Aiden
I enter the lecture hall when suddenly Lyra's voice sounds behind me. "Aiden, can we talk in private?" she asks. I narrow my eyes at her, my voice cold. "Okay, but for a moment." She leads me into the library and turns to me. "Look, I know you hate me now, and you're right, but I had to! Professor Cross is blackmailing me with a video where he secretly filmed me having sex with him." Her words shocked me, but this could be another game of hers. "How do I know you're not lying to me again?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest.
Lyra's eyes glistened with unshed tears. "You can check my phone, go ahead. All the messages are there. I tried to tell him no, but he threatened to show it to everyone. I had no choice." She unlocked her phone and handed it to me. I scrolled through her texts, finding a series of increasingly desperate messages from Professor Cross. The most recent one read: _"Meet me tonight, or I post the video tomorrow morning."_
"Fuck" I muttered, handing her phone back. "I'm sorry, Lyra." She shrugged helplessly. "It's not your fault. I just... I didn't know how else to deal with it. But now, you know the truth." She took a step closer, looking up at me with pleading eyes. "Does this mean you'll forgive me?" Before I could answer, footsteps approached, and we both jumped apart guiltily.
The footsteps grew louder, and I recognized the voice calling out, "Aiden? Are you here?" It was Selena. I turned to Lyra, "We'll talk about this later" I promised. She nodded, wiping away a stray tear as I hurried out of the library. Selena spotted me immediately, her eyes narrowing as they flicked from me to Lyra, peeking out from behind a bookshelf. "What's going on?" she demanded, marching towards us. "I..."
Selena stormed over to us, her heels clicking sharply on the tile floor. "What's going on?" she repeated, her voice a low growl. I glanced nervously at Lyra, who was wringing her hands anxiously. "Nothing" I lied, trying to keep my voice steady. "Lyra just had something to tell me." "Really?" Selena raised an eyebrow, clearly not believing me. She turned to Lyra. "And what did you have to tell him?"
Selena's gaze bore into Lyra, who squirmed uncomfortably under her scrutiny. "Well?" Selena pressed, crossing her arms over her chest. Lyra glanced at me, then back to Selena, taking a deep breath before speaking. "Professor Cross is blackmailing me" she confessed, her voice barely above a whisper. Selena's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Blackmailing you? How?" Lyra hesitated, her cheeks flushing pink.
Lyra takes a deep breath before speaking: "Before I moved to Montrever I met Professor Adrian Cross by chance. I didn't know he taught here at the time. He invited me over one night and I agreed." She paused and wiped a tear from her cheek. "Then we had sex and after a few days he started blackmailing me with the video if I didn't go to Montrever and make Aiden fall in love with me so he could hate you and get his revenge. I had no choice Selena!"
The room fell silent as Selena absorbed Lyra's confession. Her eyes narrowed, and I could almost see the gears turning in her mind as she processed the information. After a moment, she spoke, her voice calm but firm. "So, you were manipulating Aiden because you were being blackmailed?" Lyra nodded, fresh tears streaming down her face. "Yes."
Selena's gaze shifted from Lyra to me, assessing the situation. "Show me the proof" she demanded, holding out her hand. Lyra complied, unlocking her phone and handing it over. Selena scrolled through the messages, her expression darkening with each passing second. "Son of a bitch" she muttered under her breath, handing the phone back to Lyra.
"Enough! I'm sick of this professor!" she growled, her fists clenched tightly. She turned to me, her gray eyes burning with anger. "I'm going to call my gang and there's going to be a hunt tonight! I want you two to be there too!" she said decisively. "So Professor Cross will disguise himself as usual and sneak into the hunt" I said, contemplating Selena's plan. "Exactly! We're going to catch him and this time we're not going to let him get away!"
I watched as Selena stormed out of the library, leaving me alone with Lyra. I turned to face her, my expression serious. "Listen, Lyra" I began, "I understand why you did what you did. But you should have trusted me enough to tell me the truth from the beginning." "I know, Aiden" she said quietly, her eyes downcast. "I'm so sorry. I never meant to hurt you or Selena." "I believe you" I sighed. "But this isn't over yet."
-------------------------------------------
Lyra and I were in the woods, wearing our pink bracelets and masks. There were other students around us, who had no idea that this hunt would be different. "Do you think any of them are Professor Cross?" I asked Lyra, looking around at the students who were wearing identical masks. "I don't know about Aiden, but I'm guessing it's someone among them." "I just hope the plan works" I muttered to myself rather than to Lyra. "Don't worry! Everything will be okay" she reassured me, placing a hand on my shoulder.
I looked around nervously, scanning the faces hidden behind similar masks. "We need to find somewhere safe to hide" I said to Lyra, keeping my voice low. She nodded in agreement, her eyes darting from side to side as well. Suddenly, the sound of a horn echoed through the woods, signaling the start of the hunt.
"Run!" Lyra yelled, grabbing my arm and pulling me along as she dashed deeper into the woods. We sprinted through the trees, our hearts pounding in our chests as the sound of approaching footsteps echoed behind us. "We need to split up" I panted, slowing down to a jog. "If we stay together, we're easier targets." Lyra shook her head, her breath coming in ragged gasps. "No, Aiden. We stick together. Remember the plan?"
I nodded, remembering the strategy we'd discussed earlier. "Right. We lure him out into the open." Lyra gripped my hand tightly, her fingers icy cold despite the warmth of the evening. "Stay close" she whispered. We continued running, but at a slower pace, allowing our pursuer to gain ground. The sound of heavy breathing and crunching leaves grew louder behind us, spurring us onward.
The woods seemed darker and more menacing than ever before. The moonlight filtered through the dense canopy above, casting eerie shadows on the forest floor. We ran side by side, our breaths syncopated, hearts pounding in unison. "Where are we going?" Lyra asked between breaths. "I know a spot nearby" I replied, trying to keep my voice steady. "It's a clearing, perfect for drawing him out."
As we approached the clearing, I could feel the adrenaline pumping through my veins. The sound of our pursuer was growing louder, and I knew that we had to act quickly. We emerged into the open space, the full moon illuminating the area with a silver glow. Lyra and I stood back-to-back, scanning the surrounding woods for any sign of movement. "Stay close" I murmured, reaching out to squeeze her hand reassuringly.
Suddenly, a man in a mask ran towards us and I knew immediately that it was Professor Cross. "He's coming!" I said to Lyra, and she nodded in agreement. But just then he pulled out a gun and before we could react he pointed it at Lyra. "No!" I reached for him and grabbed the gun and it went off, but I didn't care. I wanted to protect Lyra. "Let him go!" I shouted. He was stronger, but I was determined. "Let him go, boy, or you'll get hurt!" "Never!" I replied, trying to take the gun from his hand. I felt a pain in my stomach, but I didn't care.
"Bunny!" Selena's voice was heard and she and her gang rushed towards us. Raven knocked Professor Cross to the ground and I immediately threw the gun to the ground. My legs went weak and the pain in my stomach got worse. "Bunny!" Selena caught me before I fell. "Damn it, bunny!" Noah call an ambulance right away!"
I cried out in pain, my vision blurring. "Bunny, don't close your eyes!" Selena whispered, tears streaming down her face. "Selena... I love you," I said barely. "Me too, bunny, but save your strength! The ambulance will come now!" she reassured me, kissing my forehead. "You'll be fine! I won't let you die! Remember, not even death can take you from me!" I smiled and caressed her cheek. She melted into my touch and kissed my hand. Suddenly everything went dark. "Aiden!"