"Kids these days," Mr. Avery-the press guy-mutters. "they believe the internet is all. They can't even get their nose out of that small chipmunk. Like what is in there? Porn magazine?"
I flinch at his choice of words.
"So you would rather if we had our heads stuck in porn magazines instead of that innocent device?" Ashton asks, leaning forward on the photocopy machine.
Tip of Mr. Avery's ears turns red. He clears his throat.
I smile a little but hide it quickly trying to look busy with my laptop.
I can feel his gaze on me. I try my best not to look affected.
"No-not-like-oh-" Mr. Avery tries to form a reply but Ashton pats his shoulder. "It's okay to read them. The boys of our generation read them too. Although I assure you, that little device can do more than those magazines."
Now it's time for me to cringe at him. Someone clears their throat, probably Payton. I can't tell since I'm busy pretending to revise my column and not to eavesdrop on them-especially Ashton.
"What? I'm just socializing," Ashton asserts. "But frankly, things didn't turn well when dad found them. Though that was back in middle school of course. High schoolers don't need porn magazines."
"Yes, when mom found them under my mattress when I was still in seventh grade. She was so furious that she forced dad to lecture about sex," Asher makes a face. "Those two long hours are something I'll never forget in my life."
Luca snorts. "That flower and-"
"Aha!" I yell covering my ears with my palms. "Too much information."
Ashton laughs and gives Luca and Asher a high five.
"Can we just be finished with this already?" Cora huffs as she continues assessing her newly polished nails.
I roll my eyes. As if we told her to be here in the first place.
That's when Ashton's eyes meet mine. Something shines in his eyes as he holds my gaze. I quickly averted my eyes from him.
Ashton and I are still not on talking terms. Ashton took my words from last night to heart. He didn't try to call or text me last night. When I arrived this morning, I found him talking with Grace. But when I went over to them he merely ignored me and walked away.
"Thinking about your pretty guy again?" I look up and find Ashton towering over me.
"None of your business, you pig!" I try to push him out of my vision. He doesn't budge.
Ashton shakes his head. "You still won't take my advice? Don't tell me I didn't warn you later."
I glare at him and get out of the room. Like who's he to say who's good for me and who's not? As if getting ditched by your boyfriend in the first place isn't humiliating enough.
Speaking of my boyfriend, Derek hasn't replied to any of my texts since last night. I just hope he's fine.
I'm a little worried too. Nyako was telling this morning the drinks were spiked at the party last night. Owen accidentally drank them and he's still blacked out.
When I walk inside the meeting room, Luca and the Cyber club are toiling on their laptops.
Nyako wasn't joking. A Cyber Club does exist in our school. I still don't get it how no one knows about a club like this.
Again, this is high school.
The other three members of the club are a geek girl Ellie and two Asian boys, Spencer and Nick.
They're trying to trace the IP address of the device that they used to log in to our account. Jason is helping them with the case. Six of them have their heads stuck in their laptops and are programming away something. Well five, since Miles barely passed Computers last year. But he's supervising everyone's work and telling them what to do and what not to do. I can already see his future.
Jason was the first one who noticed me. "Kiara, I was about to call you. Come here."
"What happened?" I ask them.
"It's almost done," the blond Asian-Nick-says.
"They tracked the location of the computer," Jason tells me.
"Really?" Jason nods. It's been only an hour and they tracked it already?
"And here we go!" Nick bounces, making all of us startled.
"Did you?" Miles asks.
Nick nods and shows us his laptop.
"Ashton! Payton! Everyone come here," Grace shouts. "Nick found them."
Almost instantly, everyone is enclosing around Nick. Even Mrs. Roth.
"Where? Where is it?" She asks.
"Finally I'll be free from here," Cora sighs dramatically. I roll my eyes. Does she mean finally we'll be free from her?
She snakes her arms around Ashton. And instead of pulling away, Ashton throws his arms around her.
I feel a flutter in the pit of my stomach-for what reason, I can't tell. I try not to think about it much.
"Wait a moment," Nick presses his lips together and taps the enter button.
'Your request is processing,' flashes on the screen. '10%'
Everyone surrounds him impatiently.
'35%'
'50%'
'80%'
'92%'
'96%'
'98%'
'99%' And-
"The fuck!" Nick yells and slams his fist on the table. The rest of us stares at the screen where strange numbers are doodled.
I don't even understand a word of it. And now I feel like a troglodyte.
Then when I look around, I find everyone staring at the screen with the same puzzled look, which makes me feel a bit better.
"What does that mean?" Mrs. Roth asks.
"This means-" Jason leans closer to the screen to get a better view.
"The IP address of one of the computers of our school library?"
"The IP address of one of the computers in our school library."
Ashton and Nick say at the same time. Though only Nick's answer was in affirmative.
I look at Ashton. "You can read the codes?"
Ashton shrugs. "Have Computers in my schedule."
"Show off," Miles says and turns to me. "He's in the AP class."
My eyes grow wider.
But then Ashton says, "It's not a big deal. Jason is in there too."
Not a big deal?! How many AP classes does he take? He has three with me already.
Though no one else gives us a glance.
"Why would they use a school computer?" Spencer mumbles.
"And it's not just one particular computer," Ellie says and shows us her laptop. "They used different computers to log in so no one can trace them back."
"And they even used our lab's PC and the computers of the Public Library too," Nyako points below.
"Clever bastards," Nick mutters.
"Maybe we can ask Ms. Julian for the list of people who used the library's computers in the last two weeks," Mrs. Roth says. "In fact, you should go to her right now."
"But students aren't allowed to go to the library on weekends," Promy tells her.
"Good point," Mrs. Roth nods. "I'll write you a pass."
My phone buzzes as Mrs. Roth goes to write the pass. I take it out and find a text from Derek. About time.
I unlock my phone and read it.
'Bad hangover. Can't even get out of the bed. Can we shift our date to another time?'
I feel a twinge of disappointment. I've been looking forward to this for the whole week.
'He must be really tired,' my inner-voice reasons.
'No prob, get well soon'
I type and hit the send button.
"...shift our date to another time?" Someone peers over my shoulders and snorts. "What kind of jerk ditches his girlfriend like that?"
I lock my phone and look over.
"What'd you think you're doing?" I ask Ashton.
"Watching out for a friend?"
"And who gave you the permission to sneak up on me?" I yell at him and then add in a soft voice. "I'm sure he's really sick. He hadn't partied in ages."
"In ages?" Cora cuts in. "You mean a week by ages, right? Because as far as I can recall, he went to Brad's party."
I cross my arms. "You're lying."
"Why would I do that?" Cora rolls her eyes. "In fact, I saw him at Micheal's party too. Remember Ashton? You went to that one too."
Ashton stiffens. I look over at him with a raised brow.
Ashton looks back and forth between us. "I-I-"
"Don't tell me you forgot," Cora says. "On the first weekend of this semester? The one where you ditched all of us for that redhead?"
So Cora doesn't care if Ashton gets laid with another girl? Maybe Ashton was telling the truth. He and Cora aren't a thing. Or maybe this is how it works between them.
"Yeah," Ashton says, breaking my thoughts. "I saw Derek at that party."
I turned to face him fully. "Micheal's party? The one where you got laid and drunk and then ditched me, making me late for the meeting on the process?"
Ashton nods slowly. "When he told you he would be late for practice and told you to manage a ride home, that wasn't exactly the truth," Ashton mutters. "He was planning to go to the party. But that party was supposed to start early."
"So he sent me away so he can go to the party?" Ashton doesn't reply to that one.
All the hopes I had inside me suddenly start to break. Why would Derek lie to me about a party?
"He even threw the biggest party last summer. Though I don't think I saw you there," Asher starts. "I think you went to Africa at that time. Ashton too."
My stomach drops. Say what?
"I don't party much," Ellie adds, joining us in the corner. "But I have seen him in a few."
My mind freezes as tears start welling up in my eyes.
I look at Grace and Miles, who are now watching me cautiously. Did they know too? Because unlike me, they go to some of the parties.
"We thought he told you or something," Grace tells.
"You two aren't exactly that open about your relationship so we didn't know if you guys had already talked about it or not," Miles adds.
Grace nods in agreement. "Heck I don't even know if you're still a virgin or not." Grace finishes shamelessly.
"I know she is," Miles says. "We're her best friends, she would've told us if she wasn't." Nobody laughs at his attempt to joke.
I barely hear him as my mind drifts away somewhere else. Derek parties? But I thought he told me he hated them. And just because I don't party, doesn't mean I would've stopped him from doing so. Or even throw one himself.
And it's not like I never went to parties. I went to many of them during my freshman year. But after that, I went only to the significant ones. Like the Halloween, or Winter ball after-party. I even went to the after-prom party last year.
Derek knows about them too. He was there with me.
Then why did he hide about partying from me?
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New cover ^^^^
Also, it's only a month and a few days since I've started this book and we've reached 2K+ reads already. Thank you all so much. It wouldn't have been possible without you guys. Love you to infinity! ðððð