Tai was laying in Hada's lap on the couch in the living room getting a scalp massage.

"So now you still can't see each other?" Diana brought in the popcorn from the kitchen and sat next to Mei on the other chair. This was some interesting drama.

"We can't." Tai answered. "Not until we find the blackmailer."

"But you and Aleksei just got together." Mei swirled the straw in the iced coffee. "It's not fair."

"Girl.." Hada stopped the massage. "Are you sure you should be telling us all of this?"

Tai closed her eyes in peace and nodded. "Yeah, there's no way you three are the blackmailer."

"How do you know that? I might be a spy." Hada smiled.

"No no," Tai answered and waved her hand so Hada keeps massaging her head. "You can be anything, but not a spy. Your reactions give you up. Your honesty is your good trait though."

"What about me?" Diana smiled excitedly. "I think I can pull it off."

Tai chuckled. "With all your extracurricular activities you barely have time for shopping. Stalking people is the last thing on your list when you have free time."

"Do me too. " Mei added.

"Mei.." Tai glanced at her. "There's no way it's you. You like rules and to top that you've never been too concerned about others."

"I could be lying though."

"Actions don't lie. For a person who follows curfew, like it's a life and death situation, I doubt you'd feel free to break the rules to stalk someone."

"I wish we could help you," Diana said stuffing her mouth with popcorn. "I mean I have a lot of talents but I don't think they're going to be helpful here."

Tai sighed. "This whole thing it's just horrible. Most likely other people have been blackmailed too."

"What?" Hada gasped. "I thought it was just Nikita."

"No. The guys think this is a professionally done job. The blackmailer has the experience and has done this to others too most likely. But Lev wasn't able to find out much through his digging."

"Wait wait.." Hada paused and shooed Tai to get up.

Tai rose from her lap and pushed her hair back. "What?"

"You can't find out something like that through someone's phone or laptop. People talk about these sorts of things. Like telling a best friend."

"Do you have any ideas?"

Diana clapped her hands and placed the popcorn away. "We're the most connected girls in the school. I bet if we figure out a tactic and talk to people we'll be able to find more blackmailed people and find more connecting evidence."

"I know where to start." Mei spoke. "My younger sisters are first year and second year. Freshmen are the easiest targets to bully. I bet you this blackmailer has targeted those students too. My sisters can ask around subtly."

"Yes. You're right." Tai raised her hand. "Okay. Give me a minute. Let's come up with a plan and then we'll go to meet the sinners. Let's run this by them too."

"I thought you were supposed to avoid that villa." Hada said.

"I know a middle ground." Tai smiled.

Three hours later they were all in Arya's villa, cramped into the living room.

"How did you get rid of your roommates?" Tai asked checking if there was anyone else in the house.

"I'm the boss of this house." Arya sat down on the armchair and crossed her legs.

Zakhar pinched her cheek proudly and then turned towards Lev who was inspecting the room. "Anything?"

"This house is not bugged." He said.

Arya just shook her head in disbelief they would even question that but she said nothing.

Zakhar nodded and turned towards Tai. "So what exactly is the plan?"

"We've been at this all wrong. The best way to find out the others who were blackmailed is to check everyone personally."

"That's impossible." Aleksei said.

"For you guys. Not for us." Tai smiled. "We can comb through half the students in the school, we only need to know if you agree."

"Do you have any leads?" Lev asked.

"Few," Mei answered.

Lev nodded. " Alright. This could work. I also have leads. I managed to find some things on a few people's emails about blackmail but it's only for those who didn't pay up. However, it's still probably useful."

"Absolutely. They'd be the first to talk." Hada agreed.

Zakhar clapped his hands. "I also like this idea. The only problem is alerting the blackmailer by mistake."

Aleksei nodded. "Hmm but if we do this by the end of the day, figure out who it is and bring it in front of the principal by morning the blackmailer won't be able to do anything. We just need to get victims to talk too."

Everyone waited on Zakhar's approval in a dramatic pause.

Zakhar exhaled after a long pause. "Alright."

"Then let's get to work." Tai smiled.

After countless phone talks and running through hundreds of incidents throughout the year they had managed to get more than twenty people who were willing to speak out on this. Particularly when they heard this was revenge against the blackmailer.

While the girls were doing the talking, the boys organized all information, preparing it for the principal in the morning. They were going to end this once and for all.

Tai sat next to Arya who was getting sleepy. She handed her a cup of hot coffee.

"Thank you for doing this." She said. "I didn't cost you sleep, didn't I?"

Arya smiled. "I knew you'd do something about this blackmailer eventually. Doing this doesn't phase me. But I couldn't sleep these days because of other reasons."

She glanced at Zakhar. "He was so worried about you, Aleksei and Nikita. He wanted to do anything to help you guys out, but felt so desperate and guilty. It was killing me that I couldn't do anything to help him. So when you asked me to do this, I was more than grateful that you needed my help."

"I love how much you and Zakhar are in love." Tai hoped she could get a story out of her. "How did you get together?"

Arya could remember vividly every detail of the moment she had met Zakhar. Before that she had only seen him a couple of times, fighting with the previous high school seniors. He had a bruised face, cut on his lower lip, bloody knuckles and dirty clothes. But for someone who had carried violence on his face, he was worn out and tired. It was like he was desperately searching for something while picking countless fights. She thought it was such a shame he continuously ruined such a handsome face. And then one night, after going back home from a night out, she caught him, leaning over a wall, throwing up after a fight. He was shaking in the cold and looked sick from all that he was doing. He looked pitiful and weak.

"Have you ever seen a stray cat?" Arya asked Tai.

"Yes."

"They look so dirty and sometimes they hiss at you. But you look at them and go "ah if I could protect this little thing, give it a home and make it purr, it would be so cute to cuddle."Arya smiled. "When I saw him, Zakhar was someone I wanted to protect. But at the same time.."

The feelings she felt the first time she approached him, stirred her heart again. She wanted to protect him yes, but at the same time, she wanted to break him first. See him cry and make him desperate for her love. And with that feeling in mind, she pulled Zakhar out of the gutter.

"Aryaaaa." Tai waved a hand in front of her face. "You shut down on me,"

"Sorry." Arya finally snapped out of it and smirked. "I just got really horny all of a sudden."

"So you were the one to approach him?" Tai asked, persistent to hear details.

"Yes." Arya crossed her legs. "I approached him though thinking I can have something platonic with him. But it took me a while to get him to have sex with me and by that time I was already in love with him. I didn't even see it coming, and now I can't live without the guy."

"You had trouble seducing a guy? You?" Tai was surprised.

"He was a bit shy." Arya smiled touching her cheeks. She was getting hot. "I was his first so he was just constantly struggling to be in control. But I just..." Arya covered her mouth. "Sorry, Tai. I can't tell you anything anymore. I'm at my limit."

"Sorry." Tai chuckled.

"We're done." Zakhar approached them clapping his hands together. "We're prepared for tomorrow. All that's left to do is go to the principal. The school will have no choice but to deal with this immediately. Once they give me access to the students' personal records, I can find which student had the opportunity to do this sort of thing."

Tai smiled in relief. Finally, they will get revenge for Nikita.

"Should we go somewhere.." Tai was going to suggest celebrating somewhere with food but seeing Arya staring at Zakhar, ready to pounce on him and Zakhar looking at her trying to figure out her mood. Tai decided the best thing she could do, was get everyone out of the house.

"Alright people. Let's go home." Tai rushed everyone to get their stuff. "Tomorrow is going to be big, so we might as well rest."

Everyone got their things, leaving in confusion.

Aleksei went to get Zakhar, but Tai grabbed his elbow. "Someone has to pay for our stay here."

"Arya is not going to ask for money." Aleksei said and then smiled upon figuring out what she meant. "Oh, I see. Well, in that case, let's get out of here before we see something we cannot unsee." He nudged Tai out of the villa closing the door behind him just as he heard the vase over the table breaking.

They made it out on time.

A/N

When I created my characters, I knew instantly that Zakhar and Arya would date. When I tried to imagine how Arya would have helped Zakhar in the past,  I had the most cliche scene in my head. Rain pouring, he's in an alley bruised after a fight, but instead of the good girl finding him, I thought..if Arya is the one to help him, it would be a whole other story playing out. I have their short story imagined in my head. And I just love this couple.. so solid in their weird little kinky relationship 😋😂✌🏻

I think it should be obvious by now I think what their roles are in bed . 🤭

Also be excited for the upcoming chapters. We are nearing the end and things will start unfolding. It will get intense. ❤