Secretly Lying | UNDER EDITING |

𝒞𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓉𝑒𝓇 45 : 𝘪𝘮 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘢 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯. 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴

"So, do you have any clues?" I asked, my voice low as I leaned closer to the laptop screen, anxiety bubbling inside me.
"Sadly, not yet. I can't pinpoint the exact location of the number," the detective said, his fingers flying across the keyboard. His tone was calm but tinged with frustration.

"What do you mean?" I asked, my brow furrowing.

"I mean whoever is behind this knows what they're doing. They're good at covering their tracks," he sighed, leaning back in his chair and rubbing his temple.

I nodded, biting my lip. I'd hired a private detective without my dad knowing, of course. If he found out, he'd immediately involve the police, but they couldn't help. This wasn't the kind of case that got solved with flashing lights and uniforms.

"Wait..." The detective suddenly froze, his eyes narrowing at the screen.
"What? Did you find something?" I asked, leaning in so fast I almost knocked over my glass of water.

"The first time they sent you a message, they forgot to hide the evidence," he said, his voice tinged with excitement as his fingers resumed their rapid typing.
"So, that means..."
"That means I can try to locate where the message was sent from," he said, his eyes never leaving the screen.

I watched him, my heart pounding. Technology and tracking weren't my strong suits—I could barely figure out how to reset a password. Watching him work was like watching some spy movie, except this was my life.

"And... yes! I got it," he said, a triumphant smile spreading across his face.

"What are you waiting for? Tell me!" I urged, practically bouncing in my seat.
"Okay, okay. Here," he said, clicking to zoom in on the map.
I stared at the screen, confused. "Isn't that... the basketball hall?"

"Looks like it," he said, glancing at me. "Do you have any idea who it could be?"
I opened my mouth to say no, but then it hit me like a freight train.

Lola.

My stomach twisted. How had I not realized it sooner? That girl had been jealous from the moment I stepped foot in this school.

"Are you okay?" the detective asked, snapping me out of my thoughts.
"Yeah, I'm fine," I said, forcing a small smile. "Did you find anything else?"

"Sadly, no," he said, closing his laptop and standing up. "But I'll inform you if anything comes up."
"Okay. Have a nice day," I said, following him to the door.

"You too, Miss Rose," he said before stepping out and leaving me alone in the silence of my house.

I stood there for a moment, dumbfounded. Lola. That bitch.
Well, it was time to get some answers.

I called for an Uber and made my way to school, my mind racing the entire drive. When I got there, a new problem hit me—I had no idea which dorm Lola was in. Great.

As I wandered the halls, trying to come up with a plan, I muttered under my breath, "I am really dumb."
"No, you're not," a voice said behind me, startling me so badly I jumped.

Spinning around, I saw Natalie laughing at me.
"Oh my god, you scared me!" I said, clutching my chest.
"It wasn't that bad," she said, still chuckling.

"Yeah, sure," I said, rolling my eyes. "So, what are you doing here?"

"I was bored, so I decided to head to the library and study for my upcoming exam," she said, gesturing to the books she was carrying. "Maybe you should try it sometime."

"Ha ha, very funny," I said with a snort. "And for your information, I am studying."
"Okay, okay, if you say so," she said, shaking her head with a smirk.
"Oh, by the way," I said, remembering why I was here. "Do you know which dorm Lola's in?"

"Lola? Hmm... I think she moved in with Emma and Khloe's friend group," she said, tilting her head as she thought.

"They all moved in together?" I asked, confused.
"Apparently, yeah. That's what I've heard," she said, shrugging.
"Do you know the dorm number, by any chance?"
"Uh... I think it's 211," she said, nodding. "But why do you need to know?"

"Long story," I said, brushing it off with a smile. "Thanks, though. Oh, and I'll see you at practice tomorrow?"

"Definitely," she said with a laugh as I headed upstairs.
Reaching the second floor, I walked down the hall until I found myself standing in front of dorm 211. I took a deep breath.

Here goes nothing.

Knock. Knock.

"Ugh, wait a second!" someone yelled from inside. Footsteps approached, and the door swung open to reveal Khloe.
"Oh," she said, her expression immediately souring. "It's you."

"Happy to see me?" I asked with a sarcastic smile.
"Yeah, right," she said, trying to shut the door in my face.
I stuck my foot out, stopping it. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Looking for Lola," I said, pushing the door slightly. "Heard you guys moved in together."
"Yeah, we did. But she's not here right now, so you can leave," Khloe said with a mocking tone.

"I don't think so. Where is she?"

"Why should I tell you?" she said, rolling her eyes dramatically.
"Because if you don't, I'll come in and find out myself," I said with a shrug. "Your choice."

She groaned. "You're so annoying. No wonder nobody likes you."
"Thanks for the compliment. Now, where is Lola?" I said, narrowing my eyes.
"She's out shopping for a party, if you must know," she said, crossing her arms.

"A party?" I asked, confused.

"Duh. The school's centenary celebration. Everyone's going," she said, gesturing to the flyers plastered on the walls.

I glanced around and realized she was right. In my stress, I'd completely missed them.
"Okay, then. Thanks for the info," I said, stepping back.

"Now, if you're done, you can leave before your stinky self ruins my dorm. Bye," she said with a fake smile, slamming the door in my face.

"Bitch," I muttered under my breath as I walked away.

If everyone was going to the party, that meant Lola would be there. Perfect. I could confront her in front of everyone. Or...

An idea struck me, brilliant in its simplicity.

Or I could sneak into her dorm now and look for proof while no one was around. Easy job.

And since Andrew, Christine, Ryan, Tyler, and Sophie would also be at the party, I could use the opportunity to talk to them. If I could prove I didn't kiss Luke, maybe they'd finally forgive me.

I smiled to myself.

I'm such a smart person. Sometimes.

But before anything else, I needed a dress. Something that would make a statement. Off to the mall I go.

I felt really inspired today so another chapter out! I have so many things I need to write so you can expect another one soon
Don't forget to comment and vote!
stay safe<33

P:S: if you're reading this ily 💚