Page 33 of Secrets and Lies
That’s a lot of effort for a prank. And it was a deliberate choice to use my number when there are plenty of other ways to send an anonymous text to someone.
Plus there’s the fact that my phone notified me that the texts came in even though I had my phone on silent. I know nothingabout phones or hacking them, but I imagine that overriding a phone’s ring settings isn’t something just anyone can do.
That part is freaking me out as much as someone cloning or using my old number. If they could override the settings on my phone, what else can they do to it? Can they read my texts? See my search history? Can they access my apps? Or was making my phone chime when it’s on silent the extent of whatever they did?
Shoving my phone back in my pocket, I jump up off the couch and look around my room.
I need a distraction before I give myself a headache from overthinking and drive myself crazy with “what-ifs.”
My gaze lands on the small pile of workout clothes I tossed next to my hamper before the break.
I could go to the house gym.
Working out is the only healthy coping mechanism I’ve found that actually helps when I get overwhelmed like this.
Exhausting my body helps tire out my mind, and it gives me something to focus on other than whatever is driving me crazy at the time.
The other methods I’ve found are decidedly unhelpful, like drinking until I can’t feel feelings or doing copious amounts of drugs to dull my senses until I can just exist without having to think about anything other than feeling good and having fun.
And of course there are my go-to methods like disassociating and compartmentalizing and hoping to fuck that my issues stay where I put them so I can keep ignoring them.
Going to the gym or playing sports only works for so long, but it’s better than nothing. And it’s made me a pretty well-rounded athlete.
One of the only accomplishments I have over my brothers is that, even with all their older-sibling perfection, neither of them played sports in school. They worked out and kept in shape for vanity reasons, but they were always so focused on makingconnections and networking and building the frameworks for their ten-year plans that they didn’t have time for organized sports.
That gave me an outlet that I not only enjoy, but one that was also only mine. In my family, athletic achievements aren’t really seen as anything special unless you’re the best of the best, but no one can take away the trophies and other awards I’ve gotten over the years, and they matter to me, even if no one else in my life cares.
But none of those awards or any of the years I spent playing elite-level soccer matter now that I’m here at Silvercrest.
Unlike other colleges, Silvercrest doesn’t participate in any sort of sports or academic competitions with other schools. We have house leagues that people play in for fun and bragging rights, but it’s not the same when you’re used to playing competitively.
I look between the door to my room and my dresser, where I keep my athletic clothes.
Working out would probably help, but I’m not in the mood to make small talk and chat about what we got up to on our breaks with anyone right now.
What I really need is to talk to someone about the crazy texts I just got and what the fuck they could mean, but who?
I can’t tell McKenna about any of this, not until I know what’s going on and who’s behind it. Damon is literally my only other friend, but he’s got his own stuff going on.
He’s not only in a new relationship, but he’s also dealing with the fallout of being with a member of a rival frat, and one of the most notoriously unhinged people on campus. He’s got his plate full, so to speak, and I can’t just dump all this on him, especially when there’s nothing he can do. He’s not a hacker, and he knows even less about phones than I do. And I know he’s not the biggestfan of my engagement, even if he’s done his best to be supportive and encouraging like the amazing friend he’s always been.
My other go-to when I’m feeling cooped up like this and need alone time is to go for a walk, but with it being the last day before school starts up again, the campus is crawling with people coming back from their vacations, and the odds of being able to walk around without being surrounded by people are slim.
My eyes land on my desk drawer, the same drawer I tossed the flash drive I “found” at The Crypt in when I got home from my walk that night.
I completely forgot about it with all the craziness of last few weeks, but that’s not unusual for me. I have a habit of forgetting things exist if they’re not right in my face, which is great when I want to ignore something or hide from a problem, but it makes me look like a scatterbrained dumbass with the memory of a goldfish because I’m always forgetting important things along with the stuff I want to ignore.
I should probably just trash the damn thing, or hand it over to Liam and let him deal with it, but my curiosity won’t let me.
Something on that drive is important enough that those two guys made the effort to meet in the dark at The Crypt and exchange what I’m assuming is an envelope of cash for it. And now that I’m part of the secret, I need to know more.
Resolutely, I stride over to my desk and tug open the drawer. The drive is sitting exactly where I left it.
I dig my laptop out of my backpack, then sit down on my bed with the drive in one hand and my laptop on my thighs.
When my computer is on and running, I fit the drive into the USB slot and wait to see what happens.
A little box appears on my screen asking me if I want to scan the drive for viruses and threats, and once that’s done and comes back clear, another box pops up asking if I want to open the drive.
