Chapter 11

Jasmine stretched her arms behind her head, feeling completely at ease as she walked out of the library. Her headphones pumping the beat of "Another One Bites the Dust" into her ears, and she hummed along, nodding her head in rhythm. Another one down, another person who couldn't handle the truth.

She finally gets to first period and easing herself into her seat. Her fingers absentmindedly doodled spirals and little flames in the margins of her notebook as she waited for Miss Buttons to walk in.

Then the intercom buzzed to life, making her jolt.

"All students, please report to the auditorium immediately for an important announcement."

Jasmine sighed, yanking her headphones down and grabbing her notebook. She hated interruptions. Walking through the halls, she kept her head high, still mouthing the words to her song. The anticipation of what was about to be announced sent a thrill through her. Would they acknowledge that Emia was winning? That the truth was making an impact?

As she entered the packed auditorium, she slid into a seat near the middle. The principal stood on stage beside the vice principal, both looking somber.

"Students," Principal Harris began, his voice low and grave, "we called this assembly today to discuss a serious matter. You've all been aware of the recent tragedies that have affected our school. Today, we received word that Melissa Peters is alive."

A hushed murmur rippled through the crowd. Jasmine sat up straighter, her eyes narrowing. Alive?

"She is currently in a coma at Mercy General Hospital," Harris continued. "Her father informed us that due to his legal situation, he will not be able to care for her. We are encouraging any students who wish to leave flowers or support her in any way to do so."

Jasmine pressed her lips together as she felt her heart thud faster. So Mel wasn't dead. It was unfortunate—things would've been much cleaner that way. She curled her fingers into her lap, hiding her frustration. By the time Mel even woke up, her life would already be in ruins. No mom, a father in jail, and a shattered future.

A smirk curled at the corner of her lips before she caught herself. Quickly, she lifted a hand to her mouth, covering the expression, and forced her eyes wide in mock shock.

Because that's what people expected, right? Shock. Sadness. Not relief.

Ashton's Pov

Ashton let out a long breath, running a hand through his hair. He had to stop Emia, but first, he had to come clean.

"We should probably go back to Parker's room," he said, his voice low. "There's something I need to show you."

Luke and Milo exchanged looks but didn't question him. They followed him silently down the hallway, the air thick with tension. Ashton hated the silence—it made everything feel heavier.

The second the elevator doors opened, he sprinted toward Parker's room, barely waiting for them to step inside before shutting the door behind them.

"Sit down," Ashton ordered. "What I'm about to say might change everything."

The two of them lowered themselves onto the chairs beside Parker's bed. Ashton pulled out Parker's phone, staring at the cracked screen, praying it would turn on one last time.

It powered on.

He punched in the passcode, navigating to the messages. His stomach twisted when he found it—the video. Below it, a message from an unknown number: I thought you should see this before the whole school did. Love, Emia.

He turned his back to them, gripping the phone like it was burning him. "You remember Emia's post about Parker's girlfriend cheating?"

"Yeah," Luke said. "We've been trying to figure out which one of Parker's friends would do that to him."

Ashton closed his eyes. His voice came out a whisper. "It was me."

Silence.

Then Luke scoffed. "Man, stop joking. We know you wouldn't—"

"But I did," Ashton muttered. He turned, shoving the phone into Luke's hands. Milo leaned over his shoulder as Luke pressed play.

Ashton watched their faces go pale, their disbelief morphing into rage. Luke's grip on the phone tightened. "How could you?"

Déjà vu. Parker had asked him the same thing.

"I don't know," Ashton admitted. "It was at Mel's party. I was blackout drunk, and I slept with Rebecca. Parker knew I slept with someone—he's the one who found me naked in bed and took me home."

Luke's fist clenched like he wanted to punch something—punch him. Milo, however, rewind the video, watching it again. "Something's off."

Ashton frowned. "Dude, there's nothing more to watch. I did it."

"Shut up."

Milo's eyes narrowed as he studied the video. "Okay, I'm going to walk you through my thought process. When I first saw the video, I thought you really did screw over Parker. But there's something off. We can clearly see your top is off, her top is off, but a sheet covers your waists. We can't see what's underneath. You're kissing her neck, but the video cuts off right as she moans your name. Why? Why wouldn't Emia send the full clip? That doesn't seem like their style."

Ashton swallowed hard. "What are you saying?"

"Let's assume you actually did it," Milo continued. "Do you remember if there were any condoms in the trash or on the floor?"

Ashton thought back. "No… actually." His eyes widened. "Oh my God. Did I sleep with Rebecca raw?"

"Exactly," Milo said. "There's no way you'd do that. Remember how traumatized you were in freshman year's sex ed class? You were obsessed with protection. That alone makes me doubt this."

Luke frowned. "Then how do you explain him being naked?"

Ashton hesitated. "Maybe I took my clothes off because I was hot?"

Milo shook his head. "Nope. Mel's house is freezing. The whole place is set at 68 degrees, and each room has its own thermostat." He started pacing, his mind racing. "Also, look at the angle of the recording. It wasn't taken from the doorway—if it was, the angle would be downward. This was filmed from below, looking up." He stopped pacing, his eyes sharp with realization. "Which means… someone was already in the room."

Luke cursed. "So they were waiting for him?"

Milo nodded. "This was planned."

Ashton's heart pounded. "We need to check Mel's house."

Luke hesitated. "It's still morning. If the police are still around—"

"Then we go tonight," Milo said firmly.

Ashton and Luke exchanged glances before nodding. "Tonight."