Chapter Text
Ian was nervous as he placed the small baggie of cocaine in Des's locker. He knew it was risky, but he was determined to get her expelled . Maybe not expelled, her father would not allow that. Mr. Brabantio would do anything to protect his little girl.
As he walked away from Desiree's locker, he saw the principal's car pulling up in front of the school. The drug sweep was happening today, and he needed to make sure Desiree was caught with the drugs. He made his way to his own classroom and tried to act naturally.
Emilia glared at him as he sat down. Whatever. He did not have time to deal with her. He knows she hasn’t talked to Desiree yet. He won’t let her get to her and ruin his plan. He didn’t know how she thought Desiree would ever be into her, if she wasn’t willing to work for it.
Class had begun, and Ian couldn't care less about statistics. He was buzzing with anticipation for when the sweep would happen.
"Attention all students and faculty," the intercom crackled to life. "Can Desiree Brabantio please report to the principal’s office. Thank you.”
Emilia whipped around in her seat in disbelief at Ian. Ian just smirked.
Emilia pulled out her phone and angrily typed a message to Ian.
“What the hell is wrong with you???” Emilia texted. Frustrated, she sent another message,“Seriously what the hell?? What did you actually do??” Emilia was starting to get worried.
Ian pulled out his phone and rolled his eyes. He began to type a response.
"Look, Emilia, I don't know what you're talking about, but it has nothing to do with me," he texted, his tone smug and dismissive.
He followed up with, “Maybe her loving father just wanted to see her.”
Emilia was livid. She knew he had something to do with this. She had to go talk to Desiree.
"Emilia! I cannot believe you would have your phone out during class. Give it to me right now!" the teacher yelled, her face red with anger.
Emilia's heart sank as she reluctantly handed over her phone. She knew the school's policy on phones, but she couldn't resist texting Ian. Ian is going to ruin more than just Des and Oliver’s relationship. Now she and them would have to suffer the consequences.
"You can pick this up from the main office after school. And don't let it happen again!" the teacher scolded, walking away with Emilia's phone in her hand.
Ian made eye contact with Emilia and was trying to hide his laughter.
After class, Emilia needed to go speak to Des or the principal, or anyone who would listen. She unfortunately didn’t have her phone. She had to find them before class started again. As she was going to her locker, Ian bumped into her.
“Shame your phone got taken away, Em, but I mean texting in class. Very naughty.”
Emilia scoffed, was this guy serious? “Ian I am done with your shit, I know you did something with Des.”
Ian looked unbothered, "I have no idea what you're talking about. You can't just accuse me of framing someone. You have no proof."
Emilia raised her eyebrow, “I never said anything about framing anyone. Is that what you ended up doing?”
Ian dismissed her, “Whatever Em, you couldn’t do anything to stop it. And if anything, you helped me start it.”
Ian walked away from her and went to go see where Oliver was. He and Desiree were still fighting, and he needed to be there for Oliver.
As he passed the principal’s office, he heard crying and shouting. He peeked through the door window and saw Desiree sobbing.
"Dad, I swear I didn't do this. Someone must have put it there," she said, tears streaming down her face.
"I'm sorry, Desiree, but I have to take this seriously. I cannot be a part of the investigation." her father said, his voice cold.
Her father shook his head and continued. "I want to believe you, Desiree, but the evidence is against you. You're grounded until further notice, and I don't want you seeing Oliver anymore . You need to focus on your studies and getting your life back on track," he said firmly.
Ian couldn’t have been more pleased; he would definitely make Desiree break up with Oliver.
Desiree was getting more upset by the minute, “What does Oliver have to do with this? But I swear, Dad, I didn't do it. Someone else must have put it in my locker to get me in trouble,” she insisted.
This got the principal all riled up, “Are you saying Oliver did this?”
Ian did not think Mr. Brabantio would actually accuse Oliver. This is not what he wanted. If he spread that around, no one would believe the scholarship kid over the principal’s daughter. He quickly moved on and headed to the library; hopeful his original plan would work out.
Meanwhile, the news of the drugs had spread over the school’s Twitter page, thanks to Ian's anonymous tip.
Oliver was scrolling through his Twitter feed as he waited outside Desiree’s class to try to speak to her. He felt his heart sink when he read, “Apparently the principal’s princess was caught with drugs … #whoisreallysurprised”. He couldn't believe it. Desiree was the last person he would expect to be caught with drugs. He tried calling her, but it went straight to voicemail.
Feeling helpless and alone, he went to the one person he could trust, Ian. He found him sitting alone in the school library and sat down next to him. "Did you see the news about Desiree?" Oliver asked, his voice cracking.
Ian looked up from his book, a smug smile on his face. "Yeah, I did. What a shame," he said, trying to hide his true feelings.
Oliver glared at him. "How can you be so callous? This is Desiree we're talking about," he said, his anger rising.
Ian put his book down and put his arm around Oliver. "I'm sorry, man. I didn't mean it like that. Look, let's just focus on what we can do to help her," he said, trying to calm Oliver down.
Oliver sighed, feeling a sense of relief wash over him. He knew Ian always had his back. "Thanks, man. I don't know what I'd do without you," he said, leaning his head on Ian's shoulder.
Ian couldn’t help but smile to himself. He felt a sense of satisfaction seeing Oliver so upset, knowing that it was all part of his plan to get rid of Desiree and have Oliver to himself.
After a long day of classes and rumors swirling around the school, it was finally time for the wrestling match. Oliver had been quiet all day, barely speaking to anyone, but Ian had been by his side, trying to provide comfort. As they walked towards the gym, Ian put a hand on Oliver's shoulder.
"Listen, man. I know you're upset, but you can't let it affect your performance tonight. You're one of the best wrestlers in this school, and you're going to show everyone that, okay? " Ian said, his voice soft.
Oliver nodded, still lost in his thoughts. He couldn't believe that Desiree had been caught with drugs. It just didn't make any sense to him. But he knew Ian was right. He couldn't let it affect his wrestling .
As they walked into the gym, they saw Desiree being escorted by members of the school board into a meeting. She looked miserable, and Oliver felt a pang of guilt. He had never seen her look so defeated, but he was still confused and pissed about what happened with Cass and Robert. He did not know what to believe. Maybe she was on drugs.
Ian, on the other hand, looked smug as he walked past her. Oliver shot him a confused look, but Ian just gave him a reassuring nod and led him towards the locker room.
As Oliver changed into his wrestling uniform, he couldn't help but wonder what was really going on. Ian had been acting strange all day, and now he seemed almost too calm about the whole situation.
But Oliver couldn't dwell on it for long. He had a match to focus on. He walked out onto the mat, the cheers of the crowd filling his ears, and he let all his emotions fade away. All that mattered now was the match.
Back at the school office, Emilia went to retrieve her phone. Without her phone all day, she had no way to tell Desiree she was sorry, when she desperately wanted to. As she approached the receptionist's desk, she noticed Desiree sitting in a chair in the conference room. Her eyes were red and puffy, and her face was streaked with tears. She knew she had to tell the truth, even if she lost Desiree as a friend.
Emilia rushed into the conference room. All eyes were suddenly on her.
She took a deep breath and spoke up.
"I have something to say," Emilia said, her voice shaking. "Desiree is innocent. It was Ian who put the drugs in her locker. "
The school board members looked at each other in shock. The principal's face turned red with anger with a mix of relief.
"What evidence do you have to back up this claim?" he demanded.
Emilia hesitated for a moment, but then she remembered the text messages from Ian. She pulled out her phone and showed them to the board members.
"These are messages from Ian planning to do exactly what happened to Desiree," Emilia said, holding up her phone.
Des's father looked at the messages in disbelief. "Ian?" he muttered. "I can't believe it."
The school board members conferred for a few moments before coming to a decision.
"We will launch a full investigation into these allegations," the head of the school board said. "Desiree's punishment will be lifted until we have a conclusion."
Desiree let out a sigh of relief and tears streamed down her face. She hugged Emilia tightly, grateful for her bravery.
"Thank you," Desiree said. "I knew I could count on you."
Emilia felt a sense of relief wash over her but knew she wasn’t telling the whole truth.
Emilia took a deep breath as she let go of Desiree. She knew that what she was about to say was going to hurt her friend, but she had to come clean. "Desiree, I need to tell you something," Emilia said, her voice shaking slightly.
Desiree looked up at Emilia with a mixture of confusion and fear in her eyes. "What is it?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
"I was involved in what happened to you," Emilia admitted, looking down at her feet. "But I didn't know that Ian was going to go so far. I never wanted things to end up like this."
Desiree's eyes widened as she stared at Emilia. "What do you mean? What did you do?" she demanded.
“Ian and I wanted to break you and Oliver up. It was stupid and childish. I didn’t think it would go this far or that Oliver would believe it all.”
She glanced at her feet, holding back tears, "I helped him set up the fake Tinder profile and I stole your necklace to make it seem like you were cheating on Oliver."
Desiree was still distressed, “But why, why would you do this to me? Why would Ian?”
Emilia didn’t know what to say. She didn’t want to out Ian and she didn’t want to out herself. She tried to speak but no words came out.
Desiree huffed and stormed out of the meeting with her father and Emilia trailing behind her. She felt the rage bubbling inside of her and she couldn't keep it in any longer. She needed to confront Ian.
As she made her way through the crowded hallway, Desiree could hear the muffled sounds of the wrestling match taking place in the gym. She knew that Ian would be there, cheering on Oliver like he always did.
Finally, she spotted him standing near the entrance, his eyes fixated on Oliver, who was warming up on the mat. Desiree marched up to him, her fists clenched at her sides.
"What did I do to you?" she demanded, her voice rising with each word. "Why did you frame me for drugs? Why did you set up that fake Tinder profile?"
Ian tried to laugh It off, but the laugh was wiped from his face when he saw the school board members and principal following Desiree.
Ian scoffed. "I didn't frame you," he retorted. "You got caught with the drugs, it has nothing to do with me."
Desiree's eyes widened. "You're lying! Emilia told me everything. You set me up with the fake Tinder profile and stole my necklace to make it look like I was cheating on Oliver!"
Ian continued to deny it, but his eyes flicked over to Emilia, who was watching the scene with a mix of horror and relief. Suddenly, Oliver appeared behind them, looking concerned.
"What's going on?" he asked.
Desiree turned to him. "Ian framed me," she said, her voice trembling. "He set me up to get caught with drugs."
Oliver's eyes widened. "What? He would never do that, wouldn’t you Ian?"
Ian glared at him. "It has nothing to do with you, Oliver," he spat. But then, he looked at Emilia and his anger seemed to boil over. "And you," he said, pointing a finger at her. "You're the reason I got caught. Couldn’t keep your mouth shut, you little bitch?"
Emilia stared directly into Ian’s eyes. "I had to tell her," she said.
Suddenly, Cass appeared beside them, holding up his phone to record the confrontation. "This is going to be a showdown," he laughed, his eyes shining with excitement. He wanted answers on why Oliver was hating him all of a sudden. Why he wasn’t getting the chance to participate in the match.
Ian went to open his mouth to yell at Emilia when Desiree spoke up.
“Don’t get mad at her for having a conscience, now tell me why you are intent on ruining my life?”
Ian smirked. "So what? Oliver deserves better than you anyway. I’m so tired of hearing how ‘perfect’ little miss Desiree is, the world doesn’t revolve around you." he spat. "You have everything I want and I want him. You have him and it's not fair."
Everyone looked at him in shock. Ian's eyes widened, and he quickly tried to backtrack, but it was too late. Oliver stared at him, his expression unreadable.
Desiree gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. Cass's phone continued to record the entire scene, capturing every word and gesture. Emilia watched in horror as the situation spiraled out of control, realizing that her actions had only made things worse.
As the argument between Ian and Desiree escalated, Robert suddenly stepped forward. "Wait a minute," he said. "Ian, why did you tell me to ask Desiree out?”
Ian's anger only grew when Robert brought up the prom invitation he had delivered to Desiree, which Ian had orchestrated. "You did what I told you to do," Ian spat at Robert. "I was trying to help a friend out, and now I'm being treated like a criminal ," he continued, the rage in his voice palpable.
Oliver's eyes widened in shock. "Wait, you told Robert to ask Desiree to prom?" he asked, disbelief coloring his voice.
As the commotion dies down, Cass speaks up. "Wait a minute, was I actually talking to Ian on Tinder?" he asks, looking at Desiree.
Desiree's eyes widen in shock. "What are you talking about?" she asks.
"Ian set up the fake Tinder profile using your pictures," Emilia explains, glaring at Ian.
“Oh, just me?” Apparently you’re all innocent now.” He said scowling at Emilia.
Cass looks at Ian, realization dawning on him. "Oh my God," he says. "I thought I was talking to Desiree this whole time."
Ian scoffs. "Don't be ridiculous. You knew it wasn't her."
Cass shakes his head. "No, I didn't. I really thought I was talking to her."
Oliver steps forward. "Ian, why did you really do all of this?" he asks softly.
As Ian continued to try to deny any wrongdoing, Oliver stepped forward, his expression questioning. "I don't care if you're in love with me, Ian," he said. "What I do care about is that you tried to frame Desiree and lied to everyone about it. You've been lying to me too, and that hurts more than anything."
Ian's face fell at Oliver's words, his shoulders slumping as he realized the gravity of his actions.
The principal steps in, putting a hand on Ian's shoulder. "Ian, can I speak with you alone for a moment?" he asks, looking at Ian sternly.
Ian glares at the principal, his fists clenched at his sides. "Fine ," he says through gritted teeth before storming off with the principal to a nearby classroom.
Desiree, Emilia, Oliver, Cass and Robert are left standing there, staring after them in disbelief . The tension in the air is palpable, and everyone is silent for a moment, processing what just happened. Cass stopped recording. It was no longer funny.
Oliver approaches Desiree, looking sheepish. "Des, I'm sorry. I should have trusted you. I don't know where I went wrong."
Desiree sighs, looking at Oliver with a mix of sadness and frustration. "Oliver, it's not just about not trusting me. It's about how you acted. You were so quick to accuse me of cheating and didn't even give me a chance to explain. I can't just forgive and forget that easily."
Oliver nods, looking down at his feet. "I understand, and I'm sorry."
Desiree takes a deep breath. "And about Ian being in love with you...I don't even know what to say about that. I can't believe he would do all of this just because he has feelings for you."
Oliver shakes his head, still in disbelief. "I never even suspected that. I had no idea."
Desiree shrugs. "Well, it's not like you could have known. Ian's really good at hiding things."
Oliver took a deep breath and looked Desiree in the eyes. "Des, I know I messed up, but I want to make things right. I still love you, and I want us to be together again. Will you give me another chance?"
Desiree looked away for a moment, considering his words, “Oliver, I appreciate that you're sorry and all, but it's not that simple. Trust is a big thing for me, and you didn't trust me when I needed you to. I can't just forget that.”
“I understand that. And I'll do anything to regain your trust. Please, just give me another chance.” Oliver pleaded.
Desiree sighs, “Oliver, it's not just about the trust. I don't think I can go back to the way things were before. It was toxic, and we both know it. I don't want to go through that again.”
Desiree looks at him with a mix of sadness and longing. "I'm sorry, Oliver. I wish things could have been different."
Oliver feels a lump in his throat and nods, not trusting himself to speak. He watches as Desiree walks away, her figure slowly disappearing into the distance.
Desiree left the gym feeling overwhelmed and conflicted. She needed some fresh air, so she headed outside. As she walked towards the parking lot, she saw her father standing outside the school building.
"Hey, Dad," she said, approaching him.
"Desiree," her father said, turning to face her. "How are you holding up?"
Desiree sighed. "I don't know, Dad. I just feel so betrayed by Ian. I thought he was my friend, and now I don't even know who he is. Oliver and I are officially broken up, which I’m sure you’re happy about."
"Desiree," he says, his voice gentle. "I'm sorry you had to be a part of all of that. Ian is being expelled."
Desiree stopped in her tracks, staring at her father in disbelief. "Expelled?" she repeats.
"Yes," her father confirms. "I had no choice. His behavior was completely unacceptable."
As she looks at her father, she realizes that she feels no sense of satisfaction in Ian's punishment. Instead, she feels empty and alone.
Desiree's father looked at her with a concerned expression, "Do you want a ride home?"
Desiree hesitated for a moment before shaking her head. "No, I need to talk to Emilia first."
Her father nodded understandingly and gestured towards the direction of the bench where Emilia was sitting alone, her head buried in her hands. "Take your time, I'll wait for you here."
Desiree walked over to Emilia and sat down next to her. "Hey, are you okay?"
Emilia looked up, her eyes red and puffy from crying. "I'm so sorry, Desiree. I never meant for any of this to happen."
Desiree sighed and placed a hand on Emilia's shoulder. "I know, but why did you do it? Why did you tell Ian that I was cheating on Oliver? Why did you help him?"
Emilia looked down at her feet, "Because I was jealous. I've had feelings for you for a while now, and when I saw you with Oliver, I just couldn't handle it."
Desiree's eyes widened in surprise. She had no idea that Emilia had feelings for her.
"I don't know what to say," Desiree says, her mind racing with thoughts and emotions.
"I understand if you don't feel the same way," Emilia says quickly. "I just needed to tell you how I feel. I'm sorry if it makes things awkward between us."
Desiree shakes her head. "It's not awkward," she says. "I just didn't realize."
They sit in silence for a few moments, and then Desiree speaks up again. "You know, I was just thinking," she says. "About Ian and Oliver, and about how they hurt us. But we don't have to be like them."
She continues, “We can be different; we can start fresh. As long as we focus on mutual trust and respect.”
Emilia wipes her nose and looks up, "I know. I just... I was so scared to tell you how I felt. And then Ian came along and he was so convincing. I thought it was the only way to be with you."
Desiree looks at Emilia with a gentle expression and asks, "Do you want to start fresh now?"
Emilia looks up at her with red, puffy eyes and nods slowly. "Yes, I would like that," she says softly. Emilia continues, "Thank you, Des," she says. "I appreciate you being understanding."
Desiree nods and smiles. "Of course. I don’t know how I would have reacted in your situation."
Emilia's eyes fill with tears once again, but this time they are tears of relief. She leans in and gives Desiree a hug, and Desiree hugs her back warmly.
As they pull away, Desiree takes a deep breath and asks, "So, do you want to go to prom with me?"
Emilia's eyes widen in surprise and asks. "You’re not joking, are you?”
Desiree lightly laughs and replies, “Let’s leave the manipulation to Ian, okay?”
Emilia grins back at her, feeling excited about the new possibilities that are opening up before her. Desiree takes Emilia's hand again, and they walk out to her father’s car.