Page 11

‘Who do you think did it?’ Bec says as I join them again.

‘I know they have a lot of enemies, but … this? Could someone really be so heartless?’

‘It could be anyone,’ I say, looking around the crowd.

There’s nobody at this school that Ethan and Tiffany haven’t snubbed, bullied or demeaned at least once.

Even Ethan and Rhys have locked horns a couple of times.

Literally everyone is a suspect.

Including Kellen. Despite what he said, I can’t rule him out.

With the way they treat him, he definitely has a motive.

Maybe he just wanted to bring them down a peg on prom night.

Maybe that’s why he doesn’t want me sniffing around …

‘At least Ethan seems to be taking it pretty well?’ Bec says.

I look over and see him laughing with his friends, just like yesterday.

He really doesn’t seem all that bothered.

It feels wrong to think – he is still a victim after all – but it seems like he might actually be enjoying it.

Cameron said all his brother cared about was how many followers he had.

Maybe Ethan really is seeing all this as a good thing .

Maybe he doesn’t need justice.

No, I think. It’s not just about him.

This is about all victims of revenge porn.

People shouldn’t be able to get away with this!

After all, this affects Cameron too.

I look across to see him staring at his phone with yesterday’s worried look spread across his face.

I should probably go and talk to him, but then the front doors open and the teachers step out, ready for Harrington’s eighteen-hour speech.

Great , I think. As if listening to this once wasn’t enough …

After it’s over, we file into the hall through the candlelit corridor, and I peer up into the rafters to see if I can spot the bucket.

If you look really carefully, you can just about see it hanging up there in the darkness.

I point it out to my friends as we walk in.

Chase is safe for now.

Even Tiffany wouldn’t be so stupid as to pig’s-blood everyone .

‘Are you OK?’ I say when I finally get a moment with Cameron.

‘It’s just these comments …’

he says, scrolling through Instagram to show me.

‘I know it’s easier said than done,’ I say, ‘but you really should try to ignore them.’

‘I know,’ he says.

‘I just hate that everyone thinks they have the right to compare us. I don’t know why I ever agreed to do the whole yin and yang thing.’

He pulls on his jacket as if it makes him itch.

‘I honestly wish I could go upstairs and change.’

‘You mean you have a spare outfit?’ I ask.

‘Course,’ he says. ‘But Ethan didn’t wanna do silver and gold.

He said the colours weren’t right for Instagram.

Said we needed something more muted …’

‘Silver and gold ?’ I say, my heart beating faster.

‘Which one was yours?’

‘I don’t know.

Ethan ordered them. Does it matter?’

‘I suppose not,’ I say, even though it really does.

Maybe it was Cameron who kissed me after all?

Maybe he got sick of matching with Ethan and did go upstairs to change?

‘Sorry,’ he finally says.

‘I feel like I’m being a bit of a downer.’

‘You’re not,’ I say, meeting his eyes for a moment.

‘It’s just annoying,’ he says.

‘I had other plans for this evening. A little prom-night romance, maybe. I was kinda hoping I could talk to you about that actually …’

‘You were?’

‘Yeah.’ He swallows hard and looks away.

‘Though maybe I need a little bit of liquid encouragement first.’ He glances over at the punchbowl.

‘A few drinks and I’ll be back.’

I want to stop him and tell him that he can talk to me right now, but we’ve got the whole night ahead of us.

There really is no rush.

I’m sure he just needs a little bit longer to open up.

To change out of what he’s wearing and put on that gold suit …

Maybe things are going to work out today after all.

Sure, I could do without the Hawthorn banners, but generally?

Things actually seem to be going pretty well.

Bec still writes her Taylor Swift lyrics in the yearbook, and this time I write something too.

To second chances , I inscribe in my best handwriting.

Zach Evans. Class of ’25.

Having lived this day already takes some of the pressure off, and it’s actually incredibly satisfying to know that Tiffany and her cronies have gone to all this effort to try to humiliate Chase, and knowing they won’t succeed.

It’s sad, really, that they can’t just enjoy their prom night without ruining it for someone else.

They’d argue that they’re just honouring Oakbrook tradition, but really it’s nothing more than petty school bullying.

Eventually, we gather beneath the skylight and wait for Mr Harrington to crown Ethan and Tiffany.

I’m tempted to skip this since I already know whose names are inside that envelope.

The votes were cast yesterday, so it’s not like I ever had any power to change it.

‘And so, without further delay,’ Mr Harrington says, after his incredibly long-winded speech – God, that’s four I’ve had to listen to now – ‘it’s my honour to announce this year’s Prom King and Queen.’

‘Prom Royalty!’ Josh yells, right on cue.

‘It’s gender neutral.’

‘Oh … erm, yes,’ Harrington says.

‘This year’s Prom Royalty …’

There’s that same moment of tension as he fumbles with the envelope.

‘Kellen Thomas and Rhys Kingsland!’

‘Huh?’ I say, watching as everyone claps excitedly, the two boys walking through the crowd to the stage.

What did you do, Kellen?

Rigging the result isn’t what I meant by a romantic gesture …

‘Could have seen that coming,’ Bec says.

‘It was obviously going to be them,’ Chase agrees.

Except it wasn’t obvious because this isn’t how it was supposed to go at all.

I glance across at Tiffany.

She looks as surprised as I do.

But, while she glares at Kellen furiously, Ethan seems completely unbothered.

The applause grows louder as Rhys and Kellen take the stage and Mr Harrington crowns them.

‘Our first-ever same-sex royalty!’ he says as the confetti canons fire and glitter rains down on us.

Except it isn’t gold this time, it’s rainbow.

‘Love is love!’ Josh shouts from somewhere behind me.

I turn and catch his eye, and he gives me this big smile.

He’s ridiculous, but he’s cute.

I can’t help but smile too.

How on earth did Kellen do all this?

I turn back to the stage and see him kissing Rhys.

Everyone has taken their phone out to capture the moment, but I’m not sure I want to remember this part of the evening.

I don’t know what it is, but something about this just doesn’t feel right.

My stomach twists as they hold the kiss for longer than feels comfortable.

Kellen raises Rhys’s hand in the air to thunderous applause before they descend back into the crowd to meet a sea of well-wishers and congratulations.

‘Two guys winning?’ I overhear Tiffany saying to Miss Madzikanda.

‘It’s misogynistic. How is it progressive to muscle girls out of their right to win Prom Queen?’

‘Because one year it might be two girls,’ she replies.

‘When I was a student here, we wouldn’t have even dreamed of seeing two boys taking the crowns.

I think you’re maybe forgetting the significance of that.’

‘It’s just a pair of plastic crowns,’ Tiffany replies bitterly.

‘And yet you’re this bothered by not getting one,’ Madzikanda replies.

‘I know you’re disappointed, but try to be happy for them.

Rhys is your friend, right?

Besides, you got to be here to see them make Oakbrook history.

Put that on your Instagram.’

Yes, Madzikanda!

Drag her!

Tiffany looks increasingly irritated.

‘Where’s Mr Harrington?’

she finally huffs, realizing she’s wasting her time with Madzikanda.

‘I’m going to demand a recount.

That’s my right! That’s how democracy works!’

‘You do that.’ Madzikanda shrugs, watching her walk away.

‘Rainbow confetti?’ I say as soon as Tiffany is out of earshot.

A few stray pieces still float in the air around us.

‘Something tells me that was your doing.’

She chuckles.

‘I wasn’t actually looking to take the credit, but …’

‘Well, it was hardly gonna be Harrington’s idea.’

‘I’m sure I don’t know what you mean,’ she says, twinkling.

‘I’m just glad we finally got to use it.

I ordered it years ago.

There was a young lesbian couple who were in the running.

They didn’t win, but I’ve been loading it into the backup confetti canons every year since.

Just in case. I can’t believe it’s taken this long.

It’s about time it finally happened.’

‘You made history, miss.’

‘No,’ she says.

‘They did. Look how happy Kellen is. Makes it all worthwhile.’

I look over.

Kellen has a huge smile on his face as he shows off his crown.

Rhys seems a little awkward, but then that’s his default setting if he’s not on a rugby pitch.

I still don’t understand how Kellen managed this, though.

‘I guess I should go and give them my congratulations.’

‘You do that,’ Madzikanda says with a smile.

I wait until there’s a break in the crowd of people and pull Kellen aside.

‘All right,’ I say, ‘enough games. How did you do it?’

He beams with a big mischievous grin.

‘I just switched out the ballots.’

‘What? When?’

‘Earlier!’ he says.

‘Right after Capture the Flag. Can you believe Harrington’s office wasn’t even locked?

You know we actually got more votes than I expected?

It was way closer than I thought.

I only had to switch a few.’

‘But that’s cheating!’

‘They cheated in Capture the Flag!’

‘Two wrongs don’t make a right.’

‘OK, Grandma,’ he says, rolling his eyes.

‘You saw what Tiffany did yesterday. Did you really want her to get onstage and start running her mouth again? I did us all a favour! Sure, I get a sparkly crown, but I was also looking out for Chase!’

‘You were looking out for yourself,’ I say.

‘Don’t act like you were doing some good deed.

You did this because you wanted to win.’

‘And what if I did?’ Kellen pouts.

‘It’s not like I stole it from someone deserving, Zach!

You know full well how many arms she twisted to get the votes for her and Ethan.

It’s not like it was ever a fair competition.’

‘It’s still cheating!’

‘Maybe you’re just jealous,’ he finally says with a shrug.

That stings and I don’t really know why.

I’m not jealous. Am I?

‘I’m going back to my boyfriend.

At least try to enjoy the rest of your prom.’

‘Whatever,’ I say, striding away from him.

I don’t know why I keep letting him distract me.

I have my own objectives tonight, and they’ve got nothing to do with him and his stupid action-man boyfriend.

I think of that kiss again, that magical spark when the stranger pushed his lips against mine.

Cameron or Josh. It has to be one of them.

I go through the motions for the rest of the evening.

I try not to totally zone out of conversations, but it’s hard because I’ve already heard everything people have to say.

My focus is constantly on Cameron and Josh.

Waiting for one of them to excuse themselves to go and change.

But it doesn’t seem to be happening.

They’re both in their original outfits, Cameron still paired with his brother, and Josh still dressed as class clown.

I’m half tempted to spill my punch over them just to hurry things along a little.

I have to know who that gold outfit belongs to.

‘What happened to the outfit change?’ I finally ask Josh when I get him alone.

‘Oh, I can’t be bothered,’ he says.

‘More time dressing means less time drinking.’

‘Well, hypothetically, if you were to change … what would you change into?’

‘Something slutty,’ he says with a wink.

‘Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some very important business to attend to.’

He nods to the punchbowl where Owen is pouring two more drinks.

I’m not getting anywhere.

Midnight is drawing closer and closer and I still don’t know who kissed me.

‘Zach!’ Cameron says, approaching.

‘I was looking for you!’ He’s slightly flushed.

Not hammered, but definitely several drinks in.

‘You were?’

‘Yeah,’ he says.

‘I think I’m ready for that talk.

Before I get too merry.’

He looks around to see if anyone’s listening.

‘Maybe we could go somewhere a little quieter?’

‘Cameron, shots!’ Josh calls.

‘Coming!’ he yells back.

‘By the lake? In, like … ten minutes?’

‘I’ll be there,’ I say.

And this time I mean it.

I won’t mess this up a second time.

There’s nobody by the lake when I get there, just the moonlight rippling off the water, the stars twinkling in the night sky above.

I walk down the wooden jetty that juts out over the surface and sit on the end.

I let my feet dangle, kicking them idly as I wait for Cameron.

My heart is fluttering.

Is it finally gonna happen?

Kellen seems so certain about what this repeated day was for, at least for him.

But I’m not so certain.

Prom definitely hasn’t gone anywhere near as badly as yesterday, but even so something still feels wrong.

I pull out my phone and look at the time: 11.

55 p.m.

I replay the events of last night in my mind over and over, trying to find a clue to confirm the identity of the person who kissed me.

I remember the touch of their lips and try to imagine them belonging to Josh or Cameron.

It could have easily been either of them.

‘Zach?’ a voice calls.

Cameron. He’s early.

I get up to turn around but then quickly realise it’s not him.

The wrong twin again .

Ethan is walking down the jetty towards me.

‘I was hoping to find you,’ he says.

‘Huh?’ I say, confused.

‘Why?’

He shuffles his feet.

‘This whole leaked photos thing. I think I know who did it …’

‘OK,’ I say.

‘But what’s that got to do with me?’

‘I need to show you something,’ he says.

‘Come with me?’

And that’s when the penny drops.

He’s trying to set me up.

Just like he did Chase.

‘Wow,’ I say, refusing to take the bait.

‘You really think I’m that fucking stupid?’

He hesitates for a second, as if contemplating whether to continue the lie, but then his lips twist into a sinister smile.

It’s like he’s been taking lessons from Tiffany.

‘So you know then? Who told you?’

‘Nobody told me anything,’ I say.

‘It’s just obvious, isn’t it?

But why me? Why am I suddenly the target?

What the hell did I do?’

‘Snitches get stitches,’ he says.

I can’t help snorting.

‘Because I told Madzikanda that you cheated?’

‘Cheated?’ He laughs.

‘It was just a tactic, Zach.’

‘Why did you deny it then?’ I say.

He doesn’t answer that.

‘So that’s what this is?

You could be enjoying prom, but instead you’re trying to ruin mine?

It’s pathetic.’

‘I’ll tell you what’s pathetic ,’ he spits, getting uncomfortably close.

‘You thinking you have a chance with Cam. That is why you’re out here, right?’

‘That’s none of your business,’ I say, pushing past him.

‘He’s my brother,’ he says.

‘Of course it’s my business.

If you think he’s into you, you’re delusional.

You do realize he tells me everything , right?’

‘Whatever,’ I say.

I keep walking, trying to seem unbothered.

But I am bothered. What did Cameron say about me?

‘Know your place!’ he calls after me.

‘You’re just like Kellen.

A pair of gold-digging nobodies.

You’ll go after literally anyone with money.’

‘Excuse me?’ I spin back round to face him.

I know I shouldn’t let him get a rise out of me, but I’m so tired of his bullshit.

Him and Tiffany are made for each other.

‘That’s all you rich kids think about, isn’t it?

I couldn’t care less about your stupid money.’

‘That’s what they all say.’

He laughs. ‘ I don’t care about money.

But the truth is you only pretend you don’t care because you don’t have any.’

‘Fuck you,’ I snap, squaring up to him so we’re face to face.

‘Fuck me?’ He smirks.

‘You’d like that, wouldn’t you?

Had a wank over my pics yet?

If you squint hard enough, you can pretend I’m Cameron.’

I think about taking a swing at him.

‘Go on,’ Ethan says, nodding down at his body suggestively.

‘Have a feel. It’s the closest you’ll ever get.’

He grabs my hand and presses it to his chest.

‘Get off me!’ I yell, pushing him, the first firework screeching up into the night sky.

But I push harder than I mean to.

It feels like it happens in slow motion.

He loses his balance and stumbles off the edge of the jetty.

The blood-red explosions of the fireworks reflect in the black of the lake as he disappears beneath the surface.

Fuck. I didn’t mean to do that.

Though maybe he deserved it.

He definitely deserved it.

But he doesn’t surface.

‘Zach!’ a voice yells.

Cameron is running up to me.

‘What are you doing?!’

‘Huh?’ I say, disorientated.

‘I don’t know – he started it.’

‘He can’t swim!’ Cameron says, pulling off his suit jacket.

‘What? But he’s on the rowing team …’

‘Move!’ He pushes me aside.

I’ve never heard him sound so serious.

He takes a deep breath, dives in and disappears beneath the water.

I look on helplessly, the sound of the explosions overhead growing louder.

‘Cameron?’ I call, watching the ripples get smaller and smaller until the lake falls completely still.

‘Cameron?’ I yell again, my voice growing panicked now.

‘Help!’ I shout, hoping someone will hear me, but it’s hopeless.

Everyone’s inside, the squealing sound of each firework drowning out my voice.

‘Somebody help!’

But nobody hears me.

Nobody comes. I’m all alone on the jetty.

‘Fuck,’ I say, tearing off my jacket and kicking off my shoes.

I brace myself for the cold of the lake and leap in after them.

I dive beneath the surface and reach around for them.

But the water is far deeper than I could have imagined.

It goes down and down , until I feel the pressure pushing on my eardrums. Since when has the lake been this deep?

The fireworks continue to explode above us, the muffled sound rippling through the water.

I dive deeper and deeper, reaching for them in the darkness, until finally I feel something grip my arm.

It happens so suddenly that it startles me, and I almost choke.

It’s a hand, and it’s pulling on me.

I pull back, but it’s like whoever it belongs to is stuck on something, unable to move.

Their fingers squeeze, more and more frantic, and now I’m almost out of air too.

I try to break free and go for the surface, but the hand grips me tighter and tighter.

A silent pleading in the pitch-black of the lake.

I don’t want to let go, but I have to.

I can’t hold it any longer.

I feel water in my lungs and the blackness consumes me.