Craig laughed.
Not just a snicker or a smirk. It was that full-throated, crooked laugh of someone who knew he was untouchable.
He leaned back in his chair, legs up on a school desk in an empty AV room, holding his phone out like it was a trophy.
"Man… the quality on this is amazing," he said, dragging out the last word like he was savoring a fine wine.
"I didn't know that little camera I hid in the locker room could record 60 frames per second. Crystal clear."
On the screen was a video.
A girl was undressing. Innocent, unknowing, and vulnerable.
Her face wasn't visible. But he knew who it was. That was enough for him.
He zoomed in, paused, rewound, then laughed again.
Janice.
She thought she was careful. Always looked around. Always checked the corners. But he was smarter.
He had school access. He had control of the maintenance staff. A little charm here, a threat there, and suddenly, all the locks in the girl's locker room belonged to him.
"You know," he said to no one, "they say I'm the golden boy of Carter High. Star of the soccer team. Principal's son. Honor roll. But if they really knew what I did after hours…"
He tapped his phone and flicked through his gallery. Dozens of videos. Names and faces blurred by shadows, camera angles, or deliberate cropping. But he remembered every single one.
Some were of students. Others… weren't.
He'd gotten braver lately. More reckless.
Because nothing happened. No one said a word. Not even the girl he shoved against the wall behind the science block last month. She cried. She begged. Then she apologized to him.
Power was intoxicating. And Craig was drunk on it every single day.
A knock hit the AV room door. Two soft taps.
He grinned.
"Come in."
Janice stepped inside, arms folded. Her eyes avoided his.
"Where is it?" she asked.
"You're going to have to be more specific," Craig said. He held up his phone.
"This? This masterpiece?"
She flinched, just a little.
"I want it deleted now."
He tilted his head, mock offended.
"After all that effort I put in? The editing, the lighting, the angles. Do you know how rare it is to catch someone like you looking that good in natural light?"
"Delete it," she said again, firmer this time.
Craig stood up slowly and walked toward her, eyes locked onto hers. He tapped the phone screen once. It lit up, her image frozen mid-motion.
"Why would I do that, Janice? When you've given me something so valuable? You should be honored."
She shoved him back. He stumbled a step, then grinned wider.
"Oh, I like it when they fight back. Makes it more fun."
Janice's voice cracked. "I'll go to the police."
Craig laughed so hard he had to lean on the desk.
"You think they'll listen to you? A scholarship girl from a no-name family? Versus me? Carter family's son? The staff eats out of my hand.
You report me, and somehow you'll get expelled. Harassing a model student. Smearing his reputation. You'll be labeled a psycho and sent off to therapy while I make captain next semester."
He circled her, slowly.
"But," he whispered, "if you're nice to me, and I mean really nice, maybe I'll delete it."
Janice was frozen. Her face was pale. Her hands clenched.
Then she turned and walked out. Just like that.
Craig stared at the door for a second.
"Yeah, you'll be back," he said to the empty room.
That was three days ago.
Now Craig was dangling from a hook just outside the school's rooftop entrance. Eyes glassy. Tongue out. Skin pale.
The wind rocked his body slightly.
The irony didn't occur to him. He wasn't thinking anymore.
But Janice remembered everything.
She stood in her bedroom that evening, door locked, curtains drawn, laptop open. The SD card Devlyn gave her sat in her hand like it weighed a thousand pounds.
This wasn't a story about revenge. Not really.
This was a story about fear. About being pushed to the edge and still falling because there was no one to catch you.
She didn't want Craig to die. She just wanted him to stop. But Devlyn, Devlyn never did things halfway.
She stared at the card. Her hands shook. The videos were on it. Proof. Insurance. Leverage. A curse.
Destroy it, Devlyn had said.
She opened a desk drawer and pulled out a lighter.
The flame flickered. The card didn't catch immediately. Plastic melted slowly, reeking.
She gagged, but didn't stop.
By the time it was done, her heart was still racing. Her hands were sweaty. But the evidence was gone. So was Craig.
Except in her mind. His face. His voice. The mocking tone.
She wondered if this was really over.
Downstairs, her phone buzzed. One message.
Devlyn:
I You did it?
I Good.
I Smile tomorrow. No tears. You're free just after giving me my money.
She read it once. Then deleted it.
She wasn't free.
Elsewhere, Devlyn lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling, a faint smile on his face.
Craig was gone.
Janice was handled.
And yet, he felt nothing. No thrill. No pride. Just a hollow sort of boredom.
He opened his phone and flipped through a few notifications. Nothing interesting. Just classmates gossiping, teachers panicking, the usual chaos.
Then a message popped up from an unknown number.
Unknown:
I I know what you did.
I Meet me behind the gym. Tomorrow. Noon.
I Come alone.
Devlyn smiled, slowly.
Finally.
Something fun.
The next morning, the school felt like a church after a funeral, quiet, stiff, and filled with whispers that never reached full volume.
Devlyn didn't go to class right away.
He waited near the vending machines outside the library, hands in his pockets, watching the clock.
At exactly 8:15, Janice appeared. Her shoulders were slouched. She looked like she hadn't slept. Her eyes darted around like she expected someone to grab her from behind.
She handed him an envelope without saying a word.
Devlyn opened it, counted the bills inside with methodical precision. He didn't look at her once.
"Hundred short. Extra for handling him," he said flatly.
"I'll bring it tomorrow," she whispered. "That's everything I had today."
He finally looked up. "You're lucky I'm patient."
She nodded quickly, eyes glassy, lip trembling.
He leaned in just enough for only her to hear. "You ever breathe a word of anything to anyone, even by accident, and you'll wish Craig was still alive."
Janice flinched like she'd been slapped.
Devlyn straightened, slipped the envelope into his bag, and walked away without another word.
As far as he was concerned, that transaction was over.
He had what he wanted.
And now, he was bored again.