45. Archer

45

ARCHER

T hough we tell Lyric that she has nothing to worry about, anxiety still knots up in my stomach as we walk into the room and face the disciplinary board. The air in the room is thick with tension, each word from the committee cutting through my thoughts like a knife. I sit beside Lyric, trying to keep my face impassive, but the accusations keep coming, each one landing like a blow.

I glance at Lyric, her eyes wide and filled with fear and anger. My heart sinks as I realize that every single incident they list out was a direct result of our actions, the relentless bullying, the manipulation and the cruelty we put Lyric through.

We thought we were teaching her a lesson, but now it's clear that we were wrong. The weight of our mistakes crashes over me like a wave and I struggle to keep my composure.

Unless we find a way to fix this, our behavior is going to cost Lyric everything.

I sit back in my seat, mind racing. We need to act fast. We need to find a way to make the committee see the truth, to understand that Lyric is not the villain here. But more than that, we need to find a way to make amends for the damage we've done.

The hearing continues, voices droning on, but I'm lost in my thoughts. I know we've wronged her in unforgivable ways, but if there's any chance to salvage this, we have to take it.

During the short break, I pull Levi and Zane aside into a quiet corner of the hallway. The grim expressions on their faces mirror my own.

"We need to act fast," I say, my voice low and urgent. "This entire thing is a sham. We know that they only care about Lyric's behavior because of the stuff that Cameron pulled. He and his cousin are framing Lyric, trying to make her look like she's wild, like she's out of control. We need to prove it to the board."

Levi nods, his jaw tight. "What do you have in mind?"

I jut my chin up. "We dig up everything we can on Madison and Cameron. Anything that shows their connection, any shady deals, any dirt we can find. We have to expose them for what they are."

Zane's eyes narrow as I continue. "We already know they're cousins, but we need more than that. We need something concrete, something that will make the committee take notice."

I glance back toward the hearing room, where Lyric sits alone, waiting. "We don't have much time. We need to work together, pull every string and call in every favor. We can't let them do this to her."

Levi places a hand on my shoulder, his grip firm. "We're with you, Archer. We'll find something."

Zane nods in agreement. "Yeah, we're going to make sure they can't touch her."

I feel a glimmer of hope rise up. "Good. Let's get to work. We need to save Lyric, no matter what it takes."

With that, we break apart, determination etched on our faces. This isn't just about undoing the wrongs we've done. It's about protecting someone we care about. And we won't stop until Lyric is safe.

We step back into the hearing room and the weight of the committee's stares presses down on us. Lyric looks up at us, reaching out to take my hand. I give her a small nod, trying to reassure her even as my mind races to figure out how to prove she's innocent.

As we sit there, the committee tells Lyric that they're considering expulsion. Bainbridge stares her down as she speaks. "We need solid evidence that you are not responsible for the disruptions and issues on this campus."

My mind is a whirlwind of thoughts. How can we prove that Madison and Cameron are behind all this? How can we expose their schemes in such a short amount of time?

I glance at Levi and Zane, their expressions mirroring my own anxiety. Despite the brave face I put on for Lyric, I'm terrified that we might not be able to fix this in time. The stakes are too high and the evidence against her is damning.

"Don't worry," I whisper to Lyric, leaning close to her. "We'll figure this out. We won't let them ruin your life."

She nods, but her eyes are filled with doubt. I can't blame her. We've put her through hell and now it's up to us to save her from a mess we helped create.

I lean back in my chair, my mind a whirlwind. We need to act fast, but we need to be smart. Madison and Cameron think they've won, but they have no idea what's coming. We're going to expose them and we're going to prove Lyric's innocence.

Unfortunately, time is running out and every second that ticks by feels like a nail in the coffin. We can't afford to fail. Not now. Not when so much is at stake.

The committee decides to reconvene the next morning to hear any new evidence. They dismiss us and as soon as we're out of the building, I take Lyric's hand and guide her away from the campus. "Let's go get Eli," I suggest, trying to keep my tone light. "We should take him to the park. Maybe take our mind off things, okay? Levi and Zane are going to look into things for now."

She nods, though her eyes are still clouded with worry. I squeeze her hand reassuringly, hoping to distract her from the looming threat of expulsion that's hanging over our heads like a storm cloud.

"You two find evidence." I turn to my brothers. "Anything you can. Go through every single social media post that any of the Sigma's and Madison have ever made. See if we can find something that points to what they did. Dig up evidence."

They nod, determination on their faces. "We'll find something," Zane promises, hugging Lyric.

With that, we part ways. I focus on keeping Lyric distracted, taking her to pick up Eli from daycare. As we walk, I try to keep the conversation light, focusing instead on Eli's latest daycare antics.

Once we pick him up, we spend the rest of the morning at the park, focusing on our son and keeping him entertained. I push the kiddo on the swings, making funny faces that coax giggles from him and gradually, I see Lyric's shoulders relax.

Back at the dorm, I tuck Eli into bed for his nap while Lyric showers. As I wait for her to come out, I can't help but worry about what Zane and Levi are finding. We need something solid, something that will clear Lyric's name.

That afternoon, Zane and Levi return. They spent hours scrolling through endless posts on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, some saved Snapchat conversations and even sat through a few tiresome vlogs from Max in high school.

"We did," Levi says, eyeing the sleeping form of Lyric. "She wore herself out from worrying, so I've been letting her rest."

"I don't know if it will help her case, but we found out something major." Levi says.

"What is it?" I ask, my brow furrowing.

"One of Max's buddies, one of the ones who confronted me, posted something a few years back that looked really fucking cryptic," Levi explains. "Something about people getting what they deserve. I looked through the comments and I was able to piece together evidence that Max, Cameron, and their friends were the reason our prank went wrong at the pep rally."

My eyes widen, and I almost jump out of my seat. "What the hell?" I ask, trying to keep my voice down.

"They found out we were pulling the prank and they hustled down to the auditorium before we came back. They switched out the drones we filled with confetti for ones filled with explosives."

"That's completely sick," I say, frowning. "How could they put people in danger like that?"

"My best guess is, they thought that the worst that would happen was a few loud bangs and people would get scared." Levi shrugs. "I suppose maybe they didn't realize how bad it would get."

"I don't understand how they managed to get away with it," I mutter, my anger rising. Those assholes destroyed our lives and got off scot-free.

"We figured that part out too," Zane says, speaking up. "You know how Madison and Cameron are cousins?" When I nod, he continues. "Madison helped them cover it up. With everything Lyric told us, I'm betting she was hoping that it would drive a wedge between us and she could help ‘pick up the pieces'."

"Those assholes will get what's coming to them," I vow, "but this isn't relevant to the investigation, unfortunately. All it proves is that Cameron and Madison might have a vendetta against us ."

"Yeah," Zane agrees, his face falling. "Even if we present everything to the committee, it doesn't help Lyric look better. They might think she reported Cameron for assault as a retaliation."

"Fuck," I swear under my breath, clenching my jaw. "Well, let's keep this information to ourselves for now. We should focus on helping Lyric win this case against her."

"Without the sabotage angle, how are we going to do that?" Levi questions.

I scrub a hand over my face and glance at Lyric again, drawing the blanket up over her from where it fell in her sleep. "Let's stick to the original plan. We focus on proving all the good that she's done and how much of an asset she's been to the school."

"They never found any evidence on those drug charges, did they?" Levi asks, piping up.

"No, why?"

"Let's find out who filed the report," Levi replies, a gleam in his eyes. "I have a feeling that might help our case as well."

I feel relief flood me. We have a plan in place, a way to prove Lyric's innocence. I only hope it will be enough.