Chapter 9 - TYLER'S SECRET
Tyler found Ava’s Chromebook under gym bleachers.
He gave it to a teacher.
Or that was his story.
The device log showed it remained offline for forty-eight hours after Tyler supposedly turned it in.
Then it reappeared in the school inventory.
Someone had used it during those two days.
Tyler admitted taking it home overnight.
“Why?”
“I wanted to see if Ava had the audio files.”
“What audio files?”
The edited speech clips.
Tyler looked sick explaining it.
“I thought I was exposing something.”
Claire heard the same theme again.
Teenagers trying to investigate each other.
No adult.
No process.
Then school IT found the media-editing account had multiple users.
Ava’s login had been compromised through a shared classroom password sheet.
Anyone in that media elective could have accessed it.
The investigation narrowed to six students.
One was Mason Bell.
Again.
Mason admitted using Ava’s editing account.
Why?
He liked making clips.
He claimed NorthHallAdmin paid him.
“Paid you?”
“Gift cards.”
How much?
About $300 over two months.
Who sent them?
Digital gift cards from anonymous email addresses.
The school traced one purchase to a prepaid debit card.
Same funding source used to open the fake R. Carter wallet.
Now the bullying and fundraiser diversion were connected financially.
Someone paid Mason to make humiliating content.
Then redirected school money using the same card infrastructure.
This was no longer just teenagers improvising.
An adult might be involved.
Then Mason said:
“I met him once.”
Everyone froze.
“Who?”
“The admin.”
“NorthHallAdmin?”
Mason nodded.
“Where?”
“At the library.”
Claire’s pulse jumped.
“What did he look like?”
Mason hesitated.
“Like… normal.”
“Age?”
“Maybe twenties.”
Not Ryan.
Not Tyler.
Not a student.
Then Mason added:
“He knew Ryan’s dad.”
Claire went cold.
May you like
“How?”
“He said Daniel owed him.”
