Exposed

The loud noise produced by me sliding the door open caused the members within the student council room to all look in my direction. The majority of them had on a countenance of surprise, but the student council president was the only one who was still calm and composed.

"You're late." The vice president was the first to recover from the surprise. He stared at me with a annoyed glare in his eyes, something that didn't cause much of a bother to me. "Have a seat."

I walked over to my seat beside Irina and sat down. As I did so, I looked in the direction of the two bitches opposite of me. Their naive smile was as twisted and wicked as ever, almost as if they were certain of their victory and were mocking us. I could tell that this had made Irina and Muria somewhat uncomfortable, so therefore, I think it would only be reasonable for me to give them a taste of their own medicine.

I chuckled at their foolishness and gazed at them in a supercilious manner as if they were mere ants in this world of the strong. My mocking and taunting smile caused them to waver and know that something had gone wrong with their plan because why else would I have so much confidence?

The twisted smile on their faces slowly vanished, and in its place was a worried frown. I'm sure their hearts were beating rapidly now out of fear. Kinda like when someone has their hands wrapped around their hearts, ready to squish it and end their lives at any second. I think they know about that fact since they remained extremely still and silent. Their faces were pale and gaunt, something that I was overjoyed to see.

"So," the vice president continued. "You said that the forms were left at your house yesterday. Do you have them with you now?"

"I'm sorry vice president," I said in an superior tone as I kept my eyes fixed on the two girls before me. However, they averted their eyes so as to avoid eye contact probably out of fear or nervousness. "But I lied yesterday. It was never at my house."

"What?!" the vice president's voice sounded extremely surprised and laced with a hint of anger. "Didn't I warn you of the consequences of lying yesterday?"

"You did," I chuckled. "But, I don't think you can really blame us for losing the forms."

"What do you mean?"

"Say," I laughed menacingly, "what if I told you someone stole it?"

I peered at the two culprits and saw them shiver when I mentioned stealing. They started sweating profusely and their countenances were one of severe anxiety and nervousness.

"Stole it?" the vice president asked. "Now why would anybody do that?"

"Someone who's extremely jealous of a particular person next to me," I responded in a cold, apathetic voice.

"Impossible," the vice president shook his head. "No—"

He was about to speak but was immediately interrupted by a surprising individual that hasn't spoken for the majority of the meetings.

"William," the student council president said in that authoritative voice of hers, and that was when everybody knew that the situation has escalated. They all remained silent and tensed their bodies from the pressure she exerted. "Sit down."

"Understood," the vice president reluctantly sat down in his chair that was next to the president's.

"Now," the president smiled and said to me while remaining seated and having her arms crossed before her chest. "What're you implying?"

"I'm saying someone stole the forms to sabotage us," I said, meeting the eyes of the president and not cowering to the pressure.

"Do you have a culprit in mind?"

"Of course," I smiled and looked back in the direction of the two bitches that sat opposite to me at the meeting table. "Those two over there."

The president looked in the direction that I was looking at, and everyone else in the room did the same. Then, the president chuckled, closed her eyes, and sighed.

"You'll need evidence, you know?" she said. "Accusing someone of a crime without any evidence is one of the lowest things someone can do." She then opened her eyes and stared at me. On her face was an amused expression, one that I didn't particularly dislike. "If you don't have evidence, you know the two girls could request for you to be punished for framing them."

When the president finished her sentence, it seemed to gave the two girls hope. Their facial expression escaped from that look of nervousness and despair, and in its place was a hopeful smile, almost as if they had escaped the dark abyss.

However, I smiled, it would appear that I'll have to push them back into it.

"Evidence?" I laughed. "Of course I have evidence."

"You do?" the president smiled. "Then present it."

"I've recorded them in the act," I said, showing the camera I had concealed in my school bag from earlier to everyone in the room.

When I did so, the countenance on the two girl's faces became one of despair that was also mixed with anger. The anger was directed at themselves because it was themselves that had forgot to check the bags for cameras.

"Would you like me to play the footage to you?" I glanced over in the direction of the culprits, smiled, and looked back over at the president.

"Of course," she nodded. "William."

"Understood." The vice president rose from his seat and walked over to me. "May I see the camera?"

I handed him the recording device, and he then walked back over to the school council president. He then pressed play and held the camera up for her to see.

As the video played, I glanced at Muria and Irina. They appeared quite tense, but they appeared quite relieved and glad, knowing that the blame for the loss of the forms has been shifted away from us. I then looked over at the two culprits, taking in their look of desperation and fear. Their faces were now extremely gaunt as they realized that they're caught in the abyss and that I had likely closed the door on them, preventing them from escaping.

"I see," the president nodded. "It's without a doubt their doing." She then looked over at the two culprits. "Do you still wish to deny the crime?"

"..." The two girls remained silent as they stared at their laps.

The president then sighed. "Where's the forms now?"

"We..." one girl finally started speaking after breaking under the pressure from everyone's judgmental stares. "We threw them in the incinerator."

"What?" the vice president exclaimed.

All around, I could hear murmurings from the other students in the room.

"I can not imagine students of our school would do such a thing," William the vice president shook his head out of disbelief.

"We're... we're sorry," the two girls said in unison as they lowered their heads out of guilt.

From my angle, I could tell that they were crying. However, that's not the end. I still haven't finished with my plans.

"I believe behavior like that deserves punishment," I added. This resulted in the two girls to look up at me with fear and shock in their eyes.

That's what I want to see, I thought as I observed their faces from the corner of my eyes. That's what you get for trying to mess with me.

"What do you suppose the punishment be then?" the president asked me for my opinion. On her face was a confident smile.

"What they did," I began explaining, "is sabotaging a planned event. The process included destruction of documents that will result in great responsibility on our end. If they were to succeed, we would be branded with the mark of a failure and possibly be charged with financial fraud. Trying to frame someone, sabotage them, and trying to ruin their lives... that's enough for a criminal punishment in Vilhemian law."

"So what you're implying..."

"I want to report them to court," I said in a cold voice. "Basically, I want them to have a criminal record."

As a student in Nocsinis Imperial High, I'm tired of being told the importance of having a clean record. In Palisia, trying to find a job with a criminal record is extremely difficult since employers would usually prefer those with a clean one. By branding them a criminal, I can thus ruin their entire lives. Their future will be doomed.

"No please!" they begged the president. "We were just messing around."

"Alevian..." Irina whispered as she looked over at me with a somewhat concerned expression on her face

"That's what they all say," I added in a cold and mocking tone, ignoring Irina.

"Like they said," the president turned towards me, "it's just a minor offense. Surely, it doesn't warrant a court case."

"So you're saying your not going to report her?" I smiled after hearing what the president had to say.

"Correct," she nodded and the two girls seemed rejuvenated by her decision, smiling gladly as if they've been rescued from the abyss. However, like I've said, they're not leaving that place.

"How stupid," I shook my head and took out my phone that has been recording the whole thing. "You know what this is?"

"A phone," William answered.

"It's recording right now," I said. "It's got the whole conversation down."

"And?" William asked.

"According to Vilhemian law," I said in a supercilious manner. "Anyone that has knowledge of a criminal offense and choose to not report it will be treated as conspirators. So now, what would happen if I were to report this when Ms. president over there refuse to do so?"

I paused, allowing everybody in the room to think over what I had just said. Then, after giving them enough time, I continued.

"The result will be," I looked around at everyone in the room. "Aside from myself, Irina, and Muria. the victims, everybody here will be charged with the same offense. Everybody will be tried, and since I have evidence here, everyone here except the three of us will get a criminal record."

"What?" Students in the room started murmuring to each other. The tone of their voice sounded quite desperate and frightful, just like I wanted it.

"Fine," the president sighed. "You'll have your way."

"Thank you," I smiled and glanced over at the two culprits. It was particularly entertaining to see how their faces went from filled with hope to gaunt with despair.

"Alevian," Irina tugged on my blazer sleeve. "Can you... reconsider it?"

"Hmm?" I looked over at her. On her face was an expression of sadness, one that nagged at my conscience.

"It's a bit too extreme," she whispered. "Ruining their entire lives like that for something so simple."

"Are you sure?" I asked. "They tried to ruin you and us as well."

"I know," she said. "But... I still think they don't deserve to have their future ruined. I know this might be somewhat selfish for me to say..."

"Muria?" I looked past Irina and asked Muria for her opinion.

"I agree with Irina," Muria nodded.

"If that's what you want," I sighed. "You heard them," I said to the president.

"So what punishment would you like then?" The president asked.

"Just expel them," I said in a somewhat irritated manner since my plans weren't able to be completed to its max.

"That I can have the school do," she smiled. "The two of you don't need to come to this school anymore," she said to the two girls, who originally wanted to object, but chose to keep quite after knowing that this will be the lightest punishment they'll receive. "Now," the president continued. "Without those forms, things will be quite difficult for us..."

"Don't worry," I said, tossing a USB onto the table. "I've scanned them all into that."

"You did?" The president appeared quite amused by my actions. "Quite thoughtful of you."