When I Hacked the Snow Prince

8. Fourth clue

You know that feeling when you get up in the morning knowing the day is going to suck? That's what I felt when I woke up to Ty's Mom's high-pitched voice.

That jerk had called Ty, yesterday night. I was then sitting in front of my laptop, thinking about what to do with the video game. Suddenly Ty barged into the room, yelling 'Caroline!' He had his phone held near his ear and I could easily guess who was on the line.

Apparently, that bastard told Ty that I keyed his car and so I should bring him $400 tomorrow if I don't want suspension. I pretended shocked and acted like I was about to cry. Ty told him, there's no way I'd do such cheap things.

I called Aaron to tell him the things. And he said the jerk already messaged him. He texted him, he is going to report him to the principal. It's only after that he called Ty asking for $400, saying it was me who keyed the car.

I felt nervous when I parked Ty's car in the students' parking lot and unbuckled my seat belt. Ty had gone with the pale-faced devil itself in the morning since they had practice. The jerk came at our gates at 6 Am to pick him up. I woke up hearing him honking and saw through my window, Ty hopping into his car.

I inhaled a puff of air and hopped out of the car, taking my bag. My first hour is English. So I can meet Aaron there. Maybe I'll feel a bit relaxed after talking to him. Let me admit, I'm a bit scared that the devil would actually get us both suspended.

I reached the class and occupied a chair in the back with the aim of sitting along with Aaron. He hasn't arrived yet.

Aaron didn't arrive even after the bell rang and Mr. Davis entered the class. After fifteen minutes, I was sure he won't come. I wondered if he is absent or just skipped the first hour.

Aaron didn't show up in the next hour, chemistry too. Also, I didn't see him during the break. So I confirmed he is absent. Is he afraid Asher would get him a suspension for keying his car?

I felt like I should also have taken leave. Strangely I was a lot nervous during the first few hours. I was feeling like something really bad was about to happen. Throughout the periods, I half expected someone to come and announce 'Caroline Turner is wanted by the principal'. But that didn't happen and finally, I was relieved when the bell rang Indicating lunch break.

I went to the canteen and met Ty and our gang at the usual table. But all of them were gloomy. Especially Ty was a lot sad. He looked like he was about to cry.

"What's wrong?" I asked him. He didn't answer me and just shook his head.

"What happened to him?" I asked the others.

"We had an important Biology test last hour. An objective one," Mia commenced. "There were two question papers, code A and Code B. Ty first got code B but Mr. Keating later took that question paper from him and gave him Code A. But he had already written code B on top of the OMR Sheet and forgot to correct it."

"Then why don't you go tell Mr. Keating and correct it?" I asked.

"Mr. Keating had told us to do it carefully and he won't do anything if we later approach him," Rhett replied.

"What to do now? It's really important?" I asked.

"5 Marks in our internals is based on this test. I'm gonna get 0," Ty replied whilst squirming uncomfortably on his seat.

"Ty, you'll get 1 mark for sure. If you have luck you'll get more. There were 50 questions right? You will surely get 10 of them bubbled right," Ben said from the other side of the table.

Ty sighed looking at him. "I'm sure all my answers are right. I would have gotten full marks if I just corrected the code. I had worked a lot for this."

We had an almost silent, gloomy lunch. Ty didn't speak anything. He was totally dejected. But I didn't forget to remember one thing. Aaron is with Ty in Biology. He didn't even write the exam. So his five marks are already gone. Maybe he didn't study anything for the exam that he thought it was better not to attend it than to fail.

"It's just 5 marks, right? Leave it," I said patting on Ty's back when we walked out of the canteen after lunch.

"5 marks wouldn’t be a big deal for you. But it's important to me," Ty said looking at me with dull eyes. Then he walked away.

Evening, after the last hour, I was walking to the library for detention. I stopped as I reached in front of Mr. Keating's Biology classroom. I peeked inside through the window.

Mr. Keating was sitting inside there, correcting the OMR sheets. I thought about going inside and talking to him about Ty's issue. But he looked really intimidating that I felt like I would just put Ty in more trouble if I go and talk to him.

Suddenly Mr. Keating's phone rang inside his pocket. He fished it out and stood up from his chair, placing his pen over the papers. Then he walked towards the doors.

"Wait there. I'll come to the office in a minute," I heard him say as I quickly hid behind a pillar. Then he rushed in the opposite direction, towards the office.

I came out from behind the pillar and walked to the doors. Mr. Keating won't come back in less than five minutes. I can correct Ty's code within that time. Should I do this? I asked myself. Yes! I decided quickly and looked on either side of the corridor. There was no one.

I walked into the classroom grabbing all my courage. I went and looked at the bundle of papers Mr. Keating was correcting. I hope he didn't check Ty's sheet yet. I looked at the doors once more before I started ruffling through the bundle for Ty's name.

Gosh! I can't believe I'm doing such a risky thing. I can get suspended or dismissed for this if I get caught. Okay, I should think positively. I won't get caught. I'll correct Ty's code and it'll be a great surprise to him when he hears he got full marks.

But holy s**t where's the f*****g sheet?

I looked at the doors once more and listened to hear any footsteps. It was thickly silent outside but my heart was playing drums inside my chest. I wasn't this nervous when I hacked my science teacher's computer last year to change my assignment scores. I averted my gaze back from the doors to the sheets and continued ruffling through the bundle.

'Kinsley Audrey'

'Bella Davis'

'Tyler Martin'

Oh yeah Got it!! And It's not checked!

Like he said Ty had written code B on top. I searched on the desk for a black pen to cross it and write 'A' because he had bubbled the whole thing with black ink. But there was only a red pen on the desk. Crap!

I shrugged off my bag from my shoulder and started rummaging inside it for a pen. f**k! Blue pen came out! I'm sure I have a black pen. Where the hell is it?

Finally! I got the black pen! I quickly removed the cap and crossed 'B'. Then I quickly wrote 'A'. My fingers were shivering and my heart was beating wild against my chest as I capped the pen. Then I threw it in my pocket and started piling the bundle properly so that Mr. Keating don't get any suspicion. It seemed almost impossible with my shivering hands.

Once I was done I crouched down to pick up my bag from the floor. When I bend up, someone was standing at the doors with their hands crossed over their chest. My heart stopped beating as my eyes grew wide. Then my heart started thudding at an extremely crazy pace.

It wasn't Mr. Keating. It would have been better if it was him. But this was Asher. Yes! The Asher f*****g Carter!

"Correcting your answers?", he chuckled, raising an eyebrow.

"N..no.." I shook my head, my knees were almost trembling.

"But I saw," he grinned.

I gulped and swallowed the lump in my throat. Then I took a breath before walking toward the door. I need to somehow get out of here first. "Look Asher, I wasn't. And Mr. Keating isn't teaching me. Move!" I said as I reached near him. He was standing there blocking the door.

"Really? Okay, I'm sorry, maybe it's some problem with my eyes. Anyway let me tell the principal and ask him to check the camera footage," he said, pointing at the camera on one corner of the classroom. I bit my lip, not knowing what to say or do. Then I heard the sound of heavy footsteps coming up the steps. Probably Mr. Keating.

I pushed Asher out. He stumbled and almost fell back, yelping from the sudden shock. But then I grabbed his wrist and placed my other hand over his mouth. He looked at me kind of shocked.

"Look Asher, please let's talk about this," I said before hastily dragging him along with me. Strangely he didn't protest and he ran along with me.

I stopped running and left his hands free when we reached the corridor near the library.

"You are really something," Asher chuckled looking at me whilst shaking his head. "So courageous of you to do such a thing on your first week here."

I sighed. "So what shall I do for you to not tell anyone about this?"

"You don't need to do anything. Cause I already decided to report this to the principal," he replied.

I bit my lips in annoyance and frustration. How would I convince this jerk? Do I need to beg now? But that's better than suspension or dismissal. So let's do it. C'mon Caroline!

"Please..don't report this, Asher. I'll do anything you say. Just please don't do this. At least, snow prince, I'm your friend's cousin and best friend. Remember that?? Ty will get really sad if I get a suspension so soon," I said and cringed inwardly at how I sounded.

"Woah!" He gave a fake laugh, showing his perfect row of white teeth. "What did you just call me? Snow prince??" he raised his eyebrows. "Okay, call me that once again."

I bit my teeth together tightly behind my lips, cursing him and myself in my mind. Then I gave him a tight-lipped smile. "Snow Prince. You really look like a snow prince," I said.

He laughed again, shaking his head. "You know, you are too bad at flirting," he said in between fits of laughter. I did a great job at controlling myself as he continued to laugh like that in my face.

"Okay, enough I guess," I finally said. He instantly put an end to his laughter and looked at me. His features became hella intimidating in the next second and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared.

"You are the one who keyed my car yesterday, right?" he asked.

"No, I'm not." I shook my head, trying to be confident.

"You are not?" he growled taking a step closer to me, looking directly into my eyes.

"No," I said sternly, although I was feeling really nervous inside. I already know from my earlier experiences that this jerk is a little bit psychic. Don't know what he will do the next moment.

He started coming closer and closer to me, looking at my eyes, forehead, nose, lips....oh f**k!

"Move! What are you gonna do? Kiss me?" I yelped pushing him away.

He chuckled at me. "Kiss you? I'd rather kiss an ugly toad." I felt my blood boil at that comment and my hands involuntarily fisted into balls. How dare he say I'm uglier than an ugly frog!

"You know Caroline, you look like a bright red tomato now," he said grinning. I was standing on the extreme tip of my patience now.

"Tell me, are you gonna report to the principal or not?" I asked.

"Uhmm..." he pressed his lips together, pretending to think. "I won't. Only if you do as I say."

"What do you want?" I asked.

He took a step forward and placed his hands on the wall behind me. Now there was barely an inch's distance between us.I looked down and sighed in an attempt to control myself. "Just tell me what you want me to do."

"You will do anything?" he asked staring into my eyes as I looked up. I felt scared. What is he going to ask me? I haven't even had my first kiss yet.

"Don't worry. I'm not going to ask you anything like that. I already said I'd rather kiss a toad," he chuckled again, his lips almost brushing my nose. Then he took a step back and stared into my eyes. "I would only ask you this simple thing. Stop hanging out with Aaron."

Phew!

"Why?" I frowned at him.

"Cause Ty don't like you hanging out with him."

Oh, so, he cares for Ty that much?

Anyway, I'll better agree with it now. And I'll find a way to erase the footage from the camera. And even if I don't do it, after a few days, if he goes and tells the Principal about this, there's less chance that they'd actually bother to check the camera footage, also considering I'm not a student from Mr. Keating's class. Also, this jerk will hesitate to report after some days since there arises a question of why he didn't report it when he saw it.

"Okay," I nodded.

He scrunched his eyebrows and looked at me confused. "Okay??"

"Yeah..okay. And I don't actually hang out with him. I just met him last day and I don't really know him. So it's perfectly okay with me. At least it's better than getting a suspension."

"So, you aren't that dumb like I thought. Good decision," Asher said tucking his hands in his pocket. How dare you call me dumb? Do you even know who I am?

"And not only that.." he continued, "tomorrow you should come to school at 6:30 along with Ty."

"Why?" I raised an eyebrow. He came closer to me again.

"You are gonna do a little bit of exercise and pushups tomorrow. I hope you know to do pushups. Just a small punishment for what you did right now. You know Caroline, it's wrong to cheat, right? You must study hard and score good marks, instead of trying to do bad things like this, like a bad girl. You understood?" he raised an eyebrow.

I didn't say anything. He patted my shoulder and smiled. "So Caroline Ann Turner, see you tomorrow at 6:30. And also, blue frock and white sandals."

"I don't have a blue frock or white sandals!" I scowled at him.

"I wasn't asking you to wear them. Your fourth clue," then he turned the balls of his feet and steadily walked away.

Wait what? Fourth clue? What did he mean?