Chapter 4 - The Screen Lights Up
Hayes frowned, his hand instinctively moving toward his jacket pocket as a cold knot formed in his stomach. The smugness in Mrs. Vance's expression wasn't a bluff; she looked entirely too calm for someone who had just been cornered by a district official. Leo watched from his desk, holding his breath as the heavy atmosphere in the classroom seemed to drop by several degrees. Maya continued to weep quietly, her shoulders shaking rhythmically under the heavy fabric of her grey hoodie.
"What did you do, Eleanor?" Hayes asked, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper as he pulled his smartphone from his pocket.
The screen illuminated his face with a harsh, blueish glow. A single push notification flashed across the display from an unknown encrypted server. Without thinking, Hayes tapped the notification, and a live video feed immediately populated the screen. The camera angle was slightly elevated, looking down into a stark, windowless room filled with filing cabinets and a row of digital servers that hummed with a low, menacing frequency.
"I told you, Mr. Hayes, compliance is a team effort," Mrs. Vance said smoothly, folding her arms across her dark blue shirt. "You didn't really think you were the only one keeping records of the scholarship kids, did you? Every single transfer, every altered report, every quiet little disciplinary action you tried to sweep under the rug to protect your career... it's all backed up off-site."
Hayes stared at the screen, his face draining of whatever color it had left. The man who had walked in looking like an avenging angel of authority now looked like a trapped animal. His breathing turned shallow, and his fingers trembled so badly he nearly dropped the phone onto the floor.
"You hacked my private drive," Hayes choked out, taking a half-step back as if physical distance could sever the digital connection.
"I didn't hack anything. You left your login credentials open on the faculty lounge terminal three weeks ago," Mrs. Vance replied with a cruel smirk. "Some of us actually pay attention to details. Now, are you going to help me finish shaping this ungrateful girl, or are you going to pack your briefcase and watch your entire life get uploaded to the state board?"
Leo couldn't take it anymore. He pushed his chair back, the loud screech cutting through the tense standoff.
"Hey! Stop talking to him like that!" Leo yelled, taking two rapid steps away from his desk. "She's just a kid! You're both monsters!"
Mrs. Vance snapped her head toward Leo, her eyes flashing with pure malice. Before she could open her mouth to silence the boy, Maya slowly lifted her head from the desk. Her tear-streaked face was pale, her eyes bloodshot, but her expression had shifted from fear to something cold and terrifying.
"You don't need to fight for me, Leo," Maya said, her voice completely steady and devoid of childish emotion. "They aren't arguing about my hair."
Hayes slowly lowered his phone, turning to look down at Maya with sudden, panicked horror.
"Maya, don't," Hayes whispered, holding up a hand as if to ward off her next words.
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"They're arguing about who gets to keep the flash drive my brother left in my locker before he disappeared," Maya finished, staring directly at the district official.
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