AMBER EYES (rewrite)

10 | a game of pawns

They don't leave my room till it's time for us to go for dinner. I had excused myself and taken a quick shower, changing into something more relaxed. I go to the mess with them, sitting on the same table while having my dinner. They're all loud most of the time, laughing loudly and earning the attention of all the others in the room. They stay back but Elliot and I leave the moment we're done.

Walking back to the Serpens dormitories, I begin to notice a shift. There's something different in the air with the way students are exchanging glances and whispering to each other in hushed voices at this hour. Elliot and I look at each other. We stop in front of the building and he takes out his phone, opening RedRow—the only possible explanation for the change.

"Wait, Harley, I think you know this girl," he says to me. "Cammy McNolan. Goddamn, these are far fetched claims."

I grab his phone, seeing a picture of her on the screen. There's a huge paragraph in the caption and I begin to read it with Elliot peering over my shoulder to get a look at it as well.

CAMMY MCNOLAN: A CHEATER OR A RISING GENIUS?

by @ohmickeywhatapity

Who am I kidding? Of course that girl isn't a genius. But have you ever stopped to wonder why a girl like her who has remained behind the ranks throughout her first year managed to score this high in the finals? Ever stopped to wonder how she's gained so much confidence all of a sudden? Ever wondered how a girl like her is even here at a prestigious school like this when her basics about anything aren't clear at all? I'm sure the thought that she had been sleeping with a teacher has crossed your mind atleast once and that might be true knowing that she can go really far to get what she wants. You want to know how I know? I'll give you three words and you'll get the answer.

The Redville Leak.

Elliot and I exchange looks. In our week's time here, all the rumours that went around were harmless—the only one that really blew up was Asher and I's dating rumour. But this? This was serious shit. The Redville Leak was a worldwise scandal with no apparent culprit. I don't know if Cammy really was involved in it or not. Either way, this isn't going to be good for her. Not at all.

+++

That night, I sit with my laptop on my bed and read all about it. Searching up Redville Leak brought up articles from May 2021, back when it had first surfaced. For a month, various investigations were conducted by the board. It even went as far as involving the education ministry but somewhere in early June, almost a month after it had all started, the articles stopped coming and the case was buried.

Back then, I'd followed the case with little interest but now, I remember snippets of it—it was all the news channels used to talk about.

With a sigh, I pick up my phone and open RedRow. I read the entire article again and again, and from the search bar, I type up Cammy's name. I scroll through the insignificant mentions of her of her on the app and find what I'm looking for. The original post by a deleted account with a single sentence—'Cammy McNolan is a liar, a cheat, and does not deserve to be here.'

The post never directly implied Cammy's relation to the Redville Leak, but at that time, I don't think it would've taken a genius to reach the conclusion that she was somehow involved in a big scandal. Even if it wasn't true, gossip and shittalking is a stressbuster for people here. This triggered a chain events that went on till late August. Rumours about her family and personal life was revealed online and she was bashed about everything that happened.

After a while, all of it died down and people resumed with their lives, bringing up new stuff to talk about instead of some worn out old news.

I lean back, staring at my dark ceiling. The clock in our room ticks and beeps—it's three in the morning. Jude's soft snore keep me grounded, stopping me from straying into the dark thoughts. It would've been a relief to Cammy when she was returned the sense of normalcy after months of hell. Did someone stay by her side throughout? She doesn't seem like the person who could've done it on her own.