Roommate

The Prank War Begins

### Chapter 4: The Prank War Begins

The cold bite of the night air clung to Victor Jules’ skin as he stood under the harsh glare of Principal Hargrove’s flashlight, the oak tree’s gnarled branches looming like silent witnesses. It was 12:15 AM WAT, Tuesday, October 7, 2025, and the scene at Evergreen Academy had spiraled into a nightmare. Eliza Thorne’s grip on his arm tightened, her hotheaded resolve faltering as the security guard loomed behind them. Mark Musketeer shuffled awkwardly, his confession of accidentally tipping off Sophie Reyes still hanging in the air, while Sophie herself stood with a smug grin, brushing dirt from her skirt. The glint of her phone in the grass its screen flashing with a live feed sent a shiver down Victor’s spine. Someone else had seen everything, and the secret of their co ed room was teetering on the edge of exposure.

“Move,” Hargrove barked, his voice cutting through the tension. The group was herded toward the administration building, the crunch of gravel underfoot amplifying the gravity of the moment. Victor’s mind raced, his intellectual arrogance warring with panic. The blackmail note, the photos, the live feed how had this escalated so quickly? He glanced at Eliza, her brown eyes wide with a mix of fear and defiance, and felt an unexpected urge to protect her. But first, they needed a way out.

Inside the dimly lit admin office, Hargrove motioned them to a row of chairs. The supervisor hovered by the door, while the security guard stood watch. Sophie crossed her arms, her blonde hair catching the light as she leaned back with a triumphant air. “I told you I’d catch them,” she said, her voice dripping with satisfaction. “They’ve been sharing a room against every rule in the book.”

Hargrove’s gaze settled on Victor. “Jules, this is your doing. Explain yourself.”

Victor straightened, channeling his territorial instincts into a defense. “It’s a clerical error, sir. My enrollment form listed me as ‘Victoria’ due to a smudge. I intended to correct it tomorrow. We’re not breaking rules intentionally.” His voice was steady, but sweat beaded on his forehead.

Eliza jumped in, her tone fiery. “It’s not his fault! The school messed up, and we’re stuck. We didn’t ask for this!”

Hargrove’s expression darkened. “Intentional or not, co ed living is prohibited. And Reyes, your evidence?” He glanced at Sophie, who reached into her pocket only to freeze. Her phone was gone, lost in the scuffle. Her smirk faltered. “I… it fell. But I sent the photos to my cloud!”

A twist hit like a thunderclap. The security guard stepped forward, holding Sophie’s phone, its screen dark. “Found this in the grass, sir. Looks damaged. No data accessible.” Victor’s heart leapt had the fall corrupted the evidence? But the live feed’s existence gnawed at him. Who had been watching?

Hargrove’s jaw tightened. “Without proof, this is hearsay. But I’m not convinced. You’ll all be under scrutiny. Jules, Thorne, report to my office at 8:00 AM with a formal explanation. Reyes, Musketeer, you’re witnesses. Dismissed except you, Jules. A word.”

The others filed out, Eliza casting Victor a worried glance. Alone with Hargrove, Victor felt the weight of the principal’s stare. “Your scholarship hinges on integrity,” Hargrove said lowly. “One more incident, and you’re gone. Fix this.” He dismissed Victor with a wave, leaving him to stagger back to Room 12B, the threat of expulsion a shadow over his ambitions.

Back in the room, Eliza paced, her music off for once. “That was too close. Sophie’s a snake, and Mark… I can’t believe he’d do that.”

Victor sank onto his bunk, pulling out the blackmail note. “Mark didn’t mean it. Sophie played him. But the live feed someone else knows. We need to find that phone’s recipient.” He paused, a plan forming. “And we need to distract Sophie. Hit her where it hurts her pride.”

Eliza’s eyes lit up, her hotheadedness finding a target. “A prank war? I’m in. She deserves it.”

The next morning, 7:30 AM, Victor and Eliza devised their strategy over cereal in the cafeteria. Derek Hale, a laid back athlete with a mischievous streak, joined them, intrigued by the drama. “Heard about last night,” Derek said, grinning. “Sophie’s been bragging. Let’s take her down. How about dyeing her hair?”

Victor smirked, his intellectual mind crafting the plan. “Better swap her shampoo with temporary pink dye. She’ll be a walking embarrassment.” Eliza giggled, and for a moment, their frenemy tension eased into camaraderie.

They executed it that afternoon, sneaking into the girls’ bathroom during a class break. Victor kept watch while Eliza swapped the bottles, her nimbleness a surprise. “You’re good at this,” he admitted, earning a rare smile. But as they left, a rustle from a stall made them freeze. The door creaked open, revealing Lila Voss, her eyes gleaming. “Caught you! This is epic. I’m helping next time.”

Back in class, suspense built. Sophie strutted in, her confidence unshaken until she excused herself to the restroom. Minutes later, a shriek echoed down the hall. Victor and Eliza exchanged a glance, stifling laughs as Sophie returned, her blonde hair now a garish pink. The class erupted, and even Mark, sitting quietly, cracked a smile. Sophie’s glare promised retaliation, a twist hinting at her next move.

After school, the prank war escalated. Victor found his locker plastered with sticky notes reading “Vicky the Fraud,” Sophie’s handwriting unmistakable. Eliza retaliated by slipping glitter into Sophie’s gym bag, turning her into a sparkling spectacle during practice. The campus buzzed with laughter, but the tension grew. During dinner, Derek whispered, “Watch out Sophie’s plotting with someone. Saw her with Hargrove’s assistant.”

The revelation sent a chill through Victor. Was Sophie leveraging her father’s board position? That night, 9:00 PM, they gathered in Room 12B to plan. Lila brought intel: “Sophie’s bragging about a ‘final blow.’ And Mark’s been acting weird kept asking about you two.”

Eliza frowned. “Mark’s guilty. Maybe he’s feeding her info to redeem himself.”

Victor nodded, his jealousy flaring again. “We need to turn the tables. Let’s fake a confession lure her into a trap.” They drafted a note, mimicking Victor’s handwriting: *“Meet me at the gym at midnight. I’ll admit everything.”* They slipped it under Sophie’s door, hoping to catch her off guard.

Midnight approached, and the trio Victor, Eliza, and Lila hid in the gym’s shadows. The air was thick with suspense as Sophie arrived, her pink hair glinting. “Where are you, Jules?” she called, her voice smug. But before Victor could step out, a new figure emerged Mark, his face pale. “Sophie, stop. I can’t let you do this.”

Sophie whirled, furious. “You traitor! I thought you’d help me expose them for Eliza!”

Mark confesses “I like Eliza, but this is wrong. I told you too much already.” His eyes met Victor’s hiding spot.

Before Sophie could respond, a loud crash came from the gym’s back door. Flashlights pierced the darkness Hargrove and the supervisor again. “What’s this?” Hargrove roared, spotting Sophie and Mark. Victor, Eliza, and Lila ducked behind bleachers, hearts pounding.

Sophie pointed wildly. “They’re here! Jules and Thorne they’re breaking rules again!”

Hargrove’s gaze swept the gym, landing on the bleachers. “Show yourselves, or I’ll search every inch.” The threat hung heavy, a faint buzz from Sophie’s pocket. She pulled out a backup phone, its screen showing a live feed paused, but clearly from the oak tree incident. “Got it insured,” she smirked.

Victor’s mind raced. The original phone was damaged, but this one held the proof. As Hargrove advanced, Eliza grabbed Victor’s arm, whispering, “Run?” The supervisor’s footsteps closed in, and the trio poised to flee.

The live feed’s recipient still unknown, and their secret one step from total exposure.