school day ended. Michael was waiting for someone outside of the school gate. 'Come on, why is she taking so long?' He tapped his foot on the ground and crossed his arms. 'I should expect this by now. When has she ever been on time?'
He felt a tap on his shoulders. He looked back to see Mary holding a cake roll, grinning widely. "Sorry to keep you waiting. I had to fight tooth and nail to steal this baby away from Hadiya."
Michael wasn't amused. "Maybe you should've let her satisfy her sugar addiction and come here sooner."
She put her hands on her hips. "Don't act strict with me. Remember, I'm helping you, not the other way around."
"Right, sorry. Thanks for helping me with this."
"Now that's what I like to hear! Let's go."
They went to Mary's house. It wasn't far from the school, around a 20-minute walk. Michael looked around Mary's room. The walls were painted red and black and decorated with countless posters. There were also a lot of computer parts laying around. It was messy, not something one would expect from a girl's room.
"It'll take me a few minutes to set everything up." She said as she logged into her computer.
He sat down on the bed while Mary typed away on her keyboard. He stared up at the ceiling a recalled his plan. Michael planned to use a device to steal the video of Sarah from Zoha's phone. To meet Zoha though, he was making Ayyan introduce him to her since they are friends. That way, he can easily hack into her phone when she isn't looking and take the video. 'Once I have the video, I can do whatever I want with them. Stealing the video isn't enough, I have to humiliate them the way they humiliated Sarah. They fucking deserve that much-'
"Alright, all set," Mary announced, leaning back into her chair.
"Already? I thought you said it'll take a minute or two?"
"Hmm, I guess I underestimated my genius!"
'Right. Of course, you did.' He thought sarcastically. "Is it ready then?"
"Yep." She took out the USB stick that was attached to her computer. "You just have to stick this rubber ducky into the phone and you'll have full access to it."
That's a weird name. "Rubber ducky?" He asked, observing the USB. 'Looks like an ordinary USB to me.'
"It's what we call USBs of this nature. Plug them in just for a second and wallah! The other guy is fucked." She explained. "Now, you better know how to use that thing. Don't put my Linux lessons to shame."
"Don't worry. I appreciate you teaching me. It came in handy after all."
"Also, once you're done rick-rolling the gang with it, throw it away. It's dangerous and it can get you into trouble."
Michael paused for a second and then smirked. "Oh? I didn't know our little hacker had morals."
"Hey!" She pouted. "I'm ethical first, then a hacker."
"Right. Thanks, Mary. This means a lot to me." He put the USB stick into his pocket.
She looked away. "I'm just helping you with a prank, no need to make a big deal out of it."
"Still, Thanks a lot."
"Okay, okay I get it. Let me know how Dua reacts to this!" She smirked.
"Will do. Take care."
Michael found himself in front of a big house half n hour later. The sky was looking red. The sun had started to set. On the way there, one thing was on his mind constantly. 'I'm doing this too much. I can't lie to my friends like this. Not just my friends, I'm doing this to Ma'am Anum, Mom, and Dad. Even if they find out, I can always excuse myself. But if my friends find out, I'll be…' He didn't want to finish that thought. And luckily, he couldn't.
"How long are ya gonna stand in front of my house like that?" The treasurer asked from the window.
Michael rolled his eyes. "Just open the door. I don't have much time."
"Fine."
Ayyan opened the door and let him in. Michael noticed the luxurious as he followed Ayyan through the house, into his room. Somehow, this is exactly how Michael imagined Ayyan's house to look.
"Make yourself at home," Ayyan growled in annoyance.
"Don't act rowdy. Don't forget who holds your leash." Michael said quietly, looking around the room to find something to sit on.
"Oh come on, you gonna hold that against me too!?" He furrowed his brows at him angrily.
"I just told you to calm down. It's not that hard, really." Michael said calmly, taking a seat next to Ayyan's desk.
"Listen here you little-"
"Calm down. I mean it." Michael deadpanned. "Don't tell me you already forgot I can get you out of this school whenever I want."
Ayyan paused for a second and scoffed. "Tsk. Whatever." He reluctantly took a seat too. "We are gonna meet Zoha for dinner in an hour or two. You cool with that?"
Michael looked at his watch. It was already 5 pm. He sighed. "Yeah, sure. But more importantly, are you cool with selling your friend out?"
"She ain't a real friend. Just a friend of a friend."
"And that makes it okay for you?"
Ayyan smirked. "Look who's talking. I bet you lied your ass off to get to where you are."
Michael paused. 'He's not wrong-' "I'm not like you scum."
"Whatever you say, you fucking hypocrite."
Michael looked sternly. "I'm not."
"You're in denial." Ayyan laughed. "You remember when I beat your ass on the first day and you took it like a little bitch? You're that same guy. Nothing's changed, ya just got new toys to play with but you are that same guy."
Michael gritted his teeth. "I bet you won't be saying that once you're out of the school."
"Don't get mad at the truth, Vice Prez." Ayyan continued. "A real man wouldn't make threats like that."
Michael stood up. 'I know he's trying to get riled up. But why do I feel so called out.' "What do you know about being a real man, Huh? You, on a leash like a dog doing whatever I say, when I say it. Who the fuck do you think you are, huh?"
Ayyan laughed. "Calm down, Vice Prez. Your friends might hear it."
Michael narrowed his eyes. "What?"
Ayyan gave Michael an all-knowing smirk. "Mahreen told me ya been hiding your position for a while. I don't know how she knows but looks like it's true hahaha,"
Michael, for the first time in a while, felt stupid. He knew keeping it from his friends would catch up with him but he didn't think it would be this quickly. His wide-eyed expression amused Ayyan even more.
"Look, I ain't gonna tell them cuz you already hold all the cards." He walked towards Michael. "But seein' that look on your face is priceless!"
Michael was processing a lot of emotions. The two main ones were embarrassment and anger. Anger at himself because he allowed this to happen. He made this web of lies too big. Big enough to catch himself in it too.
He quietly sat back down. "Just shut up."
Ayyan chuckled. "Whatever you say, boss."
Two very quiet and uncomfortable hours later, Michael and Ayyan set off for a certain burger shop where they met Zoha. The short girl was wearing a long, white band shirt and had her hair tied in a short pony. She wasn't particularly happy to see him. Understandable since the last time they met was when he had to step in between her gang and Sarah.
"I swear, you gotta try this burger. It's fucking unreal." Zoha pointed at it in the menu. "It's expensive but good thing Ayyan got deep pockets."
"Yeah, whatever. Let's just get this over with."
They ordered the food and spent the rest of the time conducting the 'interview'. The story they went with was that Michael wanted to meet her because he was interested in joining their little group. And since Zoha owed Ayyan a few favors, she gave it a shot.
She was obviously very suspicious of him because of what happened between them before. But she was willing to hear him out since he had joined the student council. In her mind, only someone as low as them would join it.
She would ask a few questions here and there to learn more about him but surprisingly, she didn't ask anything concrete. Michael could see she wasn't serious about this.
"Yo, I'm gonna use the shitter. See ya in a bit." Ayyan got up and left. But before he did, he gave Michael a certain look. Michael knew what it meant. It meant 'Wrap your business up quickly, bitch.' Or something like that.
"Sooo, it's just us two now, huh?" Zoha began, twirling her shoulder-length hair around her finger.
"Yeah, looks like it." 'I have to find a way to get the rubber ducky on her phone. Fast.' Michael thought.
"You know, you're kinda cute." She suddenly said. Michael paused and then quickly turned to face her. 'Well, that's new.'
She leaned forward. "If this gang thing doesn't work out, maybe you and I can settle for a different type of agreement."
Michael stared back at her smirking face. He wanted to puke. Michael tried hard to not let his disgust show. He wasn't prepared for something like this at all. "R-Right." He stuttered. "That could totally work." 'Ugh, I don't even want to imagine.' Before he could berate himself more internally, he got an idea. 'Wait, this could work!'
She smiled. She parted her lips to speak but Michael quickly interrupted her. "I think we should exchange numbers!" He said a little too loudly. "That way we can stay in contact."
She paused as if to give it a thought. "Yeah, sure." She said, taking her phone out of her pocket. Michael quickly extended his hand. She unlocked it and gave it to him. She folded her arms and leaned back, waiting for him to put his number in.
Underneath the dinner table, Michael kicked its leg. A glass shattered on the floor that made Zoha jump. "What the fuck was that?" She asked, looking over at the other side of the table.
Michael quickly placed her phone behind his back and attached the USB to it. While Zoha and the waiter were distracted by broken glass, the rubber ducky did its thing. As soon as Zoha was about to turn her face back to him, he shoved the USB back into his pocket and started putting a random number in her phone.
"Did you do that?" She eyed him.
"Nope. I don't know what happened." He said, handing her phone back. She raised a brow but let it go. Michael internally prayed that the rubber ducky had done its job. After a few hours of talking and a few shameless flirts later, Michael got himself out of the restaurant.
Before he could leave though, Zoha grabbed his arm. "I gotta ask. You aren't into that wimpy redhead, right? Cuz the way you jumped in for her, you coulda fooled me."
Michael wanted to give her a piece of his mind. He bit back and forced a lie. "No way. I just needed her for something and it all became a big misunderstanding."
"Right, right. I'll call you, k?" She said as she left.
Michael was doing his best to not let his face contort in disgust. 'If this goes on, I might actually puke.' He forced a smile. "Yeah, sure."
He quickly made his way to a café to sit down and review everything. He quietly took a seat and slipped out his laptop from his bag. He booted up Linux all the while hoping his plan worked. 'Please, please, please work.' He waited for the prompt to load.
*Connection_Confirmed*
He almost jumped from his seat. 'I got you now.' He quickly typed in the commands to access the gallery. Michael didn't feel guilty going through her photos and videos. Not after the things she's done. He scrolled through the countless selfies and random photos. He scoffed. 'I should've expected nothing less from a self-obsessed idiot like her.'
He spent 2 hours searching every nook and cranny of Zoha's phone. As he looked further and further, his anxiousness turned into panic. He felt dread slowly creep its way into his mind. His expression changed as his eyes widened. He went through everything again, this time more thoroughly. And again. 'It has to be here. I must've missed it.'
After a few more hours of searching, he found nothing. No trace of the video that kept him up at night. He leaned back in his seat. He looked absently at the screen. "It's not here." He uttered to himself. The dread was evident from his expression. All that effort had gone to waste. Everything. The lying, the blackmail, and everything else. And he didn't even have the time to try something else. Zoha will leak that video no matter what tomorrow. 'God damnit!'
He sat there for a few seconds with his head low. He quickly shook his head. 'What am I doing? This is just a minor setback. I still have to get that video of her hands. For Sarah's sake.' He checked his watch to see that it was past midnight. He didn't have much time but he had to pull something off. He brainstormed ideas on what to do next.
He finally stumbled upon one. Quickly calling Mary, he prayed that she would pick up. After two tries, she did.
"Michael?" She said groggily.
"Yeah, it's me." He said quickly. "Listen, I need your help."
"Do you not see the fucking time!? I was asleep for god's sake-"
"Maryam, this is urgent." He pleaded. "Please."
There was silence for a second. She sighed. "Ughh, Fine. You better not forget this."
"Thank you! I wanted to know if it's possible for me to access other devices connected to a network that's connected to a probed device."
He didn't hear her reply. He thought the call got cut. "Mary-"
"You woke me up cuz of that? Seriously?"
"Listen, this is urgent. Life or death kind of urgent."
"Okay, okay I get it. Tell me more about this."
Michael explained leaving some obvious parts out. Mary was the best at this field as far as Michael knew. And he wasn't let down when Mary helped him through the whole process. Once Mary had guided him through everything, she hung up and went back to sleep. With her help, he was able to get access to a few other devices under Zoha's possession. Turned out she had a second phone, which Michael couldn't help but roll his eyes at.
He found the video. "Finally!" He cried out. He didn't stand up just yet. He still had to delete the video.
His hate grew even more for Zoha and her crew when he watched it. He still couldn't believe how much Sarah had to endure. He quickly deleted the video and sighed in relief. After hours and hours of sitting in the same damn chair, he got up and stretched. Hearing a few cracks and pops, he sighed in satisfaction.
No one was in the café and he could see some light shining through the windows. Confused, Michael quickly looked at his watch. His eyes widened to see it was already morning.
"Finally finished with your work, huh?" The old barista, standing behind the counter, asked.
"Yeah," Michael said, still wondering how time went by so fast.
"Well, kids like you ought to take a break every once in a while, hmm."
Michael just nodded and packed his things. He was glad he chose a 24/7 hour café for this. He rubbed the bridge of his nose to release some tension. His muscles were still stiff from sitting in one spot the whole night. With a sigh, he made his way back home under the morning light.
Present Day, Noon:
Dua sat down in one of the aisles of the coffee shop. Seeing how the person she was supposed to see didn't show up yet, she maintained a frown. She did not like waiting for people. And she had been doing that a lot more often lately.
She called over the waiter and ordered a cup of coffee. For most people, coffee would put you on edge. But for her, it had the opposite effect. Whenever she feels stiff, annoyed, or uneasy, coffee would help her with it. Just after that, the person she was waiting for finally showed up.
"You came early." Ali, her boyfriend, took a seat opposite her on the aisle. He was dressed in a white polo and green pants. He was tall and also had buzzed hair.
"No." Dua gritted. Not only does she have to deal with her boyfriend's tardiness, but also his righteous attitude. "We were supposed to be here at 3. It's 3:30 now."
"Hey, that doesn't matter now that I'm here." He arrogantly smiled. "Let's get this date going."
Dua was about to give him a piece of her mind. But she got interrupted by the waiter.
"Here's your coffee, Miss."
The waiter placed it on the table. Ali eyed the coffee and tried to grab it. Dua slapped his hand away. "Watch it." She growled. "Order your own."
"Hey!" Ali said, trying to sound offended. Dua just rolled her eyes at him.
They sat in awkward silence. Their dates eventually boiled down to this nowadays. Ali would do something to piss Dua off, she'd get upset and Ali's ego wouldn't allow him to approach the issue. Dua didn't schedule this date just for normal couple things though.
She had seen him with another girl. She wasn't the jealous type. Atleast not with Ali. But it didn't look like they were just hanging out. It seemed way more than that but due to some circumstances, she was forced to confront him on that over a phone call. And she was pretty sure her friends heard her shouting on the phone. Especially the new guy, Umer.
She didn't care about anyone listening in at the time though. She was just so mad. And that wasn't the last time either. Following the phone call, she heard and saw glimpses of the girl around her boyfriend. Now, one month later, their relationship was on thin ice. Not that it took off well either-
"Don't tell me you're already upset about that again?" Ali scowled, having enough of the awkward silence. "You hang out with your guy friends too. Don't hear me saying anything."
That was different. She wasn't blind. Anyone that could see knew that the girl he was 'hanging out' with was no ordinary friend. And after hearing the rumors about her boyfriend and that girl, she had no reason to believe a single word he said.
"Yeah, no, everything's fine." She shot back sarcastically. Truth be told, she didn't even know how she felt about Ali now. They had only been together for a few months. And it hurt Dua's ego to accept that she chose the wrong guy. That's the only thing keeping her from dumping Ali.
"It's always this with you." Ali let out an exaggerated sigh. "Like, why don't you smile when you're with me, bunny?"
That pet name was the final straw for Dua. She never liked the concept of it and she didn't like hearing it from his mouth. "Why don't I ever smile? Cuz you're being a fucking jackass all the time! Being late, hanging out with other girls, and acting like a fucking airhead all the time."
She paused and deadpanned at him. "And don't ever call me that again."
"You got it all wrong. It's nothing like-"
"Spare me. It's the same lazy excuses that no one in their right fucking mind would believe."
Ali raised his voice too. "Atleast I'm trying, right!? You just sit there and keep your fucking hole shut and expect me to do all the work." He shook his head. "You're such a piece of work."
"Piece of work? You're the lying piece of shit that's whoring for attention! You really think I'm buying your shit stories? And what about the time you-"
"I told you already, It isn't anything like that-"
"Let me finish talking for once." Dua slammed her hand on the table.
"You just cut me off right now!"
"Yeah, it doesn't feel good, does it? That's how I've been feeling for so long."
Ali stood up. "I really can't do this right now. Talk when you're ready to talk."
"Oh, I'm ready to talk. If you just fucking listened and stopped gaslighting for once!" She shouted as Ali left the café.
She sighed. The realization that she was in a café hit her hard. That little commotion caught the attention of everyone. "You guys need some serious couple counseling." One guy in the back muttered. Her face flushed in shame. She gulped down her hot coffee and felt a burn in her throat but with the amount of stares on her, she wanted to be out of there quickly. She left the bill for her coffee on the table and rushed out.
The Next Day:
"Ryyan!"
As Ryyan walked out of class, he heard his name being called out. He knowingly smiled at the voice. Turning around, he saw Farah waving at him. Her eyes glinted as she flashed a bright smile. Ryyan's heart skipped a beat.
Ryyan walked up to her. "Good to see you. I thought you'd be in class right now."
She shook her head. "I have a free period."
Ryyan smiled. "Guess who else got a free track."
"Oh, I know," Farah leaned in to caress his face. "The cooking club is empty right now. Go with me?"
Ryyan touched her hand. "Of course."
"Get a room!" Ryyan heard his friend, Qasim, as exited the classroom.
Ryyan rolled his eyes, making Farah giggle. "Okay, Mr. Serious. Let's go."
No one was in the cooking club, as Farah mentioned. It looked like a big, glorified kitchen with lots of décor. There were cooking-related quotes on the walls and they were painted bright blue and pink. Not anything you'd normally see in a high school club.
Just entering the room, Farah put on an apron and styled her hair in a loose ponytail. Ryyan's pulse quickened. He tried hiding his constant glances at his girlfriend as she prepared the ingredients. It didn't go unnoticed by her though.
"What?" She asked with a smug grin.
That broke whatever trance Ryyan was in. He quickly put his hands up in defense. "Nothing! Carry on."
"Okay, big boy."
She always had a way to get him going. The way she spoke, the way she handled herself, everything. And this effect she had on him was embarrassing. But he didn't mind it though. Quite the opposite. And it helped to cope with the embarrassment when he had the same effect on her.
He leaned into the counter where Farah was trying to crack an egg. He placed his hand on her waist. She flinched and almost dropped the egg. "H-Hey!" She uttered, a light blush tinting her face. "What's this all of a sudden?"
Ryyan pulled her closer. "Thought I'd repay you for that."
"Uh huh." Farah leaned into him. "I could've dropped that egg…"
"No worries. What are we making, by the way?"
She pouted. "We are making cake, remember? You promised you would teach me."
It had completely slipped Ryyan's mind. But he wasn't going to let her know that. "R-Right, I remember."
Her pout deepened. "You forgot, didn't you?"
He shouldn't have been surprised that she was able to see through him. She always saw right through him. "Yeah. Sorry."
She smiled. "It's okay. I know you have a lot on your mind with everything happening in the school." She turned around to face him. "But you gotta teach me now."
"Right here? In the school?" He raised a brow.
"The sooner the better!" She exclaimed. "They have all the ingredients… I think."
Ryyan shook his head. "We can do this at my place too with a lot more time. What's the rush?"
She paused and broke eye contact. Ryyan had a feeling something was up. "What's wrong?"
"I don't want to be the type of girlfriend that can't cook at all!" She blurted out loudly. Realizing it, she quickly put her hand on her mouth. "Sorry. That was a little loud-"
She got interrupted by Ryyan breaking into laughter. Lightly slapping his arm, she pouted. "It's not funny, you know."
"Sorry haha. You had me worried there for a sec."
"Cuz it is something to worry about! It's been on my mind for a while now."
Ryyan placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "You know I don't care about whether you can cook or not, right?"
She melted under his touch. "B-But still… It's not fair that you make so much delicious food for me and I can't do the same."
Ryyan pondered for a second. "If you're insisting, I'll teach you."
"Yay! You're the best" She hugged him tightly.
Ryyan smiled contently, patting her back. Nothing could be compared to this feeling for him. He felt so lucky to have her. "Let's get to work."
*40 minutes later.*
"How did you get the frosting on the ceiling?" Ryyan asked, amused.
"I don't even know…" She stated, staring at the dripping frosting.
Ryyan looked at his watch. "Hey, we're running out of time. Let's continue this at my today."
"Yeah." She mumbled sadly. "I feel like I accomplished nothing today."
Ryyan intertwined his fingers with hers. "Don't think like that. You did great! Especially for a beginner."
"You think so?"
"I know so."
She quickly kissed his cheek. Clearly not expecting it, his face flushed. Her eyes sparkled as she gave him a content smile. The same smile that made Ryyan fall for her even more.
"Thanks, Ryyan."
He smiled back. "Anytime."
Hand in hand, they walked out of the club. Farah was getting late for her next class and Ryyan had decided to walk her there. He didn't want to let go of her just yet. And neither did she. Until they ran into a familiar face.
"Didn't expect to see you two here."
"Oh, hey Dua!" Farah greeted the blonde with enthusiasm. "I could say the same."
"It's good to see you." Dua tried to match Farah's energy but she was tired. She had her hands in her pockets. A rather rare thing to see.
"Good to see you too." Ryyan smiled. "Where are you headed?"
"I was looking for you."
Ryyan could sense some urgency in her words. He recognized the look in her eye. You don't see Dua asking for help often. It takes a lot for her to admit that she needed help. And every time she did ask for help, she had that same look. The look of confusion and anger.
"Why, Did something happen?" He asked instinctively.
"Something like that."
Before he could say anything, Farah let go of Ryyan's hand and announced, "I should get to class then. You guys can talk in private."
Dua waved her arms. "If I'm interrupting something, I can always do this another time-"
"Nope, it's no biggie. Ryyan was just walking me to class. I can go alone, it's not that far." She glanced back at Ryyan and smiled.
"You sure?" Ryyan asked for confirmation. He knew she had no problem going on her own but she usually did not like it when her and Ryyan's personal time got disturbed. Even if it was as simple as a walk. She often made exceptions for Dua though.
"Mhm. Take care." She blew Ryyan a kiss and walked away.
Ryyan couldn't help but let out a chuckle. He had gotten used to it but it never failed to have the same effect on his heart. And every time, he felt like the luckiest man in the world.
"You guys are cute." Dua smiled.
"Well, so are you and Ali," Ryyan said courteously.
Dua's smile vanished. She broke eye contact and Ryyan instantly knew what was bothering Dua. She and Ali were having problems. It was nothing new. Everyone was against the idea of them being together but it was her choice.
"It's Ali, isn't it?" Ryyan frowned. He never liked him. The only reason he tolerated Ali was out of respect for Dua. No one liked him in fact. His brash attitude, inability to accept mistakes, always gaslighting and then making himself the victim. That's all that Ali was in Ryyan's mind.
Dua nodded. They went to an empty classroom for some privacy. She explained everything to Ryyan. Everything from how her supposed date went to all the issues she was facing before that. The ignoring, cheating, gaslighting, etc. She gave him the complete picture.
Ryyan already knew some of it but he wasn't expecting the cheating part. 'Who in their right mind would cheat on Dua.' He asked himself.
"That's about it." Dua somberly relaxed her rigid posture.
"Let's get rid of him." Ryyan declared sternly.
"W-What?" Her eyes widened.
Seeing her alarmed expression, Ryyan sighed. "Why are you with him in the first place, Dua?"
"Huh?"
"You clearly didn't have feelings for him," Ryyan argued. "Don't even try to deny it because all of us know. Then what was the reason you gave him a shot?"
Dua was dumbfounded. She looked away, teeth clenching. What was she supposed to say? Ryyan always knew what was happening. And in this case, she didn't know how to feel about that. She glanced back at him. His light brown eyes pierced hers in a tight glare. He was serious.
She sighed. "You're right. It's… a lot more complicated than that."
Ryyan's voice darkened. "Did he force you into anything?"
"What? No!" She glared back. "Do you honestly think I would let that happen-"
"Then what is it?"
Dua was about to say something but it didn't leave her mouth. She went quiet. Again. Ryyan internally cursed at himself. 'She almost told me.'
"You wouldn't get it." She muttered.
"I'm the only one who'll get it. We're the only ones who'll get it." Ryyan pleaded. "We can only help if you let us."
"It's dumb, okay!?" She yelled and got up to her feet. "I can't tell you why but you already know that I barely had any feelings for him. Is that not enough?"
Ryyan thought for a second. "It was your ego, wasn't it?"
"That's… part of it, I guess," Dua admitted. "But it doesn't matter now, does it?"
Ryyan looked back at her confidently. "I think I figured it out. But I won't say anything if you don't want me to."
Dua took a step back. "How did you-"
"Do you want me to say it or not?"
Dua glared at him. "Go on."
Ryyan leaned forward in his seat. "The time you started dating Ali was around when Michael came back."
"And?"
"The fact that you started dating him was so out of the blue. Especially since you guys argued and bickered on the phone in the first week." Ryyan continued. "I guess what I'm trying to say is… that you picked a guy that was closest to you for some reason. As if out of urgency."
Dua took another step back. She looked on in terror. As soon as he saw her expression, Ryyan regretted telling her. He may have just hit the nail on the coffin and Dua never expected him to. He had seen her like that before. Whenever she thinks no one can figure it out but then someone does. She just doesn't know how to handle it. But still, one key piece of information was missing. Why?
"Hey, I can stop if you want," Ryyan quickly reassured.
Dua took a moment to catch herself. She sighed, "You're right, partially. We both knew this wasn't going to go far. Hell, this farce of a relationship didn't go past handholding."
Ryyan looked up in surprise. "Really?"
"Were you expecting more?"
"It seemed like you two had gotten closer than that."
"Right." She mumbled. "And now we have this mess."
Silence followed. Ryyan still didn't get his answer. What was the rush? Why did she call Ali her boyfriend when they couldn't even go past hand holding. It seemed like there was no confession or anything. It just happened. But why?
"Hey, what was the rush anyway?" Ryyan broke the silence.
"Let's just forget about it, okay? It's stupid and even I make mistakes sometimes." She shot it off.
"Hmm, if you say so."
Ryyan couldn't pinpoint exactly why this even happened but he had a wild guess. The timing was just too perfect. And an argument on the phone with him before he came back to Lahore. A big, almost friendship-breaking argument. The timing was so right but he could still be wrong. And he didn't want to push the matter anymore.
Right now, he had to focus on more important things. Like helping Dua out of this joke of a relationship. He stood up with resolve. "We need to end this house play. You know that. If this goes on, you'll get hurt. And so will Ali." He set his and Ali's differences aside for a while. At the end of the day, this was harming both of them. Atleast that's what Ryyan believed.
Dua still seemed somewhat hesitant. "I don't know about this." She said, folding her arms.
"Dua, I know you don't like to admit when you're wrong but this is going way too far." Ryyan tried convincing her. "Staying with him just to satisfy your ego is way too much."
She gave in. She let herself lightly fall on top of the desk. Her expression changed from frustration to just tiredness. "You're right." She let out a big sigh. "Let's work this out now over the phone, yeah?"
Ryyan internally celebrated his victory and let a big smile spread across his face. "You got it." Convincing Dua is hard. Really hard. He can't help but feel relieved every time he manages to do so.
"Why over the phone though?"
"I don't even want to look at him right now. And the sooner I'm done with this breakup, the better."
"That's cold." Ryyan joked. "Let's go arts club. I have a feeling this class will fill up soon. The club room is going to empty right now." She nodded.
"And thanks. For giving me a reality check." She said as they left the classroom.
"That's what I'm here for. To keep all of you in check. Even you." He chuckled.
She playfully elbowed him. "I can say the same for myself, lover boy."
*Bham!*
"AAAH."
"Woah!"
A girl suddenly ran into them, making Ryyan and herself fall. Dua caught herself before she could fall. She angrily looked back at the girl that just crashed into them. She had a very distressed expression and seemed to be in a hurry.
"Hey! Watch where you're going asshole." She cursed as she helped Ryyan up back to his feet.
The girl didn't bother looking back. She quickly got up from the ground, dusted herself off, and continued running. Dua glared at the, now out-of-sight, girl before tending to Ryyan.
"Did you get hurt?"
Ryyan groaned, lightly massaging his shoulder. "Not really. But what was all that about."
"I have no idea-"
"Where did she go!?" The treasurer, Ayyan, suddenly came running around the corner. He looked out of breath. He was clearly on a chase.
"Who?" Ryyan asked.
"Zoha! Ya must've seen her. She was running around over here, I'm sure."
"You mean the girl that tried to run us over?" Dua pinched the bridge of her nose in annoyance.
Ayyan stared for a second. "I guess? Just tell me where she went."
Ryyan eyed him suspiciously. "Hold up. What do you want with her anyway?"
"Orders of the council vice prez," Ayyan grunted.
Dua and Ryyan looked at each other. They were lost. This guy was chasing after a girl. How did the student council vice president become part of the conversation? But a better question was, who is the vice president? It was never declared and there was no formal ceremony after the last one got kicked off.
"Who's the vice president?"
Ayyan paused and smirked. "You already know him."
"Huh?" Dua and Ryyan said in unison. They knew him? What's that supposed to mean? And whoever it was, what did he want with that girl?
"Why does the vice president want-"
"Look, I ain't got time to answer your questions. If ya ain't gonna tell me, then move outta my way." He pushed both of them aside and turned around into the hallway.
"What an idiot," Dua grunted.
Ryyan was lost in thought. He had already noticed a fair share of differences in the school. With strange things happening every day, it was stepping out of the realm of conspiracy and becoming an actual concern.
"Dua, did you notice anything weird about the school this past month?"
She leaned against the wall. "Like how the school is slowly turning into a military college with how strict things got, yeah."
Ryyan nodded in agreement. "Not just that. The expulsion rate is going nuts. You hear about a student getting expelled every day at this point."
"Yeah. Do you have any idea what's causing all this?"
"I did some detective work here and there but I couldn't find anything. But…"
"But?" Dua gestured for him to continue.
"With the information we have right now, I'd say it has something to do with this new Vice President."
They didn't discuss it further just yet. They had a breakup to deal with. And one that was happening over the phone to make matters worse. Once in the art club, which was of course completely empty, Dua whipped her phone out of her pocket and quickly dialed Ali's number.
Ryyan shot her a questioning look. They hadn't rehearsed anything. He was just there to provide moral support it seemed. And in case things went bad.
"Hello?"
Ali's voice sounded hoarse. He just woke up from a nap. Talk about a rude awakening.
"Hey, it's me. I'm ready to talk."
"Can't it wait?" Ali grunted. "We can do this in person-"
"No. We are doing this now."
15 minutes later:
Ryyan wanted to push a bullet into his ear. Listening to Dua and Ali bicker and argue for 15 minutes straight felt like an eternity. He was really happy it ended. Atleast there won't be any more of this.
"Well?" Ryyan spoke up, as soon as she cut the call.
She sighed in contentment, a small smile gracing her face. "Safe to say we aren't on talking terms anymore."
Ryyan raised a brow. "You don't seem upset about that."
"A huge weight just got lifted from my shoulders. And I think we're both glad that we're done with him."
Recalling the whole breakup call Ryyan had to sit and listen to, he muttered, "Terrible."
"I feel better now. Thanks to you." She smiled.
He returned the smile. "That's what I'm here for. You're taking this well."
"Because you were right. It was mostly my ego."
"Hmm. I see."
Both of them were now relaxing in comfortable silence. They were just relieved the whole thing got subsided quickly. Unfortunately, as soon as one problem left, another emerged.
"We should look into whatever's happening to our school." Dua's face was riddled with concern again. "I actually never thought about it before but this is beyond suspicious."
"Yeah. Now that nothing is standing in the way, let's find out what we can on Monday."
"Right."
Monday:
"Well, today's gonna be interesting." Umer fiddled with his new blazer. He was as excited as he was terrified. It was his first day of school. A new school with a totally different system. Both socially and educationally.
His main concern was fitting in. This was a completely different environment than what he was used to. And it's not like he heard any good things about the students there. To top it all off, he wasn't good socially either. The odds were against him in every way.
But there was a big bright side. He already had friends. A lot of friends. He didn't need any more. So no needless social interactions for him. His relationship with them was still in the infancy stage but hey, the hard part was out of the way.
"It'll be fine. Don't worry." Michael picked up his bag. He didn't have much time on the weekend. Unlike Umer, he had school on Saturday. Despite having school, He had quite the time on Saturday. Just thinking about it brought a satisfied expression to his face.
"Get on your knees," Michael commanded, phone in hand.
"W-What?" Zoha stammered. She was scared. Ayyan, her 'Friend' finally caught up with her and brought her to a dark, isolated part of the school, behind the senior block. Where she usually brought Sarah-
"I said get on your fucking knees!" Michael barked. "Do it or I'll crush this." He held up her phone.
She looked over to where Ayyan was standing. It wasn't exactly a betrayal since the two were barely friends. And she could clearly see he wasn't happy with what was happening. That didn't help her in any way though. It did the exact opposite. Because Ayyan had a phone in his hand. And it was recording her.
Michael watched on as Zoha slowly bent down. Streams of tears rolled down her face. Her pride. Her ego. Her dignity and image. All were crumbling. And the look of terror on her face made it all the sweeter for Michael.
"Now beg for it." He said, holding up her phone. He figured it was the most important thing to her. And he was right judging by what was happening.
She was crying. Everything was being taken away from her. No pride or dignity. "Give it back…" She muttered under her breath, trying not to show her breaking voice.
"Louder."
"I said give it back!" She sobbed. "Please."
He smirked. "Now, confess to everything you've done at this school." He got what he needed.
Michael had made sure to mask his voice with a filter and cut himself out of the frame of the video. He didn't want to be recognized. People didn't know who the council vice president was and he intended to keep it that way.
He had leaked the video before Umer woke up. Today, he'll enjoy the fruits of his labor. He could've had her expelled but he gave her something much worse. Now she'll know how Sarah felt. He made an example out of her. No guilt, no grief. He felt none of those things. He didn't do anything wrong-
Noticing his friend's smirk, Umer raised a brow. "What's up?"
Michael snapped out of his thoughts. "Nothing. Let's go." He picked up his bag and went downstairs.
Umer eyed him suspiciously and then sighed. He didn't know how much longer he could keep it a secret. It was dangerous, he knew that. What he didn't know was how to help his friend out of this. Or if he even wanted to be helped.
He hasn't known his friends for that long but they have known Michael for a long time. If only he could tell them-
"You coming or not." Umer heard him call out from downstairs.
"Be there in a sec."
School:
"Wait, you're telling me he still hasn't done it?" Mary casually tossed her back beside the chair.
"Nah, he didn't do anythin like that." Hamza sat down next to her.
"That's weird. He said he'll do it to all of you."
Mary was confused. The reason Michael wanted that rubber ducky so badly was to prank the whole gang. He should've done it by now. Hamza would've been his prime target because of all the pranks he pulled on Michael.
"Did he do it to Dua? You were with her and Ryyan yesterday, right?"
"They didn't mention it so nah. Pretty sure none of us got it." Hamza leaned back in his chair. "Sounds pretty funny though. You know, you should give me one of those-"
"Absolutely not," Mary said sternly. "If Michael didn't use it for that, who knows what he used it for." She said, concern growing.
"Oh come on, he gets one and I don't?" Hamza argued playfully. Seeing how serious Mary had gotten he tried comforting her. "Don't worry, he probably did nothin with it."
Mary thought for a second. "I don't know. It's dangerous if… Oh no."
She trailed off. Wide-eyed, she froze into place. It all made sense now. The sudden interest in Linux, the rubber ducky, and the late-night phone call. Mary really messed up.
Hamza shot her a worried glance. "You okay?"
"I think… I know what he used it for."
"You do?"
She gave a somber yet stiff nod. "On Friday… he called me in the middle of the night asking random hacking-related questions. This was the same day I gave him the rubber ducky."
Dots started to connect in Hamza's head. He guessed what must've happened. Michael hacked someone using Mary. Without her permission. If that was the case, he lied to her. And it was no white lie.
Still, Hamza tried staying optimistic. "We don't got no straight facts, alright? Maybe he was just curious and hit you up late at night."
Mary wasn't convinced. Hamza knew that. It would be too much of a coincidence if it wasn't the case. Michael lied to Mary and used her skills for a literal crime. Mary didn't look upset, she looked like she was filled with dread.
"Hamza… He hacked someone. If it harmed someone… I'll bare the blame."
Hamza shot it down immediately. "You know that's bullshit! You got nothin to do with-"
"I had everything to do with it!" She argued back. "I made it happen… If someone got hurt because of it, it was because of me."
She slowly put her head down on her desk. She was always careful when it came to hacking. And she hated cybercrime. Especially since she was a victim of it. She hated it. Despite practicing all types of hacking and cyber attacks, they were mainly for information and fun. Something Michael was supposed to do. That's why she specifically told Michael to destroy the rubber ducky once he was done. It's too malicious in the wrong hands.
She was going to take the blame for whatever he did with the rubber ducky. How could she not? She made it for him and even helped him out in the hacking process. 'Why didn't I question anything?' She thought to herself. It was late and she just woke up but still.
Maybe to someone else, it wasn't a big deal. But it is to her. She knew what cyberbullying and cyber-attacks could do. She had experienced them. She trusted Michael with something dangerous and… Now what?
She felt an arm wrap around her. Hamza pulled her into a hug. "Hey." He whispered. "Whatever happens, just know it ain't your fault. I know you ain't gonna accept it easily but no one's blaming you, okay?"
A small smile crept up on her face. Hamza was always there to comfort her. She tried putting up a hard, troll exterior but she was sensitive. Whenever something bothered her, something made cry, her friends were always there to comfort her. Especially Hamza. Even when she cried about her mom-
Their phones buzzed at the same time. Mary raised her head from the table. They both looked at each other before pulling out their phones. The school's Snapchat group was going insane with a lot of people tagging and commenting on a video.
Hamza was the first to watch it. His puzzled expression slowly turned into disgust. "What the hell?" Hamza was tough. Not a lot had him looking like that. That and noises from the video piqued her curiosity. She looked over Hamza's shoulder.
"What's happening?"
"I don't know… Looks like the girl is getting bullied."
Mary placed her hand on her mouth. "She did some nasty things from the sound of it but… I can't follow. What does this mean?"
"Wish I could tell ya."
Rooftop:
"Dua, that's the girl that ran into us yesterday." Ryyan showed Dua the video.
She felt disgusted but it was overshadowed by the question. What in the world was happening in their school? First the sudden expulsions, stricter rules, the spread of anxiousness, and now this?
"That's her alright. I think you might be right about all of this being related to the vice president."
Ryyan nodded. Yesterday, the treasurer of the council was chasing after her. On the orders of the vice president. There was no doubt everything that was happening was because of that one person pulling the strings.
"The problem is we don't know who it is." She pointed out. "We need to figure that out first."
The surfacing of the video was quite a shock but they didn't have time to ponder on it. Something was wrong in this school. Perhaps even more wrong than it was before. They needed to get to the bottom of it somehow.
Dua got lost deep in thought. Trying to figure out who it could possibly be. No one sprung to her mind. They had to do a lot more investigating before they could narrow it down. But it looked like Ryyan didn't think so. He was frozen. He had only one voice ringing in his head. 'You already know him.'
"I don't know for sure but… It could be Michael."
Dua broke out in laughter. "Be serious, we don't have time for this."
Ryyan wasn't laughing with her though. He was as serious as ever. And he also looked like he was about to throw up. Barely keeping it together after that realization.
Dua noticed it. "You're kidding, right?"
Ryyan shook his head. "I thought about it last night. And what the treasurer of the council said about it being someone we know. And just the way he has been acting for the past month or two."
Dua took a step back. "T-There must be something we're overlooking. It can't be him." She was flustered. She was trying to calm herself down but the more she thought about it, the more it made sense. "You really think it's him in that video?"
Ryyan looked like he was battling his own 5 stages of grief. He dreadfully looked down. "I don't want it to be him. I really don't. I just… can't be sure."
Dua can try to deny it all she wants but the seed of possibility had been planted. Her rational mind just wouldn't let it slide. She had to prove Ryyan wrong somehow. If only there was a way to confirm it-
"Wait a second, I think someone might know about this." Dua wasn't sure. But if not him, then who else?
"Who?"
"Umer. He's living with Michael now, right? And he was his friend outside of this school." Dua explained. "If anyone has a clue about this, it's him."
Ryyan's eyes widened. "You're right. And he's here today."
Dua took a step forward with conviction. "Then we have to get it out of him as soon as possible."
The Library:
Sarah almost didn't want to believe it. She was quietly reading in the library. Michael did tell her that she didn't need to worry about the video. She was grateful for that. But this? She was not expecting this. She was not expecting him to go this far.
And for whom? She didn't ask this of him. She didn't even insinuate as she did about getting the video out of her hands. The moment she saw that video, she knew it was him. The only one that knew about the video that could do something like this was him.
She had mixed feelings about this. A part of her felt guilty. Whatever happened to her, she wouldn't wish it on anyone. Not even Zoha. She thought this happened because of her.
But the other part of her felt… Satisfied. Seeing someone that hurt her, made her life hell for so long suffer made her feel good. She had the right to, no? She didn't ponder on those feelings though. The guilt outweighed that, and she quickly dismissed any of those darker thoughts. 'What am I thinking…?'
She had to look for Michael and talk about this. This wasn't anything they planned. He told her everything he did. They were partners after all. She exited the library, hoping she'll get an explanation soon.
Meanwhile:
"Man, my intro sucked!" Umer sulked. He finished homeroom and his first 2 periods of the day. He knew he was awkward but this was not his fault. People were just being weird.
"I didn't even do anything wrong!" He walked along with his friend. "They just looked at me like I was from another planet or something."
Michael sighed. "I told you to expect it."
"Bro, I didn't know that it was that bad." Umer placed a hand on his chest. "I even manned up and tried talking with some of them but holy shit, they are freaking rude."
"I-I'm Umer. Nice to meet you."
He was met with complete silence at first. And then they started whispering. 'Okay, this is just rude.' He thought.
Sir Ozair, his homeroom teacher, didn't bother scolding the students either. And now Umer was stuck on stage with his classmates gossiping about him already. How did this happen so fast?
His teacher sighed. "Just go and find a seat."
He saw one empty in the corner of the class. Sitting down, he wanted the ground to swallow him up. They just kept staring and whispering about him. It made him feel all the more self-conscious.
"It's his first day so share your textbooks with him." He heard Sir Ozair announce. The announcement was followed by grumbles of annoyance from the class. Umer was almost impressed at how quickly they started hating him.
"This is the worst. Another idiot in our class and we gotta share our books too." A girl sitting on the right side of him muttered. But her voice was loud enough for him to hear. Intentionally.
Umer shifted in his seat. This was not the start he was looking for.
"Don't worry." Michael stopped and looked at him. "We have your back. Just tell me if something happens."
Umer smirked. "Look at you, trying to be my knight in shining armor or some shit. That's gay, buddy."
"If you say so."
They were on their way to the library to collect some books. Umer opted to go with Michael since it was a free period. And he didn't know anyone else's schedule.
His terrible introduction wasn't the only thing that happened today. The first thing he saw as soon as he was added to the school's Snapchat was that leaked video. And it was his first taste of how messed up things could get here.
"You've seen that video right?" He asked out of curiosity. "The one with the girl on the ground?"
"Hmm, yeah." He replied absently. "What of it?"
Umer didn't think it was a nonchalant matter. Seeing something like that happen on school grounds will put the fear of god into anyone. And it was particularly disturbing too.
"Nothing. It was nasty though." Umer grimaced. "You were right about the school being fucked up."
"Really? I thought she deserved it."
Umer stopped. He gave his friend a hard, shocked look. "What?"
Michael stopped and looked back at him. The air felt heavy and tense. A complete contrast to the light sulking from before. Umer stood his ground though.
"What do you mean by that-"
"Didn't you hear what she confessed to?" Michael quickly interrupted. "If you ask me, she deserved what happened to her."
Umer didn't like what he was hearing. Michael would never say that. "Dude, for all we know, she could've been answering under distress." He countered. "Even if she did those horrible things, you report them. Not this!"
Michael frowned. "People like her need to pay. Whoever did this to her should've done more."
"My guy, people who did this are no better than her! This isn't how you deal with bullies-"
"Oh, being the moral police now?" Michael bickered, raising his voice. "What do you know? You just got here."
Umer felt disgusted. And he let it show. He wasn't even sure if he was talking to his friend anymore. That couldn't be him, can it? How could he think like this? The Michael he knew was the exact opposite. It's almost like he's as bad as the people in that video-
'Could it… Could it be him that was bullying that girl in the video? With the council, he has the authority… No, no way. But… Why does it make so much sense?' Umer didn't voice this yet. He didn't want to escalate this more. But he couldn't help but voice his disappointment.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Umer asked. His voice was laced with dismay. He didn't know who he was talking to. The recent changes were bad enough but to think they were leading up to this.
"Michael?"
Michael was glaring at Umer. And he was just about to say something but got interrupted by Sarah. She had just appeared from around the corner of the hallway.
"What?" Michael grunted. That caught Umer off guard. Why was he pissed at Sarah all of a sudden? She didn't look like she was bothered though, which made Umer wonder even more.
"We need to talk… Is this a bad time?" She fiddled with the buttons on her coat.
"No. Let's go somewhere private." Michael said, still keeping his eyes on Umer. He gave him one last look before walking off with Sarah.
Sarah gave Umer an apologetic glance before following him. Umer knew he didn't want to be tailed and that this conversation was over so he didn't bother. He had too much to think about.
He knew Michael was the vice president. And the rumors around him were disturbing but he didn't pay them any mind. Maybe he should have. After talking with him, he had little reason to think the rumors weren't true.
"Got a minute?"
Umer's mind was all flustered. But he didn't get enough time to work through it. Dua, Ryyan, Hamza, and Mary were standing right behind him. Did they follow them? How did they catch up to him right so quickly right after Michael left?
"Uh, a bit of a surprise seeing all of you here." He nervously chuckled. "What's up?"
"Ay man, we just wanna ask a few questions." Hamza was the first to speak up. The way they were standing and looking at him made Umer feel he was about to get jumped.
Atleast someone noticed it though. "We just need your help with something," Ryyan told him softly. "Let's talk somewhere less crowded."
Mary gestured for him to walk with them. They were his friends. He trusted them. But something about this whole thing felt very ominous. It was probably the grim looks on their faces. He didn't know them for long but this was the first time he had seen them like this.
They arrived at an empty classroom. Dua pulled out a seat for him. Seeing how all 4 of them sat around him, made him nervous. What the hell was happening? The room was dark but not dark enough that they couldn't see each other. This felt like an interrogation. Maybe it was.
"No need to be alarmed," Ryyan spoke again. "This is just a very serious matter."
"Yeah, you aren't in any trouble. The setting makes you think so, right?" Mary grinned. That made him feel better. But not by a lot.
"S-So, what do you guys want to know?"
"We are just worried about Michael, fam. That's all." Hamza reassured. So this is what it was about. Somehow this is vastly different from what Umer had in his head.
"Ya know, he is very quiet nowadays. He doesn't joke as much. Shit like that."
"Yeah. Must be a lot on his mind-"
"We think whatever's happening on campus is happening because of him." Dua declared bluntly. She wasn't in the mood to beat around the bush.
Ryyan nodded. "Yeah. We are not sure how, but we think he is somehow involved."
Umer didn't know what to say. He tried playing dumb. "T-That's ridiculous! There's no way he would get-"
"He hacked someone." Mary somberly stated. "Using my gear and techniques."
Umer had no clue about that. "Really? Why would he-"
"That's what we need your help with. So just answer honestly." Ryyan's voice came out tight and flat. He was done sugarcoating as well.
"I-I really don't know anything about this-"
He felt a hand on his shoulder. Looking up, he saw Dua. She had a more fragile expression than before. "We don't have time, Umer. We want to be wrong about this. I want to be wrong about this. So tell us we're wrong. Honestly."
Umer froze. Maybe they could help? He couldn't lie forever. Michael was going too far. He was barely the same person. They had to know. They had the right to know. He wasn't a big fan of keeping this secret either but he never had the chance to properly talk about it with Michael. And when he tried to, it blew up in his face just a few minutes ago.
He had never faced a dilemma like this. Should he tell them? He has the choice to not say anything but would it be right? Looking around, he saw the expectant gazes of his friends.
And Hamza hit the nail in the coffin. "This is for his own good."
Taking a deep sigh, Umer finally looked up. He had made his choice.
"Michaeel is the student council vice president. And I think everything that has been happening is because of him."
Deafening silence followed.