by Ruby Vincent
Alex had done an amazing job piecing together the footage from my button cam. He took hours of bullying, taunts, insults, secrets, and stairwell hookups and condensed them down to a five-minute movie trailer of what life in Evergreen was really like—for me.
I had gotten lucky with the hookup video. After a few nights of sticking my head in the stairwell on the way to my room, I finally overheard the sounds that could not be mistaken. A quick run upstairs, ducking my head like I was oh so embarrassed, and the button got the cherry on top of what was a shocking video.
“I was thinking five— No, four dollars for a fuck.”
“There are pills that will help you stay awake to study. You can have some of mine. I also have coke if you’re really hard up.”
“Can I borrow your razor? I’m sneaking Jared in through the window tonight.”
“Cade is going to beat me out for valedictorian at this rate. I’m thinking I should just cheat. There’s a junior who sells term papers for only five hundred a pop.”
“Stop playing hard to get. Give it up already, slut.”
“Out of the way, bitch.”
“Why couldn’t that fall down the stairs have finished you off?”
That last gem Natalie shouted at me across the cafeteria. I had gotten it all, but thanks to Alex, my voice and anything else that could point to me had been scrubbed from the video before they sent it off.
I picked up my phone again and opened the messages from Alex.
Alex: The video is up. Hope you’re pleased with the results.
I thought of the pages of accusations, curses, threats, and blubbing from the group chat, and could just imagine the look on Evergreen’s face as he fell under the wave of bad press and angry phone calls.
Rule Number One, I remembered. Evergreen values its reputation above all.
I typed my reply.
Me: More than pleased.
The List
Airi Tanaka
Natalie Bard
Isabella Bruno
Maverick Beaumont
Ezra Lennox
Jaxson Van Zandt
Ryder Shea
The Spades
Evergreen Academy
Chapter Six
“It was her, wasn’t it?”
“Of course, it was her. Who else would do something like this?”
“But Valentina wasn’t there when I said that about the pills.” The whispering has started up again, but I was surprised to hear it was mixed. Plenty of people were blaming me, but not all were, thanks to me leaving my cam in the locker room more than once. I had heard so many juicy things in there while I was around, that I knew my cam would pick up even more when I wasn’t.
“My mom recognized my voice,” I overheard Darren say. “Saying that I would pay four dollars for a fuck. She tore into me for half the night.”
“I think it was Katie Reynolds.” These murmurings came to me while I was spinning my dial. “She got into it with Natalie at the start of school and said people were going to see what she was really like.”
“Shit,” another voice said. I kept my face forward, not wanting them to know I was eavesdropping. “No one likes the Diamonds, but you can’t go around doing things like this. Evergreen is going to go mad.”
Hmm. No one likes the Diamonds? That’s good to know.
I got my things out and headed to homeroom. I stepped inside and realized right away that something was wrong. Wheeldon was up and glaring at the four boys standing in front of the phone box.
A hush fell on the classroom as I approached the Knights. “Excuse me.”
Ryder held out his hand. “Give us the phone, Moon.”
“Why would I do that?”
“We know you leaked that video to the press,” said Ezra.
“And when we get proof,” Jaxson continued, “you’re out.”
Ryder stepped forward. “Give me the phone.”
I peered over my shoulder at Wheeldon. “Aren’t you going to do something about this?”
“I... can’t.” His grimace showed how hard he was fighting with himself. “The headmaster told me not to interfere. You need to give them the phone.”
Sighing, I didn’t fight it anymore and plucked it out of my backpack.
“Unlock it.”
“A please wouldn’t kill you,” I mumbled to Ryder as I pressed my thumb to the pad. The home screen lit up and I put my cell in his outstretched hands.
Ryder lifted it over his shoulder and Maverick took it. No one uttered a sound as Maverick went through my cell. I didn’t watch him; my eyes were fixed on Ryder’s fathomless silver pools. Was this how it was always going to be? Us on opposite sides? Always facing off?
Ryder spoke without breaking our gaze. “What did you find, Rick?”
“Nothing.”
“What?” That made him look away. Ryder pivoted to face his friend. “What do you mean nothing?”
“There’s nothing here, man. The only video is of a kid smearing avocado on his face. The texts are to her mom. There’s nothing else.”
I smiled wide, showing off all of my teeth. “See. I told you.”
Ryder flashed me a look over his shoulder. “She must have erased it.”
“There are ways to find out.”
“Then do it!”
Maverick’s expression was calm as he pocketed my phone. “Let’s go then. I need my computer.”
The taller boy walked around us and made for the door. Ryder grabbed my hand. “You’re coming with us.”
“I’ve been walking without help since I was a toddler.” I wrenched my wrist out of his grip. “I’ve got this.”
I followed Maverick out and the five of us made a tense line through the hall. Maverick, then me, Ryder, Ezra, and Jaxson silently trekked to a room I had been in many times before.
Maverick pushed through into the Knights’ room and went straight for his laptop. I came in at a slower pace. It looked the same as I remembered. Metal bits and gadgets on the coffee table for Maverick. Records for Jaxson. Ryder’s piano taking up an entire corner. And the cleanliness of the room reflecting Ezra’s perfectionism.
I broke away from the group and wandered around.
“Sit down,” Ryder snapped.
“No, thanks.”
My feet took me to Jaxson’s record collection and I didn’t give a thought to pulling one out. Wow, he’s gotten even more since I’ve last been in here. I would kill for—
A hand appeared in my line of vision and plucked the record from my fingertips. “No one touches my records.” Jaxson’s breath ghosted over my ear and I was sharply reminded of his naked body pressed to my back while he nibbled on me. “Not even you, baby.”
A flush went up my neck. “You’re back to calling me baby? Does that mean something?”
Jaxson’s answer was to put his hands on my waist and spin me around. I let him march me to the couch and sit me down next to Maverick.
Ezra sat across from me, eyes fixed, but saying nothing. I wondered when he was going to confront me about what happened after the game. I also wondered if it was a bad sign that he hadn’t already.
“Have you found something yet?” Ryder demanded. He wasn’t sitting. He had taken up a spot leaning against his piano.
Maverick didn’t answer as he plugged my phone into his laptop and got to work. He seemed immune to Ryder’s mercurial nature like no one I had ever seen before. Even the friends of Ryder that I had met when we were little were afraid of that guy.
“You’re not going to find anything,” I piped up. “I had nothing to do with that video.”
“Like you had nothing to do with leaking the audio files, breaking the violin, and faking a beating from Ezra?” Ryder taunted.
I smiled at him. “How am I supposed to have done it anyway? My phone stays locked up same as everyone, and this whole thing started blowing up in the middle of the school day.” I crossed my legs and leaned back into the cushions. “I’d also like to point out I’m not
the only one who’d want to strike back at this place.”
“Maybe not,” said Ryder, “but you’re the only one who said out loud that you would do it.”
I shrugged. “I say a lot of things. You have to prove that I did those things, and I’m not hearing from anyone how I used my phone to record people when it was locked all day with Wheeldon.”
“Button cam.”
Two whispered words from Maverick and I went rigid. My attention darted to the back of his head. It’s not enough for him to be a hulking mass of muscles and good looks, but the bastard has to be smart too?
What did you expect? another voice countered. You learned about the button cams from him.
Ryder straightened up. “What did you say, Rick?”
I held my breath.
“I said there’s nothing,” he answered. Maverick turned the laptop around. “You can see for yourself. The card hasn’t been wiped. She doesn’t have the video.”
This would have been time to give Ryder a triumphant smile, but I didn’t take my eyes off of Maverick. What was he doing?
“Then someone is helping her.” Frustration laced Ryder’s voice. “It must be that guy Airi told us about.”
“All these texts are harmless, even the deleted ones. She doesn’t talk about us.”
Ryder didn’t seem to have heard him. “Give it up, Val. Who is it?”
I shook my head. “No clue who you’re talking about.”
Jaxson pressed in closer to me. His hand was gentle as he stroked my cheek. “Maybe if we ask nicely, she’ll tell us.”
“Be careful,” I returned. “I bite.”
“It could be one of her old friends,” Ezra spoke up. “They could be pretending they split with her, but the whole time have been helping her strike against us.”
“Now that”—Ryder moved to tower over us—“would be a big mistake.”
I did not like where this conversation was going. I couldn’t have them looking at Sofia. She was sweet. Sweet as in if she ever went through the things I have, she would survive it. I would not let them hurt her.
“But it was a white guy on the camera,” Jaxson reminded. “Which means it couldn’t have been Eric Eden, and he was the only guy she hung around with.”
I scoffed. “It’s creepy to know how much you guys kept tabs on me and my old friends, but thanks to your buddies the Spades, old is what they are.” I got to my feet. “You’ve kidnapped me from class, broke into my phone, violated my privacy, and you still haven’t found what you’re looking for. Is that enough for one day or do you have more?”
Ryder’s eyes were cold as they looked me up and down. “It looks like you win this round, Val, but I do have one more question. How are you going to do it? Get back at me and Maverick?”
I snatched up my phone and turned to go. “Now that would be telling, wouldn’t it?”
“There’s nothing you can do against us.”
“Ezra said the same thing.”
A furious hiss to my right told me what Ezra thought about that. I tossed him a wink on my way to the door.
“I’m actually looking forward to it.”
I paused with my hand on the knob.
“Whatever it is you have planned for me,” Ryder continued. His smooth voice floated over the heads of the other guys and caressed my ear. “It’ll be fun to watch your stupid plan fall apart. There is not a single thing you can do that will affect me. How long before it’s my turn, Moon?”
Slowly, I turned my head and peered at him over my shoulder. “But, Ryder... I’ve already started.” I smiled. “Did you have that talk with your dad yet?”
I was out the door before he could find a response.
IN THE WEEKS THAT FOLLOWED, life at Evergreen had fallen into a new normal—if that was the word that could be used.
Rumors still ran hot and heavy, but although no one knew for sure, many thought I was the one that leaked the video, and because of it, the bullying eased up by so much it was like the mark had been lifted, but the punishments that came down for everyone else in the aftermath of the leaked video were of biblical proportions.
The implication of drugs, prostitution, cheating, and bullying running rampant in the school kicked off more bad press than I thought. Evergreen was trending on national news for weeks. People lapped up the notion that the “best school in the world” was just another seedy crap pile for the rich and privileged.
The public demanded a closer look at what really went on in Evergreen, and despite how hard I know he must have tried, Evergreen wasn’t able to stop the investigation that was launched against the school. Students were never so well behaved as when police were crawling all over the campus with sniffer dogs, or when we were all brought in separate rooms and questioned about the prostitution.
A few voices from the videos were picked out by their parents, and they wielded the long arm of their displeasure through the walls of the campus. The girl who talked about the coke was pulled out of school. The kid who wanted to cheat to beat Cade was easy to find as number two in our class, and she cracked like an egg when her mother came bursting into campus. She gave up the junior handing out term papers and both were gone in a week.
Then there was Evergreen himself. Someone said he would go mad, but Evergreen blew way past mad and fell into a towering rage that was a sight to behold. The broadcast the day after the investigation ended was explosive.
“Never in all my days have I seen such a disgusting display!” he had roared. “The shame you all have brought upon this school is— A shining reputation that has lasted for over a hundred years destroyed in a—” The man was so worked up he couldn’t finish sentences. “If I ever find out who released that video!” His bellow had made his microphone screech and I winced for more than one reason.
“Canceled!” he shouted. “Everything canceled! No clubs! No dances! No breaks!” He smashed his hand on the desk. “No food! Detention for every—!”
It was at that point the video had been cut off so the headmaster could have a chance to cool down. The next day when he gathered us in the auditorium to try again... he was even more unreasonable.
The rest of the staff hustled him off the stage, and it was another week before we were pulled out of class and brought into the auditorium once more.
Evergreen cleared his throat. “Hello, sophomore class.” His eyes were fixed on the podium and the speech he had written down. “I will tell you what I have told the freshman class, and what I will go on to tell the juniors and seniors.
“The embarrassment that had been brought upon this school in the wake of the video is unacceptable and cannot go unaddressed. The party or parties involved have not come forward, as such, these consequences will apply to all of you. All club activities are canceled for the rest of the semester. This includes sports.”
The shouts that went up were quickly silenced by a harsh look from the headmaster.
“Unless it is academic in nature, it is canceled,” he continued. “The soda machines that were once a school treat will be removed. Cameras will now be installed in the dorm stairwells and students are not allowed to be in the locker rooms without staff present. I have also instituted new rules and policies that are effective immediately.
“Phones, cameras, and any recording devices are now banned from Evergreen campus.”
If I thought the reaction to losing club activities was bad, it was nothing compared to the chaos that erupted after he said that. It took over ten minutes for the staff to quiet the room down for Evergreen to keep going, and when he did, it was to glares that would have lit his salt-and-pepper hair aflame.
“A phone is a privilege,” he went on, “not a right, and you all have lost that privilege. From now on, there will be a designated landline in administration for you all to speak to family and friends outside of campus. Then there are your laptops...”
I couldn’t be sure, but it seemed like Evergreen had been enjoying it.
“All laptops will be c
onfiscated, and in return, you will receive school-issued laptops to complete your work. These computers will be connected to the school network and closely monitored. To make sure no attempts are made to get around these rules, luggage will now be checked upon entering campus after breaks.
“As for policies that have not changed, but it’s clear you all need to be reminded of, cheating or being caught in possession of drugs is an automatic expulsion from this school.” Evergreen glanced up from his cards and pierced the audience with a look. “I trust we will never have a situation like this again.”
That had been October. Now we were approaching the end of November and Evergreen had more than made good on his threats. The phones and laptops had been taken away, and all the clubs, including dance, had been canceled for the semester.
I had been lucky enough to get a message to Alex who sent a virus that wiped everything from my laptop. It wasn’t fun to lose everything again, but I wasn’t taking chances. As for the phone, I got around that the same way I fooled Maverick. I had two.
Two phones. Two sim cards. Both identical.
I had done everything on my regular phone, but after the video went live, I busted out the one I had been using to talk to Mom and Adam. That was the one I placed in Evergreen’s waiting hands.
Even though I escaped that unscathed, the changes hit me too. There was no more texting Sofia. No more dancing. No more messing around on my laptop. That students were now tiptoeing around me in fear that I was hiding a few more recording devices wasn’t so bad, but I could have done without the rest.
“I knew he would be mad, but I wasn’t ready for this.” Sofia set her tray down on the table. We were up in our spot having breakfast. It was the only way we got to hang out nowadays, and we were careful to mix it up so people didn’t notice us missing.
I handed her my strawberry cup before she could steal it. She had been on a sweetness binge since they took our only treat from us: the soda machine.
“Madame Madeline is livid,” she said around a mouth full of strawberry. “She said ‘how dare they treat my daughter like a prisoner.’ She actually called a lawyer. Can you believe it?”
