Life Within The Halls

Chapter 23: "Old Wounds, New Fears"

LIFE WITHIN THE HALLS

Gideon

Wednesday, 18th February, 11:10 a.m.

Chemistry class was in session, but my attention was elsewhere. Despite the teacher's lecture, I hadn't jotted anything down in my notebook. My mind kept drifting to the whereabouts of Jayden, Victoria, and Sandra, who were conspicuously absent from class. I had lied earlier at the beginning of the class, telling the teacher that they were assigned a project by Principal Wilson. In reality, they hadn't returned from breakfast, and I had no idea where they could be.

"Is everything okay with you, Mr. Vanderbilt?" the teacher inquired, breaking through my thoughts.

I quickly stood up, feeling a surge of panic. "Er... I need to visit the restroom."

"Sure, sure, you can go," the teacher allowed, his attention already shifting back to the lesson.

I had concocted the lie just to buy myself some time to find out where Victoria, Sandra, and Jayden were. What could have possibly kept the three occupied enough to skip a two-hour class?

I didn't even know where to start or whom to ask, all while trying to avoid getting caught by any school authorities. After all, wandering aimlessly in the halls would raise suspicion.

"Gideon, Gideon," I heard my name being called twice. I glanced around, but there was no one in sight.

The call came for the third time, accompanied by a whistle from the direction of the library.

I hurried into the library, which as expected, was filled by the usual crowd of studious students making the most of their free periods. Some were hunched over textbooks, their pens scratching against paper, while others pored over laptops.

Before I could even take a step further, a sudden yank on my arm sent me reeling. I whirled around only to come face to face with the very trio I had been searching for—Sandra, Jayden, and Victoria.

"You three are here?!" I exclaimed, astonished. "Why did you skip chemistry class?"

"Why don't you first thank us for saving you," Jayden retorted, nodding towards the library window where Principal Wilson and the school director were engaged in a conversation.

"Okay, fine, thank you," I acknowledged half-heartedly, my mind still preoccupied with why they had skipped class. "Now tell me why you skipped class."

"It's AnonymousX. Yes, Chloe's dead and her account should be inactive, but someone hacked into it," Sandra replied.

"For real? How did you know late Chloe's account is being hacked?" I inquired, a knot forming in my stomach.

"Whoever is behind the account is threatening to post Jayden's s*x video with Ella if..." Victoria trailed off.

"If?" I prompted, raising an eyebrow.

"If I don't prove Kelvin Cooper's innocence," Jayden answered himself.

Kelvin Cooper? The mere mention of his name gave me goosebumps. How on earth was he back in the picture after all this time?

"Are you alright?" Victoria asked, her hand gently rubbing my shoulder.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I lied, forcing a smile.

Then, Jayden stepped forward, holding out an old photograph of me, Pearl Adams, and Kelvin Cooper. "Remember this?" he asked. "You have a retentive memory, so I bet you do."

At that moment, the quote, "The truth can never be hidden," played in my mind like a relentless melody. I felt trapped, unsure of what to say or do.

"Gideon, why are you behaving so strangely after hearing about Kelvin?" Victoria pressed, her eyes searching mine intently. "You and Kelvin were both members of the School Magazine Society in our first year, so maybe you know something we don't? Please, tell us. Jayden's dignity is at risk."

A tear escaped my eye, tracing a path down my cheek as I recalled the injustice inflicted upon Kelvin Cooper. He had done nothing wrong during his time at the school; all he had wanted was to live his best days, yet it all came crashing down on him.

"Tell us, Gideon, please!" Sandra pleaded, shaking me urgently. Her eyes flickered between the photograph and me, a silent plea for answers.

"I... I framed Kelvin!" I blurted out, my voice trembling with shame. "He didn't steal the exam papers. I did. I accused him falsely."

"What??" The three of them exclaimed in shock, their voices ringing out so loudly that everyone in the library, including the librarian, paused to look at us.

"This is a library, not a drama room," the librarian admonished before returning to her tasks. The other students followed suit, dispersing back into their books and studies.

"Why did you frame Kelvin?" Jayden asked, his voice low. "What did he do to you to deserve that?"

Admitting why I had framed Kelvin would undoubtedly lead to dire consequences. It meant implicating myself in a crime, possibly facing legal repercussions.

"I put the exam papers in his locker because he... he insulted me... and he called me bad names for doing absolutely nothing to him."

"Kelvin Cooper insulted you?" Victoria questioned. "How could someone who never uses profane words insult you? That doesn't add up."

"Even if he did insult you," Jayden interjected, "why didn't you report him or confront him directly instead of punishing him so harshly?"

I lowered my gaze. "I didn't anticipate that the authorities would take the case of stealing exam papers so seriously. I was naive."

"You know something? I have a feeling you're hiding the real reason why you framed Kelvin Cooper," Sandra stated, her tone gentle yet probing. "But you don't have to tell us if you're not ready. The truth will come out eventually."

Now that I had confessed to them, the real challenge lay ahead: convincing the school authorities that Kelvin Cooper was innocent. It was like trying to sell snow cones in Antarctica. It was the only way to uphold justice and prove his innocence to everyone who had wrongfully accused him.

"Is it necessary to tell to the school authorities?" Victoria said. "AnonymousX only wanted Jayden to prove Kelvin's innocence. He didn't specify whether it had to be in front of everyone."

"Lemme text AnonymousX and find out," Jayden suggested, bringing out his phone from his pocket and swiftly typing a message.

A response came shortly, and he read it to us. "'Well done! Your video with Ella is safe and sound with me. You don't have to do anything anymore. Just relax and watch how things unfold!'"

My throat felt dry as I swallowed hard. 'Watch how things unfold.' What sinister plan did AnonymousX have in store? I
I couldn't shake the feeling of dread creeping over me.

"I texted AnonymousX again, asking for their identity," Jayden continued. "And it turns out, Kelvin Cooper himself is behind the account."

After two years, I had hoped Kelvin had moved on from the injustice we had inflicted upon him. We had treated him terribly, all because he happened to witness something he wasn't supposed to see. What was his game now?

With Kelvin Cooper resurfacing, it was clear that the past had come back to haunt me in ways I couldn't have imagined.