December Boys (BxB) | ✓

Chapter 48 - Rat Poison

"What's going on?"

"I'm so confused!!! Can some1 explain??"

"Has she gone crazy?"

"Maybe she was hacked :/"

Lily's phone blew up with notifications. Every minute a new comment ticked in and the number of likes on her post grew. Every second my eyes flickered from my laptop to her screen, brain trying to process the sheer power of her social media presence.

Phase One had begun, and it was already effective.

"I can't keep up with this," Seth complained from the other end of the table. He was on his own laptop, frantically switching between his Instagram tab and our shared document, filling in relevant comments and usernames. His eyes were wide and red. "This is insane Lily. I don't know how you do it."

Lily rolled her eyes, barely sparing a glance in the direction of her phone. "I don't," she said. "Not for months. I'm only doing this as a favor. When this is over, I'm deleting my account."

Seth's mouth fell open. "What? But you've got 44,000 followers!"

"Exactly." Lily stretched out her hands, intertwining them and letting out a yawn. "Too many opinions, too much noise."

The phone's screen lit up again, revealing a new row of comments and interactions. Lily looked away, and I couldn't blame her. I'd seen up close what tolls her account had taken on her. Popularity, image, pressure — she had dealt with it well, but seeing her now, it was clear that she had sacrificed too much. Lily of November was a different girl, a more comfortable one. Her eyes no longer flickered to the closest mirror, and she didn't care about my opinion at all. It seemed ironic that our conversations flowed much easier now that we were no longer a couple.

"The post's only been up for an hour and there's already 206 comments," Seth whined. "No wait, 207. 208... 209..." He slammed his laptop shut, and the sound sent a shock through the table.

"Had enough?" I wondered.

"Logging this is a pain. We need a different approach."

The plans of the operation changed daily now. It was Monday, the date was the 27th, and December was creeping up on us. Our plan had been altered several times after its inception, but Rat Poison — another ridiculous code name Seth came up with — was now in motion. The first step involved Lily's Instagram account, and the goal was to catch the stalker.

"He's definitely paying attention," I said, sending another glance at Lily's phone. "Do you think he missed the message?"

"No way, this guy thinks he's God's gift to man. He's definitely got it," Seth said.

I swiped my thumb across my own phone, screen lighting up with the infamous Instagram post. Another three comments ticked in while I studied it. It was a simple, yet effective imagery that presented itself to me. In the center of the picture was a cartoon rat, and the background was pitch black. There was no comment, no description, absolutely no text at all. However, the post clashed with everything on Lily's perfectly curated feed. The post looked decidedly out of place next to the soft pinks and pastels of her other posts. It was a message.

"What's next?" Lily asked as she rose from her chair. Class was starting in ten, and her group was as busy as ours.

"We give it a few days," Seth replied, once again poring over the comments. Small droplets of sweat had begun to assemble on his forehead. "Then we initiate phase 2. Nao and Axel's gonna be on poster duty."

"Posters," Lily said, voice flat. "Very sophisticated."

A flicker of a grin flashed across Seth's face. "Just wait and see."