Evan tosses a phone on his bed and demands, “Unlock it and show me the number you called.”
Caleb blinks a few times, then reaches for the cell. After a few seconds, he holds it out to Evan to take.
“This is it?” Evan sounds completely confused.
“Yeah, that’s the number,” Caleb tells him.
Evan switches the phone to his left hand and holds it out so Griffin can see the screen.
Slimy is the name of the contact.
Slimy:It’s about to get lit, i need it loud.
The message is followed by a meme of a cartoon character with its head exploding.
Caleb’s reply is another meme of a kid blowing into some kind of horn with his face all puffed out.
Evan scrolls down the screen, and we see Caleb’s text.
Caleb:We got 7 deep.
Slimy:Sounds like a party, gonna make it rain.
“This is the number and your conversation?” Evan asks incredulously.
“Yeah, that’s it.” Caleb nods.
“You never even discussed where to meet or when?”
“It’s always been the same spot and time—under the stairs after curfew.”
“You were the only one who contacted them? You set it all up?” Evan runs his eyes over Caleb again, assessing him.
“It wasn’t just me who wanted it. I just had the number, so I called.”
“Where did you get the number?” Griffin questions.
“At lunch, someone was passing it around. I don’t even know who.” Caleb shrugs dejectedly. “I know it was dumb. I won’t mess with anything like that again, please don’t send me back.”
“You’re right—it was dumb. We haven’t decided what we’re doing with you yet. The most important thing right now is putting a stop to it,” Evan admonishes. “I was hoping you would be more helpful than this. Tell me what you know about Michelle. Who was she close to? Were there any rumors about the teachers or staff being involved?”
Caleb closes his eyes for a brief moment. When he opens them, there’s a noticeable shift in his demeanor. The little bit of hope he had is pretty much gone. “I didn’t know Michelle well. She didn’t socialize with people like me.” His voice is flat and monotone. “Rumors say she had a thing for the headmaster.” He’s talking about Griffin as if he isn’t even in the room, which seems weird to me. “I saw her trying to get chummy with some of the security people and the floor monitors.”
“Anyone in particular? Come on, Caleb, help us so we can help you.” Evan’s voice is softer, more cajoling. I think he knows the kid is losing hope.
“The girls will probably know more. They’re always talking about each other. You should talk to Maya. She wouldn’t even be in this mess if it wasn’t for me. She doesn’t deserve to get kicked out.”
Evan sets his hand on Caleb’s shoulder, and Caleb flinches a little at the contact. “Keep your head on straight. Everyone makes mistakes. It’s how we handle those mistakes that matters.” Caleb lowers his head even more. The kid looks completely devastated.
Griffin guides me from the room with his hand on my lower back. I’m tempted to look over my shoulder, but I don’t. Hearing Griffin’s story makes me realize just how dangerous a game they were playing by messing with the blood.
“You know which one is Maya?” Griffin inquires when Evan closes Caleb’s door.
“No clue, but I want to run this number first.” Evan makes his way over to Randi at the desk. “I need the computer for a few minutes,” he tells her. She vacates her seat and the immediate area, quickly taking up position near the opposite wall where she can’t see what Evan is doing.
I lean over his shoulder. “What site are you going to use to search the number?”
“Site? I was just going to see if it matched anyone listed in our system first.” Evan’s brows are high on his forehead.
