Axel's Daisy

17 • Axel

"Are we even allowed to do this?"

  "Shut up and follow me."

  It was all for the right reasons as I smashed the bat on the fire alarm at the Blossom Center with my black mask on. Brady was out of breath by the time we hid ourselves in an empty storage room while the council members evacuated the girls outside.

"You're really cuckoo in the head, you know that," Brady wheezed, cradling his abdomen and hunched over.

  "We need to get into that security room," I hissed at him as the florists' footsteps approached, and the annoyed alarm disconnected.

  It was Monday, and I had my game tonight, but I had to finish this for the heartbroken girl locked in her room. She was too good for them anyway.

  Simple questions and some flirty words did the trick. I noticed the viper scowling at Destiny most of the time and the way she gleefully accepted the medal like she deserved it.

  It was a smooth plan. The girls craved something more than arranging flowers in a bouquet. They were willing to do anything for the football team, even revealing where the security room was.

  I tiptoed to the room across from me, using the lock pick while Brady covered me on the other side. The hallway was empty, and the center had only two rooms: one for workstations and one for staff meetings. I spent most of yesterday analyzing the center map while Brady kept snacking.

  The satisfying click of the lock made me proud; it took me only three minutes. I sneaked in and closed the door slowly, hoping it didn't make a sound.

    My jaw dropped when I turned around. It was Mrs. Alberta. I mentally cursed Brady into oblivion. She had a bold smile on her face as she held out the tape in front of me.

  "Looking for this, I believe?"

  "Look—Destiny was supposed to be the winner; we both know it," I stated with enough conviction to run for president. "I need to show the vandalism to the reviewers. You don't know how hard Destiny worked for this, how much she trained. Everything was going perfectly," I said as her eyes filled with unshed tears. "We can't let this slide. She deserves the world and didn't do anything wrong."

  "I saw the tape, and you're right," she admitted as she handed me the tape. "I've known Destiny for a while, and she could never do this to Betty. So Betty deserves to be punished."

  I respected her. If it had been anyone else, they would have lied and hidden the truth.

  "Thank you," I muttered.

  "She's lucky to have you, Axel."

  "Wait, how did you know my name?" I asked.

  "It wasn't hard, considering how Lia kept squealing your name and the other girls mentioned you talked to her. Just stay away from the center. We don't want to be responsible for heart attacks," she chuckled.

"Sorry about that," I mumbled quickly. "Thank you again; it means a lot to Destiny." I assured her as she smiled at me one last time.

  The reviewers huddled in the meeting room after they saw there was no threat. I heard them discussing which store suited Betty and thought about how easily people are manipulated. It was up to me to turn things around.

  I signaled Brady to stay where he was. I had to finish this alone.

  And boy, were they in for a surprise.

  At least I knocked first.

  "Excuse me, this is a private meeting," the snobby lady with a brown bob said as her nostrils flared at me.

"You're choosing the wrong girl, ladies and gentlemen," I said, pulling out the security tape and grinning. "Betty sabotaged Destiny's designs, and here's the proof." I stared into each of their eyes. "If you don't want to see it, I'll take this to the police and ruin all of your reputations. It's your choice, folks." I coldly winked at Betty, whose face flushed red with rage.

"He's lying. I didn't do anything," the naive girl had the audacity to lie even with proof in hand. Maybe it was flower intoxication affecting her brain.

  The man sighed, looked at his watch, and gestured for me to play the tape. The ladies looked outraged, but I left them hot and bothered.

  The clip started moments before anyone arrived. It clearly showed Betty placing worms inside the vase, corrupting the soil with clear liquid, and messing with Destiny's designs. She even looked around to see if she could cause more damage before casually walking out like nothing happened.

  Betty's face was a picture of fury when the tape was played. Her eyes narrowed to slits, and her lips curled into a sneer as she tried to maintain her composure. But underneath her forced calm, I could see the panic bubbling up. She knew she was caught red-handed. Her usual confidence had turned into a desperate flail as she stammered her denials, her voice trembling despite her attempts to sound authoritative.

  Her anger was palpable, a storm of rage and humiliation that seemed to radiate from her. Every muscle in her body was tensed, and her hands clenched into tight fists at her sides. She shot daggers at me with her eyes, her face flushed red as if the very thought of being exposed had burned her with shame. Her earlier bravado had evaporated, leaving behind only the raw, bitter taste of defeat. As the reviewers scrutinized her, the mask of arrogance she wore so well began to crack, revealing the true extent of her distress.

  "I will not let a stupid girl like her take what's meant for me."

    The girl was messed up in the head. She beat her fist on the table, and another reviewer ordered the security guy outside to escort her out of the center.

    They stood up for the verdict as Mrs. Alberta joined the conversation. The indignant lady had to give up in the end.

  "Tell Destiny we expect her first thing tomorrow morning."