Wrong Move
1000 Words
The words sit on my screen.
You told him.
Wrong move.
My stomach drops so fast I almost feel it in my shoes.
Leon sees my face.
Then he sees the phone.
His expression changes.
“Amara.”
I don't answer.
He takes one look at the message.
His jaw tightens.
“Who sent that?”
“Different number.”
He looks up.
“Come with me.”
“Where?”
“Somewhere private.”
“That's usually how horror movies begin.”
“Amara.”
“Right. Sorry.”
He takes my hand and pulls me through the crowded hallway.
Not hard.
Just enough to get me moving.
We slip into an empty classroom.
He shuts the door.
Then turns toward me.
“We need to tell a teacher now.”
I stare at him.
“A teacher?”
“Yes.”
“This is König Academy. They'll probably give the stalker detention.”
“This isn't funny.”
“I know.”
His expression softens for half a second.
Then it becomes serious again.
“This is not just about Hamburg anymore.”
I look at my phone.
“I know.”
“Someone followed you.”
“I know.”
“They photographed you.”
“I know.”
“Now they're threatening you because you told me.”
I swallow.
“When you list it like that, it sounds really bad.”
“It is really bad.”
Okay.
Fair.
He holds out his hand.
“Give me the phone.”
I hesitate.
Then hand it over.
He reads the message again.
“Wrong move.”
He looks angry.
Not at me.
At whoever sent it.
“I don't like this.”
“Neither do I.”
“We're telling someone.”
I nod.
“Okay.”
He looks at me.
“You're actually agreeing?”
“Don't get used to it.”
His mouth twitches.
“There she is.”
I smile despite myself.
Then the smile disappears.
Because none of this is funny.
Not anymore.
We find Sofia near the stairs.
She looks at us.
Then at my phone.
Then back at us.
“What happened?”
I show her.
She goes silent.
“This is getting worse.”
“That's what Leon said.”
Sofia looks at him.
“For once, I agree with him.”
“Wow,” I say. “Historic moment.”
Nobody laughs.
Okay.
Bad joke.
I sit down.
“I haven't told anyone else.”
“You need to,” Sofia says.
“I know.”
She looks at Leon.
“Does this have something to do with Hamburg?”
“Yes.”
“Definitely?”
“Yes.”
She takes a breath.
“What if it's someone from his old school who also transferred to König?”
I look at her.
My stomach twists.
“That is a horrible thought.”
“It's also possible.”
Leon doesn't say anything.
Sofia opens her laptop.
“Let's check.”
“Check what?”
“Transfer list.”
“Can we even access that?”
“No.”
She smiles.
“But we have the yearbook.”
Of course she does.
She opens the digital yearbook.
I lean closer.
We start searching through the transfer students.
Names.
Photos.
Classes.
Nothing.
I recognize a few faces.
Most are completely unfamiliar.
“Maybe they're not a transfer student,” I say.
“Maybe,” Sofia replies.
She scrolls.
“Or maybe they transferred before this year.”
I look at Leon.
He is staring at the screen.
His expression is distant.
“You know something?”
“No.”
“You're doing your mysterious face.”
“I don't have a mysterious face.”
“You absolutely do.”
Sofia nods.
“He does.”
Leon sighs.
“Thanks.”
We search older yearbooks.
Nothing obvious.
No Lena.
No brother.
No answer.
Eventually, the bell rings.
We have to leave.
The rest of the day passes painfully slowly.
Every time someone walks behind me, I turn around.
Every unknown number makes my heart jump.
My scholarship suddenly feels like the least important thing in my life.
Then I remember it isn't.
I can't afford to let my grades fall apart.
I can't afford to cause a huge scene at school.
I can't afford any of this.
Yet somehow, I'm in the middle of it anyway.
After classes, I wait outside the library.
Leon said he'd find me.
Five minutes pass.
Then ten.
Finally, I see him walking toward me.
He doesn't look good.
I stand.
“What happened?”
He stops in front of me.
“I called my mom.”
My stomach tightens.
“In Hamburg?”
“Yes.”
“About Lena?”
He nods.
“What did she say?”
“Lena's family moved.”
I blink.
“Moved?”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
“She wouldn't tell me.”
“That sounds suspicious.”
“She said they left Hamburg after everything happened.”
I stare at him.
“So Lena is gone.”
“Yes.”
My heart sinks.
Then Leon looks at me.
“But her older brother stayed.”
I frown.
“Her brother?”
“Yes.”
“Lena has a brother?”
Leon nods.
“He still lives in Hamburg.”
I wait.
“Okay.”
He takes a breath.
“And he goes to König.”
I stop breathing.
“What?”
“He transferred here.”
I look around the hallway.
Suddenly every unfamiliar face feels important.
Every student feels like a possibility.
“Who is he?”
Leon doesn't answer.
“Leon.”
He looks past me.
His expression changes.
I turn.
There are students leaving through the main entrance.
Someone is standing near the stairs.
A boy.
Watching us.
I can't see his face clearly from here.
But Leon can.
And judging by the way he has gone completely still...
He knows exactly who that is.
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