Chapter 5: What He Never Told Her
The photograph lay face-up on Principal Reynolds' desk.
Nobody touched it.
Mrs. Harris couldn't understand what she was looking at.
It was Ariana.
But not the same photograph.
Not the one she'd sent Miles.
This one had clearly been taken somewhere else.
A different outfit.
A different day.
A different background.
And Ariana looked unaware that anyone was photographing her.
Mrs. Harris' voice was low.
“Where was this taken?””
Ariana shook her head.
“I don't know.””
Miles stared at the photograph.
“I've seen it.””
His mother turned.
“Where?””
“On Tyler's phone.””
Ariana's face tightened.
“So Tyler did take it?””
“I don't know.””
“You said you saw it.””
“I saw him looking at it.””
Principal Reynolds asked, “When?””
“Last Friday.””
“Where?””
“Behind the gym.””
“Who was with you?””
“No one.””
“Why were you there?””
Miles hesitated.
“To meet Tyler.””
Mrs. Harris' eyes narrowed.
“Why?””
“He wanted to talk.””
“About what?””
Miles didn't answer.
“Miles.””
“He said he had something.””
“What?””
“The picture.””
Ariana's voice became barely audible.
“Why would he have a picture of me?””
Miles looked at her.
“I don't know.””
“You're lying.””
“I swear.””
“You knew about it.””
“I knew he had it. I didn't know where it came from.””
Principal Reynolds interrupted.
“Why didn't you tell anyone?””
Miles' eyes filled.
“Because Tyler said he'd post it.””
Mrs. Harris went still.
“What?””
“He said if I told anyone, he'd post everything.””
Ariana looked at him.
“What does ‘everything’ mean?””
Miles rubbed his eyes.
“The messages. The picture you sent me. The other picture.””
Mrs. Harris looked confused.
“What other messages?””
Miles was silent.
Principal Reynolds leaned forward.
“Miles, this is the moment to tell the entire truth.””
Miles looked at his mother.
She nodded slowly.
“Tell me.””
He took a breath.
“I was in a group chat.””
“What group chat?””
“Some guys from school.””
“Who?””
“Tyler. Jordan. Ben. A few others.””
Jordan immediately said, “I left.””
“When?””
“Tuesday.””
“Why?””
Jordan looked embarrassed.
“Because they started making fun of people.””
Mrs. Harris looked at Miles.
“And you stayed?””
Miles nodded.
“What did you do in there?””
Miles' voice dropped.
“We sent pictures.””
“Pictures of what?””
“People.””
Mrs. Harris closed her eyes.
“Without permission?””
“Yes.””
“How many?””
“I don't know.””
Ariana's face was pale.
“Whose pictures?””
Miles looked at her.
“Students.””
“Which students?””
“I don't remember all of them.””
Principal Reynolds said, “Do you remember why Tyler wanted Ariana's picture?””
Miles nodded.
“He said everyone would laugh.””
Ariana's eyes filled.
“And you helped him.””
“I didn't know what he was going to do.””
“You sent it.””
“Yes.””
“You watched people laugh.””
Miles nodded.
“Yes.””
“You called my clothes disgusting.””
“I said ‘Goodwill fits.’”
Ariana flinched.
Mrs. Harris looked at her son.
“Miles.””
He began crying.
“I know.””
“No. Look at me.””
He did.
“You keep saying you know.””
She pointed toward Ariana.
“Look at what your jokes did.””
Miles looked at Ariana.
“I am sorry.””
Ariana wiped her cheek.
“You should have said that three days ago.””
“I was scared.””
“So was I.””
“I know.””
“You don't get to use fear as an excuse after you made somebody else afraid.””
Miles nodded.
Then Principal Reynolds' phone rang.
He glanced at the screen.
His expression changed.
“Excuse me.””
He answered.
“Yes?””
Everyone waited.
He listened.
“Where?””
A pause.
“Are you certain?””
Another pause.
“All right. Bring it to my office.””
He hung up.
Mrs. Harris stood.
“What happened?””
“The IT coordinator found the account.””
Ariana's eyes widened.
“Tyler's?””
“No.””
Principal Reynolds looked at Miles.
“The anonymous account.””
Miles went pale.
“Who owns it?””
The principal didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he turned his computer toward them.
On the screen was a student profile.
Mrs. Harris stepped closer.
Then froze.
The name on the screen wasn't Tyler.
It wasn't Jordan.
It wasn't Ben.
It wasn't any student Mrs. Harris recognized.
Ariana stared at it.
“I've never seen that name.””
Miles suddenly shook his head.
“No.””
Mrs. Harris turned toward him.
“You know them?””
“No.””
“Miles.””
“I don't.””
“Then why are you scared?””
He backed away.
Principal Reynolds watched him carefully.
“You recognize the account.””
“No.””
“You recognize the name.””
“No!””
His shout echoed through the office.
The principal stood.
“Miles.””
The boy's breathing became ragged.
“I don't know who that is.””
Mrs. Harris walked toward him.
“Then tell me why you're acting like you've seen a ghost.””
Miles looked at the screen again.
His face crumpled.
“I thought Tyler was the one doing it.””
Ariana whispered, “Doing what?””
Miles swallowed.
“Sending the pictures.””
Principal Reynolds asked, “And now?””
Miles stared at the unfamiliar name.
“Now I think…”
He stopped.
“What?””
Miles looked at his mother.
“I think Tyler was getting them from someone else.””
Mrs. Harris felt a chill move through her.
“Who?””
Miles opened his mouth.
Before he could speak, the office door burst open.
A school security officer stood there, holding a second phone.
“Principal Reynolds,” he said breathlessly, “we found another device.””
The principal took it.
“Where?””
“In the boys' locker room.””
He looked down at the screen.
Then his face went completely pale.
Mrs. Harris stepped closer.
“What is it?””
Principal Reynolds stared at Miles.
“Miles…”
“What?””
The principal slowly turned the phone around.
There was a message on the screen.
*You promised you wouldn't tell your mother.*
Mrs. Harris' blood ran cold.
May you like
Because the message had been sent *less than thirty seconds ago*.
And the sender was still online.
