Distorted Reflections

Chapter 2

A/N: yeah so um, I wanted to know if you guys think I'm moving things too fast? I mean, the story just started and there was a fight already... I just want your opinions, please

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I sat on my bed, roaming through the Internet trying to find information for my essay.
God, how I hated history.
Mainly after Mrs. Rivera gave us the task of making a handwritten, 700-words-composed essay.
I closed my book, deciding to take a break.
Today was one hell of a long day.
I heard a sound of a car door slamming. Looking through the window, I saw Ross marching to his house, his usual expressionless face on.
There was a little cut under his left eyebrow that made me feel sorry for him.
I wasn't mad at him. Not at all.
I mean, I didn't know what happened on there.
And being honest? I couldn't blame him for everything. Sometimes Cody was off-limit.
But Cody still was my best friend. And his state was way worse. When we left school, he was still recovering on the nursery.
I turned to my laptop as one of the tabs on the browser blinked.

*1 NEW E-MAIL*

I stared at the screen reluctantly. It was one of those non-reply accounts.
There wasn't a title on the email.
The longer I stared at it, the bigger was my urge to open.
Oh, screw it.
I opened the e-mail, only to find something unexpected.

"Seems like Mrs. Perfect's kingdom is just about to crumble down. Tell everyone, or I will. Your due is tomorrow at lunch."

There was an image annexed to it.
It was loading, and I patiently waited, afraid of what the picture must be - even though I had an idea, and I really, really hoped I was wrong.
As the image finally loaded, my jaw fell open.
Fuck.
FUCK.
There stood a picture of me and Maia, our lips connected.
Apparently the picture was taken from outside her house, through a window.
I was wearing a white top and she was wearing her blue sweater. Those were our clothes from yesterday.
Of course.
Of fucking course.
The light I saw outside. It wasn't a reflection from the street.
It was a camera flash.
God how could I be so careless?
I put my face on both hands, frustrated.
What am I gonna do now?
I have no idea who sent this, who snapped the picture. It could literally be anyone.
I grabbed my phone to tell Maia about it.
I paused, looking at the Send button. If I sent it, she would freak out.
Deleting the message, I went through my contacts, starting from the bottom.
There were many of them but almost everyone in there was unlikely to do this. I needed to get rid of that picture, I needed to shut the person down, I needed-
I paused as I found a name. The only person who could get rid of information to me.
I ran downstairs, phone in my ear, as I called him. I ran outside and he picked up.
"Yes?"
"Open the door."
I turned off the call and waited.
He opened the door. He had changed clothes, dumping his usual leather jacket and cleaned up the hints of blood in his face, even though you could still see the cut.
"You could have done it like normal people and ringed the doorbell you know?" He raised an eyebrow
"I just wanted to make sure you were the one that picked up."
"No one's home" he crossed his arm, giving me space to step in the house.
"How was I supposed to know that?"
He sighed. "Why are you here?"
I avoided his eyes "I need help."
"And what makes you think that I'll help you?"
"You owe me."
I look at him as the memory comes back to him. He looks at the ground, licks his lips. He was thinking.
"Fine. What do you need help with?" He leaded us to the living room.
I haven't been here for a really long time. Probably three years ago, when they first moved in and Mimi decided to make a dinner. I remember Austin hating every moment of it. The walls were re-painted, a change of white to a faded yellow. All the furniture looked way better.
Probably because now everything was, you know, out of the boxes.
I sighed "I need to find someone who sent me an anonymous e-mail. Whoever that is, they have... something and they're using it to threaten me"
"What is it?" He said, way too quickly. "I mean, there must be something really good to get your highness all scared"
"Would you stop it? This is serious!" I plopped down on the couch and he sat next to me.
"Then tell me what it is!"
"It's a picture. A compromising picture that could ruin everything. My college indications, my reputation, even my relationship with my parents. It puts everything in risk."
He chuckled "Okay, unless it's the picture of you murdering someone, I think you're overreacting."
"I'm not overreacting!"
Silence fell between us, and I wasn't sure if he was waiting for me to calm down or if he was just thinking.
"Show me the picture." He demanded
"Excuse me?" How dare that douchebag treat me like I was his property.
"Show me the picture."
"No!"
"Then I guess you don't really want my help."
I stopped.
Ross was literally the only one that could help me. We don't get along at all, but he's the only person that could get someone to keep silent. He was dangerous and everyone knew better than to mess with him (Cody was obviously an exception). But was he trustable enough to know about this?
I've been with a couple of guys in parties and he was surely the only one that didn't have the urge to let the entire student body know about it on the next day.
Or ever.
"You have to promise me you're not gonna tell anyone."
"When wasn't I discrete?"
"Today." I said, receiving a glare from him "You asked me." I continued, raising both hands
"Fine."
I opened my e-mail on my phone.
Here we go.
I handed him my phone and watched his face, trying to read it.
Interest.
Confusedness.
Shock.
Suddenly, the douchebag started laughing.
"So you're telling me... the princess of the school is... gay?" He said, laughing and trying to catch his breath.
I threw a pillow on his face.
God, he was so immature.
"Well," he said, progressively stopping his laughing fit "That's kindof hot you know?"
"Shut the fuck up."
"Make me." He smirked
"Can you help me or not?!"
He sighed "Okay. To begin with, is there anyone that hates you? Someone that would want you on the dumps?"
"No one that I really know about" I shrugged
"Well, shit." He looked distant, thinking.
After a long pause, he turned to me.
"Okay, here's the deal: I have a contact. He's a master of computer science-"
"Like a hacker?"
"Not exactly. You probably don't know him, but he's from our school. He's invisible, trustable and in all sureness won't tell anyone."
"Does he owe you a favor or something?"
"Not everyone owes me stuff, princess. I told you he's a contact."
I saw something flashing through his eyes. Pity, hurt, confusion? Something went between these lines, something that I couldn't quite figure out.
I looked at him, considering that Ross  Lynch wouldn't trust just anyone.
"Alright." I sighed "Do it."