Disguised As A Boy To Attend Belmont High School
Chapter 162: A Dangerous Mission.

Chapter 162: A Dangerous Mission.

He turned his attention to Mark. "While Olive is talking to Henry, you and I will explore his dorm," Aiden said, his voice steady but his eyes sharp with focus.

Mark nodded in agreement, his expression determined. "Yeah, that sounds like a plan."

"I’ll meet up with Clara," Lucas chimed in suddenly, startling the group. Everyone turned to look at him, surprise flashing across their faces.

"Why do you need to meet her?" Lara raised an eyebrow, her tone filled with curiosity. She leaned back, folding her arms as if waiting for a solid explanation.

"Because it’s important. And, Lara," Lucas paused, locking eyes with her, "you’re coming with me." His voice carried an unusual weight, laced with urgency and seriousness.

Lara blinked, taken aback. "Why me?" She scoffed slightly, though the confusion in her voice was apparent.

"This is my family’s school," Lucas began, his voice softening but remaining firm. "And this is where a student died, where Louise died. His parents aren’t making a scene because of their relationship with my family. They’ve chosen to accept the police’s explanation of Louise committing suicide, but I don’t believe it for a second."

Lara narrowed her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, everyone believed Louise killed himself. But we don’t buy that. That’s why we’re investigating. What I don’t understand is why you’re bringing your sister into this."

"Because she doesn’t believe Louise killed himself either," Lucas revealed, his voice suddenly darker. "Neither does my mom."

There was a heavy silence as the weight of his words settled over the group.

"Almost no one truly believes he killed himself," Lucas continued, leaning forward, elbows resting on the table. "But since the police closed the case, we have no choice but to accept it for now. The fact that his parents agree with the official story is making it worse for us. They’ve stopped pushing for answers, and it’s complicating everything."

Olive heaved a sigh, her expression reflecting her frustration. "So, how exactly is Clara going to help us? Fine, she doesn’t believe the official story, but how is telling her our plan going to change anything? How’s she going to help?"

"There are several ways Clara can assist us," Lucas replied, leaning back in his chair. His eyes glimmered with determination.

Olive raised an eyebrow, intrigued yet skeptical. "How exactly is she going to help with that? It’s not like Mark and Aiden need to be carried into the room, right?"

Lucas leaned in closer, lowering his voice. "Clara, apart from being the principal, is also on the school’s disciplinary committee. She has access to the dorm’s master keys. With her help, Mark and Aiden can get into Henry’s room without raising suspicion. You don’t think Henry, if he’s really behind Louise’s death, would leave his door unlocked, do you?"

Aiden’s eyes lit up. "That’s... genius. We could search for evidence without worrying about getting caught."How do we even expect Henry to leave the door to his room opened if truly he’s the murderer?"

"Exactly," Lucas nodded. "Once you’re inside with the key, you can lock the door behind you, making it seem like no one ever went in. Henry would never suspect a thing."

Lara tapped her chin thoughtfully, her skepticism fading. "Involving Clara could give us an ally with insider knowledge. She can help us navigate the school’s policies without setting off any alarms."

Lucas nodded again, more firmly this time. "Clara’s been questioning the official story from the start. She’s on our side. And besides, this school belongs to my family. I feel personally responsible for investigating Louise’s death. Because if someone uses his death to blackmail us in the future, we could lose everything. People are just waiting for the right opportunity to take a shot at us."

Olive sighed, resigned but convinced. "Alright, we’ll bring Clara in. But we have to be careful. If Henry catches even a hint that we’re looking into him, he’ll cover his tracks. We can’t afford to make mistakes."

The group exchanged determined glances, their expressions hardening as they prepared for what lay ahead.

Mark stood up, his face set in determination. "We have a lot to do before exams start. We’ll wait here for you to come back with the keys, Lucas."

"Yeah, but Olive," Aiden added, "you should go ahead and find Henry. Get him talking. The longer you keep him distracted, the better."

Olive pushed her chair back with a resolute nod. "Alright, I’ll get started. You guys take care." She turned to leave, but before she could take a step, Lucas caught her hand, his grip firm but gentle.

"Be careful with Henry," Lucas whispered, his voice filled with concern. "I don’t trust him."

Olive smiled softly. "I will. Now hurry up and get those keys," she added, her voice light but her eyes serious. With that, she turned and walked away, Lucas and Lara trailing after her.

Mark and Aiden sat in silence after they left, their minds racing with the weight of the task ahead. Thirty minutes passed, yet Lucas and Lara hasn’t returned.

"Why is Lucas taking so long? We need to move fast. If Henry catches wind of this, he’ll lock his room down tighter than Fort Knox." Aiden complained bitterly.

Mark’s expression hardened, his eyes narrowing. "He’ll be here soon. I’ve already texted him."

Just as tensions were beginning to rise, Lucas and Lara returned, followed by Clara, who held a small set of keys in her hand.

"Got them," Clara said, offering the keys to Mark.

Mark took them with a nod of gratitude. "Thanks, Clara."

"Thanks," the others chimed in, their voices low to avoid drawing attention.

Clara smiled warmly. "Be careful, guys. If you find anything, come straight to me."

The group nodded in agreement, watching Clara as she walked away and disappeared from view.

"Alright, Lucas, Lara," Mark said, standing up alongside Aiden. "We’re going now."

Lucas and Lara then nodded in response and watched as the two boys walked out of the cafeteria, their footsteps light but purposeful.

_______________

Meanwhile, Olive had successfully led Henry to the rooftop. They sat in silence, Henry sipping from a bottle of alcohol as Olive watched him carefully.

"Thanks for keeping this between us, Arthur," Henry slurred, clearly drunk. "I know the school’s against alcohol, but you still let me have it."

"You’re welcome. Friends keep each other’s secrets," Olive replied with a warm smile, her eyes tracking his every move. "But Louise is gone, Henry. You shouldn’t be mourning him this much. It’s not like you two were that close."

Henry’s eyes snapped to hers, sharp despite the alcohol. "Who said I’m mourning him?"

Olive blinked, then gave a soft laugh. "Well, drinking like this usually means something, right? I’m just trying to understand."

Henry rose from his seat and staggered toward the edge of the rooftop, glancing over the railing. "Maybe I’m not mourning. Maybe I’m celebrating. Ever think of that?"

Olive’s fingers tightened around the fabric of her trousers as she stood. "Celebrating what, exactly? You’ve been acting strange ever since you joined Jessica and her crew. I thought we were friends. I missed you, Henry. I’m glad you’re not with them anymore."

Henry snorted, his back still turned to her. "Who said I’m not with them?"

Olive felt her pulse quicken. "I assumed you weren’t. Why’d you come with me then? Shouldn’t you be with your new friends?"

"I joined them because of Rachel, but she’s not here. She’s still in rehab," Henry said, taking another sip from his bottle, his smirk dark.

"So, you’re sad because of Rachel?" Olive asked, stepping closer. "She’ll be fine. It’s not like she committed a serious crime, just took the blame for the rest of you. She’ll be out soon."

Henry’s smirk widened. "You know an awful lot."

Olive mirrored his smile, keeping her tone light. "Of course I do. And it’s normal to miss someone you love, but Rachel’s coming back. She’s not gone for good. It’s not like she’s in prison for murder. And it’s not like you’ve killed anyone either, right?" She locked eyes with him, watching for any reaction. "No secrets to worry about coming to light when she gets back?"

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