"Because of May."
I stared at Archer. What was he saying?
"What do you mean? Care to bloody explain?!"
He took a deep breath, closing his eyes. It was as if he was debating something in his mind.
"Come on, tell me! If this concerns both of us then I have a right to know!"
Finally he opened his mouth.
"That was May Robertson. The girl in our form who transferred to Scotland last year."
I frowned. "How do you know her?"
"She was the one who showed me that picture. The one with...you in Hyde Park."
It was as if my entire world came to a standstill.
May Robertson?! How did she spy on me? Why did she spy on me? I was 100% sure that picture was photoshopped, since I never did what Archer accused me of.
But why would May go out of her way to sabotage me like that? What had I ever done to her?!
So this was the elusive girl who he had trusted enough to believe, more than he'd ever trusted me.
I felt a raging anger surge within me.
"Tell me something, you arse. What is so special about May that you chose to trust her over some picture she could've easily photoshopped, instead of giving your girlfriend and best friend just one chance to prove herself?"
Archer pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm not having this conversation again."
"Oh, but I am. You invited this when you had your little outburst five minutes ago, out of bloody nowhere! Now answer me."
"If I see something with my own eyes how can I not believe it?"
"When you see a disappearing act in a magic show, you see it with your own eyes, right? Does that mean you believe the magician actually disappeared?!"
"That's different!"
"How is it any different? It's the same concept of deceptive appearances! Just because you see something with your own eyes doesn't mean it's always true, Archer!"
He stared at me long and hard. "Fine. Prove it then."
"What?"
"Prove to me you're saying the truth. Make me believe you."
I stared at him in incredulity. "Are you kidding me? When I was practically begging you to give me a chance, you didn't even look my way twice. And now after all this time you're asking me to prove it to you? Who do you think you are? I don't need to prove shite to you."
His eyes flashed. "Fine, then I won't ever be able to believe you. I'll always think you're a bloody cheater, an unfaithful girlfriend. Nothing else."
The urge to punch him was becoming increasingly hard to suppress. I realised if I had to uphold my dignity and make him realise the truth, I had to prove it to him.
I held my chin up. "Fine. I'll prove it to you. I'll prove I've been saying the truth all along, and that you're just a blind twat with severe trust issues."
With that, I strode out of the room, not having the patience or heart to stay in there with him a second longer.
I let the tears fall only once I was outside.
°
From the next day onwards, I was a girl on a mission. Archer and I weren't speaking anymore, just coldly ignoring each other. It was terrible.
But I was more focused and hellbent on getting my proof. And shoving it in his face.
I got May's number from Callie, a girl in our form who I knew had been friends with her when she was in Bloomwood.
I could've got her number from Archer himself but I would never ask him for it.
I also stalked May's Instagram account and by sheer luck, found out she was currently in London for a few weeks. I decided I had to take advantage of the situation, somehow or the other.
Two nights later, Kate, Angie and I were sitting on my bed, trying to brainstorm about how to get out proof, when suddenly Beth came and stood by the bed.
"What are you three doing?"
She saw May's Instagram profile on my phone screen. "Is that May?"
I nodded. "You knew her?"
"Yeah we had Biology together last year. She was my lab partner."
I sat up, a plan already forming in my head. "Were you two close?"
Beth frowned. "We weren't exactly the best of friends but yeah you could say we were friendly."
I got a wicked gleam in my eyes. "Great. Beth, I need you to do me a favour. Please. It would be great if you could help me out."
I told her everything, right from the reason behind Archer and my breakup to May's recent call and everything in between.
By the time I finished, Beth was fuming. "How dare she! To think she framed you like that, and Archer believed her! Viv, I'll do whatever I can to help you out. Just tell me what."
I smiled. "Thanks a bunch, Beth. So here's the plan."
From what Beth told me about May, I gathered she was a chatterbox, or at least that's what Beth thought. Even though she'd been clever to photoshop my picture, according to Beth, she tended to believe people quite easily herself, and blabber unnecessarily. I figured we could use that to our advantage.
We planned that Beth would text May (she already had her number, we hadn't even known) and tell her that she had seen her pictures in London, and wanted to meet up with her.
If May agreed (which was highly likely, since they had been friends earlier), she and Beth would meet at Hyde Park. Over there Beth would start a conversation with her and get her to spill her guts about my picture.
That was the plan. I wasn't sure how foolproof it was (maybe not at all) or how much Beth would be able to make May confess, but we had to try. This was our only chance.
Beth texted May as planned, and got an overwhelming response. Apparently, May had missed her a lot and "would love" to meet! I rolled my eyes. If she had indeed missed Beth so much, then why not keep in touch?
Beth and May fixed a date the following week. Until then all four of us kept our fingers crossed and Beth kept on rehearsing how she would bring up the topic of the picture.
We decided Beth would secretly record the entire conversation as proof.
The following week came and Friday arrived very soon. On Friday evening, Beth dressed up in a tweed skirt and coat and looked at me nervously.
I hugged her. "All the best. Please get her to spill."
She nodded. "I'll definitely try my best. I have quite a few ideas in my mind, don't worry Viv." She smirked at me and set off.
°
All through the evening I kept on worrying and fidgeting, thinking about what Beth was doing. Even Kate and Angie couldn't hide their anxiousness. I was growing restless and looking at the clock every now and then.
In the study even Archer seemed to notice my fidgety state, though he didn't say anything of course.
After an eternity, I finally got a call from Beth. I leapt out of my chair in the study and went outside.
"Beth! What's the situation?"
Beth sounded very excited. "Viv! Oh my god I did it!"
I stopped short, a slow smile spreading over my features. "What?"
"Yes! I'll tell you everything once I come back but just know that I got her to spill and she didn't even suspect I was recording her!"
I grinned so wide my cheeks hurt. "Oh my god. Oh my god. Thank you thank you thank you Beth! I love you!"
Later, after supper when Beth, Kate, Angie and I were safely in the confines of our dorm, Beth said, "I'll just play the recording. Then you'll see how I did it."
She pressed play on her phone.
Beth's voice could be heard. "So, May, what have you been up to in Scotland?"
May laughed. Her voice was silky. "Oh you know, nothing out of the ordinary. Pretty much the same as in Bloomwood."
"So, that means you're still as clever as before?" Beth chuckled.
"What do you mean?"
"Oh, don't you remember? You took Vivian Wentworth's picture and showed it to Archer? That led to their breakup?"
"How did you know I sent it?"
Beth laughed again. I could tell it was fake, but it sounded pretty believable.
"Oh, word gets around, darling. But it was a really clever move. Vivian really deserved it. She was never good enough for Archer."
My eyes widened. I realised what Beth was doing. She was trying to butter up May by acting like she didn't like me. And it was definitely working.
May said, with a note of wonder in her voice, "Woah, you don't like her too? I thought I was the only one."
"Oh I always thought she was a high-nosed prude."
"Tell me about it! She always acted like she was so important, always doing something or the other for Bloomwood, and then dating Archer. Archer is far better than her."
"You like him?"
"I did, I had this huge crush on him. I still sort of do, which is why I called him a few days back when I came to London. I wanted to meet him. But he sounded busy."
"Oh, you're friends with him?"
May laughed. My blood boiled. "Oh, to be honest we're not best friends, but I did help him out, ya know? By showing him the picture and all!"
Beth sounded really impressed. "Oh yeah. And speaking of that, how did you even manage to click that picture of Vivian! I mean, wow! That's great detective skills!"
Again May chuckled. "Ah, Beth, if only you knew."
Suddenly, Beth paused the recording and grinned. "Get ready girls, this is where things get interesting and where May begins her chatterbox phase."
She resumed and the audio clip sounded again.
Beth asked May. "Knew what?"
"What I actually did."
Beth sounded like a giddy schoolgirl. "What did you do! Tell me!"
"Oh you wouldn't believe me."
"Try me."
I heard May taking a deep breath. "I'm telling you this partly because you dislike Vivian too, and partly because I'm very proud of my wits. But don't tell anyone okay?"
She began. "I actually didn't click that same picture of Vivian in Hyde Park. It was a picture of her with another girl, maybe her friend or cousin. She kissed her on the cheek and I got a picture of that exact moment.
But I'd taken that picture with a very specific intention. To make it look like something it wasn't meant to. So that I could manipulate the situation and make Archer dump Vivian. That way I was hoping to make him like me. But sadly before that could happen my dad got transferred to Edinburgh and I had to move.
But yeah, getting back to the point, I took that picture and then went home and photoshopped it. I inserted a random photo of a lad I got from the internet, and inserted it in such a way that it made it look like she was cheating. Oh, it was so fun to create! I don't regret it, honestly."
By the time May finished, Beth struggled to speak. I could tell she was trying hard to swallow her disgust but she still did a good job of pretending to be impressed.
"Wow, May, I must say that's some pretty skilled editing! Didn't realise you'd done such a lot with this picture!"
The recording ended there. Beth spoke up. "I stopped recording after that since I'd got what we wanted."
I stood and hugged her tight. "I can't thank you enough for what you did for me Beth. I really can't."
Beth mumbled in my hair. "Don't mention it. This was the least I could do after how you stood up for me when I said I was bisexual. Plus you deserve to show Archer how much of a sod he's been all this while."
I smiled at her. Yes, I did. I really did deserve to show him what he'd missed out on.
a/n: who expected this turn of events and who didn't? i want a show of hands!