So High School

18

As the days passed, Cris continued to play his role with Jason, carefully maneuvering to gather more information while trying to keep his true feelings and suspicions hidden.

Blake, meanwhile, was caught in a whirlwind of jealousy and regret, struggling to come to terms with his feelings and the growing divide between him and Cris.

Blake couldn't quite tell if Cris was angry at him or if something else was going on. The uncertainty gnawed at him, it was like there was an invisible wall separating them.

After all, Blake knew he had messed things up, but Cris? He couldn't read him at all. Was he mad? Was he planning something?

...

But Cris had a plan.

After school, using his position as president of the student council as an excuse, he approached the principal's office.

"I need to collect some materials for the student council meeting later. Could I have the keys to the administrative offices?" he asked with an air of responsibility that raised no suspicion.

The principal, trusting Cris entirely, handed him the keys, which included access to the security office.

Within that office was a large monitor displaying the school's security footage. Cris had marked a specific date and time on a notepad, knowing it was the day Jason had taken Blake's phone.

The security cameras weren't positioned inside the locker rooms, but Cris had a strong feeling there was enough to prove what had happened.

In the security room, Cris fast-forwarded through the footage.

His pulse quickened when he spotted Jason exiting the locker room with a phone in hand, one that clearly wasn't his.

Jason lingered outside for a moment, looked around, and then re-entered the locker room. Moments later, he came out again, twirling a set of keys he had probably stolen from the coach's office. Bingo. This was the proof he needed.

Cris downloaded the footage onto his laptop, ensuring he had a backup in case Jason tried anything further.

He carefully locked the security office behind him and returned the keys to the principal, who had already left for the day.

Seeing the office empty, Cris acted quickly: he slipped an anonymous note into the principal's desk, detailing the exact time and date of the theft along with a message:

"Check the security footage. Jason Davis stole a set of keys from the coach's office and a phone from the locker room."

With his heart racing, Cris left the office, hoping the trap he had set would soon spring.

On his way out of the school, Cris took another precaution. He logged into Jason's iCloud account and began deleting every incriminating trace: all the screenshots of conversations, every piece of evidence linking him and Blake.

He made sure there was nothing Jason could use against them ever again, without leaving a trace.

Still high on adrenaline from his plan, Cris stepped outside the building, only to spot Blake a few feet away.

Blake hadn't noticed him yet, busy stuffing his gym bag into the trunk of his car. Cris hesitated for a second, then tapped Blake on the shoulder.

He turned around, eyes widening with a mix of surprise and joy.

"Hey" Blake said, a little breathless. "What's up?"

Cris didn't waste time with pleasantries. "Can we go somewhere? I need to talk to you."