“How can she be missing?” Erik asked as he walked with Conner back to their dorm. Once Jannet and Lucia had reported the incident with Charlotte, all students were put under strict curfew across campus.

Conner shook his head, saying, “Jannet said that Charlotte’s parents were being contacted by school security and law enforcement. That’s a start at least.” He looked up at Erik who seemed upset.

Erik shook his head with a heavy sigh, “Jeez, what next?”

“I should probably tell you,” Conner said, as Erik unlocked their door and held it open for him, “I might be questioned.”

“What? Why?” Erik’s eyes snapped to Conner’s.

Conner stepped inside, Erik close behind him. As Erik closed the door, locking it with a sharp click, Conner felt a sense of safety wash over him. “I saw someone last night,” he confessed, “dressed in black; their face was covered. They left the school through a window and went around the side of the building.”

Erik took off his jacket before flopping down onto his bed. “Are you serious?” he sighed, stretching his arms behind his head. “This is supposed to be one of the top schools in the country, and security is shit; no one has any idea what’s going on…”

Conner sank into the edge of his bed, sitting cross-legged as he looked at Erik. “Mr. Nielson said he’d check the surveillance…”

“Mr. Nielson.” Erik rolled his eyes. “He’s a nice guy and everything, but all he cares about is this school’s damn reputation and the money coming from everyone’s rich parents. Look at that assembly!” Erik’s arms were animated as he ranted, “The whole thing was just about how the school is so amazing and accepting and how they’re ‘on the case’!” Erik propped himself up on his elbows, looking at Conner. “Yeah right. What happens?” his head hit the pillow as he fell back and exhaled, “A fucking fire and a student goes missing.”

Conner felt guilt eat away at him. “I should have said something last night,” he whispered, unsure how he was supposed to feel. “It’s not like I really knew her-Charlotte-she's Jannet’s friend. At the same time, I knew she was really freaked out about the spray paint… Maybe there wouldn’t have been so much time before starting the search for her if I’d come forward last night.”

“Hey,” Erik sat up, sitting across from him. He reached out, placing a hand gently on Conner’s knee. It was only a small moment of pressure before Erik retracted the hand, but it sent butterflies through Conner’s stomach. Erik shook his head, unaware of Conner’s pounding heartbeat. “It’s not your fault.”

Nodding, Conner took a deep breath. He put a hand on his chest, trying to calm his heart. He watched as Erik stood, looking toward his laptop. “What is it?” Conner asked, his brows twitching.

Erik narrowed his eyes at Conner. “Your friend, Anthony, he’s a prime, right? A-Model?”

Conner nodded, slightly confused. “Do you think he’s in danger?”

Erik didn't answer, heading over to his desk. He took a seat, calling over his shoulder, “He’s not above breaking the rules, is he?”

Standing as he went to follow Erik, Conner walked over to stand beside his chair. His laptop screen was filled with code and numbers that Conner couldn’t understand. “What are you doing?” he asked, watching the rows of numerals and code stutter down the screen.

“Just a little programming.”

“Why? What are you thinking?” he asked, glancing at Erik with caution.

Erik grinned up at him. “I’m thinking that we can’t trust Mr. Nielson to be one-hundred-percent upfront with the truth. Especially not with a student, and who knows if he’d even be honest with the police or the press.”

Conner folded his arms over his chest. “Okay? I mean, I don’t know, he seems like a nice guy. But, what are you saying?”

“I’m saying we get your friend to hack into the surveillance system.” He had a dangerous kind of glee as he said, “Then, we’ll know the truth for sure about what you saw.”

"This sounds more like breaking the law than breaking the rules..." Conner muttered, feeling his palms sweat, “and besides, what about the curfew?” Conner protested. Though he knew that Anthony wouldn’t be against breaking school rules-or the law-Conner most definitely was.

Erik pulled up a website on his computer. “Video-chat!” he said excitedly, adding, “he doesn’t even have to leave his room.”

Conner gritted his teeth, contemplating this. “What if we get caught? We could get in serious trouble! Especially Anthony, since he’s the one doing the...” Conner lowered his voice to a whisper as he said, "hacking." 

Erik stood, offering Conner his seat. “Look, just log in and call him. We’ll ask him if he’s up for it. If not, no harm done. Besides, he’s a prime! Can’t he just hack it with his mind or something?”

Conner smirked, giving in and logging into the site. “I don’t think it works like that,” he said.

It only rang twice before a bored looking Anthony appeared on screen. “Save me! I hate being on lock-down!” he whined, resting his head on his desk.

Conner could see someone walking in the background, feeling nervous as he said, “Hey, Anthony, can you put earbuds in? I need to talk to you.”

Anthony sat up, brushing his blond hair out of his eyes as he went off speaker. “Hey, okay, what’s up?”

Erik leaned over Conner’s shoulder, their faces too close for Conner’s comfort. He looked away, blushing as Erik addressed Anthony, “You obviously heard about Charlotte?”

Anthony glanced up as the person in the background placed a mug in front of him, before disappearing off camera. Anthony nodded at Erik, sipping his drink. “I think everyone knows about Charlotte,” he said quietly.

Erik's hand was on the back of the chair Conner was sitting in, his face determined as he informed Anthony that, “Conner saw someone. They might have started the fire—maybe they’re even responsible for Charlotte’s disappearance—but the professors aren’t going to tell us jack, not with everyone’s parents being so high profile and lawyered up.”

Anthony nodded in agreement, “My parents are already talking about suing the school,” he confirmed, “So, what do you need me for?” He set down the mug, looking serious as he laced his fingers together.

“To review the surveillance," Erik said, "We can know first hand whatever the school might decide is too important to share with the public.” Erik sounded confident, something that made Conner peer back at him.

Anthony sighed, slumping back in his chair. For a moment, Conner was relieved that Anthony might turn down the request. To his disappointment, Anthony leaned forward with a slightly demonic smile as he cracked his knuckles. “Give me an hour; I’ll get you those files.” He disconnected the video call, leaving Conner feeling nervous and Erik grinning.

Erik turned the chair so that he was leaning on its arms, bent over Conner. “So, what do you want to do while we wait?”

Swallowing hard, Conner felt his stomach drop. What he would like to do he barely had the courage to think, let alone say. He resisted the deepest desire to pull on Erik’s collar and close the few-inch-gap between their lips. “Movie?” Conner asked, his voice catching.

Grabbing his laptop, Erik brought it over to his bed. He sat with his back against the wall, patting next to him as he hunched over the screen. “Sure, which one? Sucks we don’t have a TV in here. You’d think they’d give us more glamorous rooms or something.”

Conner braved himself as he climbed up onto Erik's bed. His heart was pounding so loudly he was momentarily concerned that he would give himself away. “I think they want us to be focused on school,” Conner muttered, watching Erik scroll through his movie library.

Erik smirked, “Why are you so smart?” He smiled at Conner.

Conner couldn’t look at him. Whatever way Erik had meant that comment to sound, it had only registered in Conner’s mind as flirtatious. Conner wasn’t aware of what movie Erik had started playing. For the next forty-five minutes Conner sat like a statue beside Erik, aware of every minute movement he made.

Relief flooded him as he saw Anthony’s call appear in the center of the screen.

Erik didn’t hesitate to answer, abandoning the action film. “Well? Anything good?” he asked Anthony, who was leaning back in his chair.

Anthony grinned at them, obviously pleased with himself. “That, my friend, would be an understatement.”