Page 85 of Lords of the Campus

I feel a surge of satisfaction mixed with disgust. I have everything I need now. But I can’t let Madison see that she’s given herself away. Instead, I force a weak smile. “I guess you showed them,” I say, letting out a shaky sigh. “I thought maybe you could help me understand and you’ve helped me see more than you know.”

“Glad I could help your pathetic life a little,” Madison says, the cruel smile never leaving her face. As I walk away, I hit the button on my phone app to stop the recording.

The bitch is going down.

As soon as I get back, I upload the recording onto my laptop. When Levi returns with Eli, I show him what I captured and he grins, giving me a huge hug and a kiss.

“Fuck, you’re completely, diabolically, brilliant,” he tells me. The two of us put Eli in his stroller and go get Archer and Zane once their class is let out. We head to the family lawyer’s office and hand over the recording on a USB stick, which Mr. Bryce promises to take to the police immediately.

The next day, the news breaks all over social media. Madison and Cameron were arrested and are now facing charges of criminal conspiracy. It’s the best revenge we could have gotten.

The next step is to take down the other Sigma Thetas involved.

49

ARCHER

The atmosphere feels electric with our shared sense of victory as we sit around Lyric’s tiny dinner table together. Plates are piled high with food and the clinking of glasses punctuates our animated conversation. We did it. Madison and Cameron’s reign of terror is finally over.

“To justice!” Levi toasts, raising his glass. “And to Lyric for being the bravest among us.”

We all clink our glasses together, smiling and basking in the hard-earned triumph. Lyric looks relieved, the weight of the past few months seeming to lift from her shoulders.

“Madison never saw it coming,” Zane says, grinning. “And Cameron… well, he deserved every bit of what he got.”

Lyric nods, a small smile playing on her lips. “It feels good to have the truth out there. But what about the others, Max and the rest of the Sigma Thetas?”

I lean back in my chair, contemplating. “They’re next. We can’t let them get away with what they did to you, Lyric. They need to face the consequences too.”

Zane’s eyes flash with determination. “Agreed. They’ve gotten away with too much for too long. We need to make sure they’re held accountable.”

Levi nods. “We’ve got momentum on our side. We can use what we’ve learned from taking down Madison and Cameron to go after the others.”

Lyric looks at each of us in turn, her eyes filled with gratitude and resolve. “I’m with you,” she says firmly. “Whatever it takes.”

As we finish our dinner, the conversation shifts to strategy. Lyric has an in with someone from her Chem class, a girl who’s been complaining to her about being ghosted by one of Max’s blonde goons.

We debate the best way to get the evidence we need, playfully arguing with each other’s ideas. The bond between us feels stronger than ever, the atmosphere light and joyful. Even Eli gets in on the action, banging his spoon against the high chair and babbling loudly like he’s trying to participate.

Once we finish dinner, Lyric and I start cleaning up while Levi and Zane take Eli to get his bath. I lean against her as we wash the dishes in the cramped kitchen, warmth flooding me as I think about how different our lives are now.

If it weren’t for our idiocy, we could have had this all along. I regret all the ways I’ve hurt Lyric, but I know I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to her. She’s got the patience of a saint to deal with me and my brothers, that’s for sure. We’re still rough around the edges, still reigning lords of campus, but Lyric has softened us a little.

“So, I’m going to text Valencia and ask if I can look at her notes from the last class,” Lyric says as she dries a dish.

“Don’t make it too obvious,” I warn her. “We don’t want her to suspect you’re fishing for information.”

Lyric rolls her eyes, a grin on her face. “I can handle myself, Archer. Unlike some people here, I know how to mind my manners.”

I bump my hip into hers, and she giggles, and soon we’re play wrestling on the floor, which is where Zane and Levi find us when they come back.

“Are you guys good?” Levi asks, raising one eyebrow. We look up, wearing identical guilty expressions, and crack up.

The next day, we put our plan into action. Lyric goes to meet with the girl from her class, and we sit nearby, trying not to look suspicious as we listen in for any relevant information.

We gather at the campus quad, sitting at a table near a large oak tree. Lyric’s plan is risky, but we all agree it’s our best shot at getting solid information. My eyes follow Lyric as she approaches Valencia, my heart pounding.

“Hey, Valencia,” Lyric says with a warm smile as she sits down beside her.

---