LIFE WITHIN THE HALL

Victoria

Wednesday, February 11, 11:40 a.m.

The thought of spending hours a week alone in a room with Jayden, Sandra, and Gideon was a hard pill to swallow.

Principal Wilson's reward felt more like a command, and I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being manipulated. Mom would expect me to make the most of it, but I struggled to see how. I didn't even know why she always wanted me to be in his good books. After all, she was part of the committee that employed him, not the other way around.

My eyes wandered away from my thoughts and fell upon the biology book on my lap. The hum of the air conditioning in the prefects' room was like white noise, creating a chill vibe that filled the room.

"We've been here for a while. Is anyone going to talk?" Jayden said, dropping his phone on the brown center table. "The silence is killing me."

"What do you want us to talk about?" I fired at him. "Your next viral livestream?"

"Hey, at least I'm not boring," he snorted. "What's with the biology book on your lap? Want to give us a practical lesson on human reproduction? I'm quite fond of that topic.

Jayden and I bantered every time we went face-to-face with each other. And now, I could see he was just ready for another one.

"Sure thing, I can teach you about reproduction. But don't say I didn't warn you... it's gonna get real!" I replied cheekily, covering my mouth in mock shock.

"Oh, I'm shaking in my boots. I didn't know you were such a loud talker. What else are you hiding, Miss Perfect? There's no teacher here."

"Why do I get the feeling that you're still holding a grudge from our sophomore year? You need to heal."

"Stop arguing, you two!" Sandra's voice cut through. "Can't you see Gideon's losing it? He looked messed up when he came to the principal's office, and now...look at him." She gestured to Gideon, who sat on the middle couch, his eyes on the floor, chewing his thumb and tapping his foot anxiously.

Jayden's eyes flicked up to the ceiling, as if to say, 'really?'. "You're into Gideon, huh, Sandra? He doesn't even consider you a friend, yet you're so concerned about him. He sees you as a threat to his precious valedictorian title."

I rarely agreed with Jayden, but on this one, I couldn't disagree less. He was so right.

Sandra's face reddened. "My interest in Gideon is none of your business," she shot at Jayden. "And yes, maybe he doesn't see me as a friend...just like I don't see you as one. But we can't just sit back and watch him self-destruct. Remember Principal Wilson's words?"

"'Unity is power,'" I repeated, rolling my eyes. "Fine, ask him what's wrong with him."

She turned to Gideon and touched his shoulder. "What's going on? You can tell us."

Gideon snapped back, saying, "It's Daniel."

Jayden let out a mocking chuckle. "Aw, bro's been away from his best friend for just a few hours, and he's already missing him."

"A few hours?" Gideon's expression turned desperate. "Daniel is nowhere to be found! He's still missing!"

"What do you mean by 'still missing'?" I asked, totally confused. Daniel was found the previous day, which made his claim confusing.

"The guy found isn't the real Daniel," Gideon said, his jaw clenched. "He's a fake, an imposter. My best friend is still out there, and I know it."

"A fake? An imposter? That's impossible. Daniel was found yesterday. He's safe and sound."

Gideon shook his head. "You don't get it. There are so many things about the guy found that make me certain he's someone else who simply looks like Daniel. Daniel has a scar on his right palm, but the guy found doesn't have it."

"Wait, wait, wait! You're telling us Daniel has a look-alike?" Jayden said, still chuckling. "Next joke, please."

"Say whatever you want, but the guy found is not the real Daniel," Gideon continued. "It can't be that the scar on his palm vanished within 24 hours of him going missing."

"Can I say something?" Sandra spoke up after moment of silence. "I felt something was off about Daniel this morning. He wore a nose mask, and it seemed like he was hiding his face. When I waved at him, he acted like I didn't exist."

"I noticed something too yesterday," I said. "When Daniel was found, I saw freckles on his cheeks. I thought Daniel had them before and I just didn't notice, but I checked his pictures on the school's photo gallery, and the freckles weren't there."

"So, you three are drawing conclusions that the guy found isn't the real Daniel based on him not having an old scar and other silly stuff?" Jayden asked, pointing to us.

We all nodded.

It couldn't be just a coincidence that there were these things about Daniel that the guy found didn't have, and the opposite.

"Gimme a sec." Jayden swiped his phone open. He checked something on it, and his face went straight.

"I think you're right; the guy found isn't the real Daniel Blay."

"What's making you say that?" I poked his chest with my index finger.

"I texted Daniel last night about an Instagram ad he agreed to help me with during the semester break," he shared. "But my message is still unread. Daniel doesn't take that long to reply to me."

I let out a snort, and he shot me a side-eye, his eyebrow arching up in a perfect curve.

"Mimicking me, aren't you?"

I played innocent, raising my shoulders in a 'who, me?' sign.

"So, you guys believe me, right?" Gideon asked, his gaze sweeping across our faces, searching for assurance. "I'm not just some wild conspiracy theorist?"

"Yeah, it seems that way," Jayden replied, crossing his legs on the table with a casual air. "What do we do now?"

"We? You can't be serious about taking matters into our own hands?" I was trying to sound rational. "We need to go to the police."

"Forget it," Sandra said. "The police will never believe us. We have to do something ourselves, if Daniel's truly still missing."

"Easy for you to say," I shot back at her, frustration creeping into my tone. "But how exactly do we do that?" She made it sound like a cakewalk.

Gideon took a deep breath, his chest rising beneath his shirt. "Here's how we're going to do it. We'll split up and gather information on the imposter—where he goes, who he talks to."

"I have questions." I raised my hand. "Firstly, how sure are we that the one found isn't the real Daniel? Secondly, are we forming some kind of secret spy club? Last I checked, there's no '007' listed in the school's extracurricular activities."

"I don't think I have to reply to your first question," Gideon downplayed me. "And for the second, we're not going by the rules here, okay? Not today, please."

I lowered my hand, and he continued. "I'll create a chat group, so whoever gets any info can report back to the group. We good?"

"Yes, but how do we gather information on the imposter when he's in class right now, pretending to be the real Daniel?" Jayden asked, loosening his tie.

Gideon checked his watch. "We'll start at lunch," he replied, "which is, conveniently, in two minutes."

I smirked. I was imagining how Mom would freak out if she found out what Principal Wilson had indirectly signed me up for.

Gideon extended his hand. "If you're not up for it, feel free to sit this one out," he said, as if he knew I opposed his idea. "I know we have our differences, but let's put the past aside and work together."

Sandra and Jayden stacked their hands on top of his. I stood apart, feeling isolated, but I couldn't afford to seem left out. The whole 'fake, imposter Daniel' thing was weird for me, but I had to join in anyway, placing my hand on top.

Besides, my sister was Daniel's ex, and I knew she still had feelings for him. Daniel had moved on, but Olivia hadn't. So helping to find the truth about Daniel would at least give me peace of mind about my sister's heart, even if she would never get him back.