Maddie and Nina sat at one of the less-than-clean tables in the canteen, their heads slumped on the cool surface. They stared blankly into the distance as they replayed the student council showdown in their heads like a bad, low-budget movie.
Seriously, what the hell just happened? Maddie couldn't wrap her head around how Ethan treated her. The bastard!
"We didn't just get kicked out of the student council," Maddie murmured, her voice muffled by the table. "We were carried out. Like a bag of potatoes."
Nina groaned in agreement, her head resting on her folded arms. "Yup. And we know exactly zero things about Velocity. Which is great because, you know, we weren't, like, trying to help our best friend."
Maddie raised her head slightly, her expression somewhere between exhausted and furious. "How are we supposed to help Lila if we don't even know what the hell Velocity Club is? This is so messed up. Whatever this thing is, IT'S HUGE."
Nina lifted her head and gave Maddie a side-eye. "Ethan knows something. I'm telling you, he's shady as hell."
Maddie nodded, sitting up straight, her fingers drumming on the table. "I have a hunch, too. I mean, the way he told me to stay out of it? He was sketchy as fuck. And why the hell would he care about some random club? He's definitely involved."
"Oh great!" Maddie slapped her leg. "This whole situation made me swear a lot!"
"Yup, your nana will spank you if she hears you," Nina agreed. Then she leaned in, her voice lowering into a conspiratorial whisper, "Okay, so, I've been thinking..."
She glanced around dramatically, squinting her eyes to check if the walls had ears. "I'm pretty sure George is part of it, too."
"I think so, too!" Maddie grabbed Nina's arm, shaking her. "But wait, hold up. You know George, the student council president? You two have, like, weird tension going on. That mini-violent episode, I know you, that was personal."
Nina snorted, rolling her eyes. "Tension? Please. George is just—ugh. Okay, fine, maybe I know a little about him because he's kind of a big deal in the architecture department. Like, if there's an engineering god, George is basically the architecture king."
Maddie raised an eyebrow, curious. "Architecture King?"
Nina nodded, her eyes wide as she emphasized, "No joke. Not only is he stupidly handsome, but he's also, like, super rich. Rumor has it his family designed the freaking university. Like, every building you see? That's probably his family's handiwork."
Maddie scowled, her mind processing this new information. "Wait, so you're telling me George is basically a rich kid with a trust fund and the keys to the kingdom?"
Nina nodded. "Yup. Everything he touches turns to gold. Like Midas, but hotter."
"Oh, so you find him stupidly handsome and hot, too?" Maddie questioned, staring at her friend.
Nina answered quickly, "Yeah, have you seen him—" Realizing her admission, Nina grimaced.
"Oh..." Maddie tilted her head and stared at Nina head on. The latter's face turned red; even her ears did. There must be something that Nina didn't tell him.
Before Maddie could interrogate her, a small voice popped up beside them, startling them both. "George also races."
Maddie and Nina jumped in their seats, whipping their heads around to look for the source. There, hiding behind their table, was a girl with thick glasses, heavy bangs that covered almost half her face, and braces that gleamed under the light. She held a camera in her hand as if she were some kind of paparazzi.
Maddie blinked, surprised and confused. "Uh… who are you?"
The girl smiled, though it was hard to tell under all the hair and braces. "I'm Aileen Jones. Second-year biology student. But more importantly, I'm the best gossiper in this entire school."
Nina raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. "You're… a gossiper?"
Aileen bobbed her head up and down enthusiastically, her glasses slipping down her nose a little. "Yup! I know everything that goes on around here. Nothing escapes my information network."
Maddie and Nina exchanged a look. This girl seemed harmless, but she was giving off major undercover spy or stalker vibes.
Aileen continued, her voice still as tiny as a buzzing bee but full of confidence. "I know all the ins and outs of this university. You could say it's my hobby. And I also have the largest collection of pictures of all the hot guys on campus." She said the last part like it was the crown jewel of her achievements.
"Oh," Maddie replied, nodding slowly with an awkward smile. "Great for you..." But then an idea popped in her head.
"Wait, since you're the gossip queen, do you know anything about velocity?"
Maddie leaned forward, suddenly interested. "Wait—do you know anything about the Velocity Club?"
Aileen's eyes sparkled behind her thick glasses. She glanced around the canteen as if checking for eavesdroppers, then leaned in closer, her face almost touching theirs. "Follow me," she whispered.
Nina, looking suspicious, crossed her arms. "Why do we need to follow you?"
Aileen's voice dropped even lower, her tone full of mystery. "Because we can't talk here. It's too public."
Maddie and Nina exchanged another look, but, intrigued, they stood up and followed Aileen out of the canteen. She led them down a maze of hallways, weaving through the back end of the campus.
After what felt like a mini-hike, they finally ended up behind the girls' bathroom. They huddled near some trash cans. The smell of old food and cleaning chemicals was definitely not the vibe.
Nina wrinkled her nose, clearly unimpressed. "Uh, Aileen? Why are we talking behind the trash cans? It smells like death back here."
Aileen pushed her glasses up her nose for the umpteenth time, her tiny voice sounding serious. "Because it's the only place no one will hear us. You never know who's listening."
Maddie, trying not to gag from the stench, waved her hand in front of her nose. "Okay, fine, whatever. Spill. What's Velocity?"
Aileen glanced around again, then leaned in even closer, her voice barely above a whisper. "Velocity... is an illegal racing club."
Maddie's eyes widened. "Wait, what? Like, illegal illegal?"
Aileen nodded gravely. "Yeah. It's run by the student council. It's where the elites of the university go to race. And it's not just about the speed. It's about power. It's where they show off who's on top."
Nina looked skeptical. "Wait, so you're telling me the student council is running some secret underground racing club? Why would they do that?"
Aileen's eyes darted around again, her voice dropping lower if that was even possible. "The student council isn't just made up of regular students. They're the most powerful people on campus. Like, seriously, they come from families with money, connections, and influence around the world. Velocity is where they settle their scores. It's not just about racing—it's about control."
Maddie was shaken by the revelation that she had to lean against the wall. "So, let me get this straight. Velocity Club is some underground racing club run by the most elite students on campus, and the student council is in charge of it? They also come from super elite, wealthy families?"
Aileen nodded again, her face serious. "Exactly. And let me tell you, it's dangerous. People have gotten hurt. Badly."
Nina bit her lip as she processed this. Then she said, "Okay, but why would Lila get involved with something like that? She's not... I mean, she's not the type to do illegal street racing. Nor be involved with some shady men. I wouldn't be surprised if it was Maddie."
"Hey!" Maddie hissed, slapping Nina on the arm. "That was uncalled for."
"Please, you'll get kidnapped because of a sob story. You'll probably help them count the money, too," Nina stated, rolling her arm. "You got the strength of a freaking elephant with that hand of yours."
Maddie pouted as she said, "Let's focus on Lila's business first." Her mind worked through what they just learned. "She might not have been racing, but she was most definitely involved with someone who was. Like, maybe that's how she met him."
"Bingo!" Aileen's eyes lit up. "That's what I was thinking too!"
"Wait, do you know Lila?" Nina asked, looking at Aileen up and down.
Aileen declared, "I know everyone in this university."
"This would have been easier if that was the truth. You would have known who is the father," Maddie retorted.
Aileen grimaced. "Well, I'm here now, right? I'm trying to find out because this is something I lack in my information network."
"Okay, okay!" Nina butted in. "So, do you have any other information?"
"Get this... Ethan is involved," Aileen added with confidence.
Maddie's head snapped up. "Are you sure?"
Aileen nodded, her expression turning conspiratorial. "Yup. His family is super mysterious. No one really knows much about them, but there are rumors. Big rumors."
Maddie and Nina moved closer to her; their curiosity piqued. "What kind of rumors?" Maddie asked, her heart racing.
Aileen opened her mouth to spill the tea, but before she could get the words out, a sudden splash of dirty water rained down on them from above.
"OH MY GOD, WHAT THE—" Maddie shrieked, jumping back as the gross water splattered all over her. Nina let out a scream too, and Aileen's tiny voice joined in as they all looked up in horror.
Standing by a half-open window above them was a male student, looking sheepish as hell. He had a bucket in his hand, clearly the culprit behind the splash.
"Oh, shit, sorry!"He yelled down, holding up his hands in apology. "Didn't see you guys down there!"
Maddie, still dripping with dirty water, glared up at him, her hands clenched into fists. " I SWEAR TO GOD—"
Nina was trying to wring out her soaked sleeves to add her curse, but Aileen's tiny voice joined in. "I'm going to report this to the campus sanitation committee. This is a violation of health and safety codes."
The student, still looking sheepish, shrugged. "Uh, my bad?"
Maddie's eyes narrowed as her head buzzed in anger and frustration. "Your bad? YOUR BAD? You better pray I don't find you after this!"