Life Within The Halls

Chapter 21: "Guess What? I'm Back!"

LIFE WITHIN THE HALLS

Jayden

Wednesday, 18th February, 9:15 a.m.

Four days had passed since Chloe Wilson's death. The news of her demise had become the hottest topic in town, splashed across the front pages of newspapers with sensational headlines like 'The Girl Who Died for Love.'

Mr. Bennett had already been released from jail, exonerated of all charges. As a gesture of apology for the wrongful accusations, the school authorities had granted him a month-long leave to aid in his recovery from the ordeal.

Everything seemed perfect. My life was finally on the upswing. The video of Ella and me was now a thing of the past, buried along with Chloe on that fateful Valentine's Day.

The one-week reprieve Principal Wilson had given Gideon, Victoria, Sandra, and me had come to an end. So, we had returned to join the rest of the class for our normal lessons.

In the midst of Ms. Murphy's explanation of genetic variation, my phone beeped twice in my pocket like a hyperactive bee. Dread washed over me as Ms. Murphy's gaze zeroed in on the disturbance, her strict demeanor leaving no room for leniency when it came to rules.

"Whose phone?" she demanded.

Knowing her no-nonsense policy, I prepared to admit it was mine. Just as I was about to speak up, Victoria's hand shot up.

Victoria, being Ms. Murphy's favorite, was granted a pass, with the teacher assuming it was her first offense.

Grateful for her quick save, I made a mental note to thank her later.

I hastily silenced my phone and breathed a sigh of relief as the tension in the room lifted with Ms. Murphy's continued lecture.

Once the bell rang, signaling the end of Ms. Murphy's lesson, Henry, sitting next to me, couldn't resist teasing.

"It seems Victoria is not just your friend now but your lifesaver," he said, closing his biology textbook.

"Not funny, dude!" I replied with a half-hearted laugh before making my way over to Victoria, who was chatting with Sandra by her desk. Gideon was leaving the class with Daniel at that moment.

"If you're here to thank me for helping you out, hold on to it and tell me why you didn't switch off your phone," Victoria asked as soon as I approached.

"How did you know it was my phone that made the noise?"

"The look on your face said it all," she replied.

"By the way," Sandra chimed in, "who's the troublemaker texting you during class?"

"That reminds me." I retrieved my phone from my pocket to power it on.

The screen lit up, and I checked my notifications.

Among the notifications, there was one for a live video of Drake, which I wasn't ready to watch. Another one was about a story update, which also didn't seem important. But, the last notification blind-sided me: Two Instagram messages from AnonymousX.

"AnonymousX?" I shouted, pretty loud enough for the few people in the class and those passing by outside to hear.

"Shh!" Victoria and Sandra both cautioned me to lower my tone, as if I couldn't hear myself.

"It's AnonymousX," I whispered to them after the onlookers had tore their eyes away from me.

"How's that possible?" Sandra asked, taking my phone to verify if it was true and perhaps open the message, since I didn't have the courage to do so.

She was met with disappointment as the screen remained blank when she swiped it.

"Dead battery?" she muttered.

Did the phone's battery have to die at the very moment I needed it? I let out a frustrated growl and went to my backpack to get my charger. After plugging it in, I tried to regain my composure and think straight.

How on earth could AnonymousX text me? Chloe Wilson was the one behind the 'AnonymousX' account. She was dead. How was I receiving messages from an account belonging to a deceased person? It made no sense to me.

"Take a chill! I will go get you and Sandra something to eat from the cafeteria before breakfast is over," Victoria offered and left.

I grew impatient waiting for the phone to charge. If it took any longer, I was going to pull my hair out from anxiety.

"Dude!" Henry called out. "Your phone is on."

I hurried to where I was charging my phone, grabbed it, and went outside into the corridor with Sandra.

The phone was sufficiently charged. It took a few seconds to load. When the lock screen popped up, I wasted no time putting in my password and going to my Instagram chats.

Sure enough, AnonymousX's message was at the top of my chats.

"Open it," Sandra urged, and I did so.

"Hey Jayden!
Guess what? I'm back!"

I shared a glance with Sandra. We were both astonished.

Sandra seized the phone from my hands and typed in a reply.

"Who's this?"

"I'm AnonymousX. Who else?" came the response.

"Chloe was AnonymousX. She's dead. So tell me who you are," Sandra typed back, her fingers tapping with urgency.

The reply came almost immediately, causing a shiver to run down my spine.

"You're right! I'm not Chloe Wilson. I'm someone far more formidable. Picture this: I managed to hijack a deceased person's account. What other feats do you think I'm capable of? For the time being, call me AnonymousX. You'll uncover my true identity in due time. Now, if you're not keen on having your s*x video with Ella circulated to the masses, I suggest you comply with my demands. Then, we're good to go."

My s*x video? I had smashed Chloe's phone to bits like a stone. So, how did whoever was behind the account get the video?

Someone was playing a game, and we were unwilling pieces caught in their trap.

I took my phone back to reply myself this time.

"Who do you think you are? You have no video of me and Ella!"

"Don't dare me! You have 48 hours to find Kelvin Cooper, or else..."

"Or else what? Screw off!" I swiped his chat away.

Just as I was about to power off the phone, not ready to engage with some creep who was likely just playing mind games, another notification lit up the screen.

It was a video message.

I paused for a moment, then tapped to open it. The video that unfolded left me stunned. It was the video capturing the intimacy between Ella and me two years ago.

Sandra gasped, her hand swiftly moving to cover her mouth in shock. It was clear from her reaction that she was utterly repulsed by what she had seen.

I had thought whoever was behind the AnonymousX account was just pulling a prank or making empty threats. But this went beyond mere mischief.

"Find KELVIN COOPER!" was the ominous final message from AnonymousX.

I couldn't contain my frustration and slammed my hand against the wall, cursing under my breath. Life didn't miss a chance to throw me another unexpected twist after I'd dodged one.

"Why does this new AnonymousX want us to find Kelvin Cooper?" Sandra asked, sounding totally confused. "Who's he?"