Chapter 3

Blackmail

"Cassidy!" Fiona managed to choke out. "You manipulating scoundrel!" She added, not bothering to keep her voice down.

There was a small tune when Cassidy pressed the Stop Recording button was slipped it into a Hermes purse hanging from her arm. Young and Fiona stared in horror- the girl caught them hacking and Fiona punching Young. Both people were breaking an important rule; respect your peers and property.

Cassidy's face registered a look of satisfaction for their discomfort. She rearranged her expression to feature fake shock. "Fiona! Don't be so mean!" She chided like a child.

Fiona raised her eyebrows, which were perfectly plucked from the city's prime beautician. So Cassidy wants to play mind games? She thought, so be it, my academic life is at risk.

"I am shocked that you think of me as mean! After all, my father raised me up to be a well-respected lady, unlike you," she answered, with a fake smile stretched across her face.

"Well if you are such a lady then why are you skipping class with a guy?" Cassidy asked haughtily.

"Because..." Fiona started, desperately searching for an excuse.

"Because Mr. Anderson told me to help her with her English Project!" Young rushed, nervously biting his lip (which was raw from being around Fiona for such a prolonged period of time). He felt quite proud of himself for coming up with such believable lie.

"Young. You can't possibly be sinking to Fiona's level, could you?" Cassidy asked sweetly, her words as fake as a plastic doll.

"Wh-What?" Young stuttered, his face red from embarrassment. His lie must have been told in a way that it was unbelievable- maybe it was just Young's honest nature. He looked left to Fiona for support, but she was gone.

The girl was breathing heavily, where had Fiona Chandler when? She couldn't have disappeared without her knowing!
Young stared with nervousness, why was Cassidy acting like a fire breathing dragon that just been insulted?

"Bah! Fiona where are you!" she shouted, "I want to insult you some more!"

While glancing on Young's face, she quickly amended, "I mean, I need to talk to you!"

Cassidy narrowed her eyes at Young. She said, "It looks like the evil munchkin ripped your sweater!"

Then, she walked slowly back to her class, fuming.

oO0Oo

Fiona raced to the direction of her locker, gasping for breath. How dare that devil girl video tape her? She shot past a startled Esha, Katherine (looking quite bewildered), and finally past a bored looking Emily. The other students were chatting fervently, using their twenty minutes of recess wisely.

"Hey Fiona! How did it go?" Emily called out.

Fiona tried to answer but her momentum carried her down the hall. She gasped out a quick "Follow me" before turning the corner and disappearing from the view. The tapping of her footsteps on the linoleum floor receding away like a fading, purple sunset over the horizon.

"What? Why?" Emily shouted after her, before dragging Esha and Katherine reluctantly into a half-hearted sprint as Fiona yelled behind her shoulder, "Just come!"

Emily grumbled something inaudible under her breath and followed Fiona to their usual hiding spot- it was in a clearing in the school's extensive grounds. Sunlight streamed through the canopy of leaves, hanging elegantly overhead. Fiona was waiting for them, sitting on a large boulder.

"Well, Fiona? What's all the fuss about? And why are we at the rock gardens?" Emily demanded.

"Yeah, Fiona! We were having a wonderful discussion during recess when you so rudely interrupted us!" Esha added, while gasping for breath.

"Ditto," Katherine said lazily, glancing at her surroundings and sighed, "It's been awhile since I came here. We must be getting old," She propped open her book and started to read.
Fiona glared at her, but in vain. Katherine was already absorbed into her book, and seemed to have shut out all of her surroundings. "Guys, I have bad news. And if it gets worse, I'll be as good as dead," she announced with a solemn expression.

"Mr. Anderson is definitely not letting you off this time," Emily commented, twirling a frozen, dead leaf in her hands.

"No. Young hacked the school systems with some ME6 hash, or whatever," Fiona shouted, "The hacking is against the rules!"

"I don't get how that's bad news. I thought you were always above the rules?" Esha observed, confused. "Young should get in trouble for that, not you."

"That meddling Cassidy caught us on tape." Fiona added desolately. She hung her head. Why did this world have to have rotten luck?

Esha's mouth formed a perfect 'o'.

Katherine gasped. "Oh my gosh guys! Eragon just got kidnapped!" Everyone glanced at her and then continued their heated discussion. Katherine's random bursting of book trivia was a daily occurrence in their lives.

"What! How? Wait, what did she catch on tape?" Emily pressed. Without looking behind her, she closed Katherine's book and confiscated it.

"I punched him," Fiona answered. "And we were skipping class," She added, and that pretty much summed the whole situation up.

Katherine winced, while feeling very bitter at Emily for stealing her book. Aside from that, she knew that Fiona only punched people because she was too embarrassed to say, "Thank you."

Esha gasped while slapping her hand over her mouth. Emily however, had a very unpredictable reaction. She laughed.

"Come on Fiona! You're the heir to the Chandler kingdom, one of the richest families in the world! And you worry about a miserable miscreant like Cassidy Goldenberg videotaping you punching someone?" Emily asked, laughing.

"You're not getting the point! I. Skipped. Class!" Fiona snapped, glaring at Emily.

"Maybe you should try doing your homework then?" Emily replied insensitively, holding her gaze questioningly.

"Guys! This isn't the way to do it." Esha interjected. "Remember our friend motto? All we need is a plan..."

oO0Oo

"Where did she go?" Cassidy asked, trying not to sound impatient. She is walking alongside Young on the turf field. Most of their fellow classmates were hard at work in the library. There was a commonwealth essay that they had to work on and it was due the next day. Young, of course, had already finished it.

Cassidy was extremely vexed by how the morning was playing out. She had caught the famous Fiona Chandler hacking the school systems and skipping class, and then she disappeared! The camera, however was stored safely in her bag- no one was taking it from her.

"Why are you so mean to her?" Young muttered quietly. Recess had started and he decided to monitor Cassidy's movements, just in case she does something horrible to anyone, especially Fiona and her friends.

Cassidy whipped around to fix Young with a glare. "Why are you standing up for her? Do you even notice the way she treats you?"

Young looked away- it was true, she blackmailed him. But oddly, he was feeling defensive and didn't really mind being pushed around by Fiona.

Cassidy was fuming, she wanted so badly to ruin Fiona and her spoiled friends, but it wouldn't happen if they weren't there. She decided to skip the taunting and go for the kill- taking this video to Mrs. Tregobov the principal.

Young knew the look on Cassidy's face- he often saw it on Fiona and her friends while taunting his accomplices- and quickly started stalling her.

"So! How is life?"

"Um, why are you suddenly so preppy and un-Young-like?" Cassidy frowned, looking slightly suspicious.

"Um..." Young looked around for one of his Geek friends. The entire field was empty, but he spotted Hailey walking around, her nose buried in the book The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate. He raised his voice until it was close to yelling, hoping that Hailey could hear him.

"Oh the sun is shining brighter than yesterday! Ahh, the clouds look like cotton candy! Oh look! There's an orca- I mean an eagle!"

Hailey glanced up at the sound of the word eagle. She did not want to look up from her book- Haaziq had recommended it to her. With a start, she noticed Young looking at her while making wild hand gestures like he was conducting an orchestra that was playing too fast for him to control. His eyes softened with relief when Hailey returned his gaze. Cassidy was rolling her eyes.

"Why would an orca be seen on land? Don't you know they are marine creatures?" demanded an angry Cassidy.

"I m-meant eagles!" sputtered Young, he was trying to act natural despite the fact that he claimed to have seen an orca in Switzerland. His head swam dangerously- he wished his life was excluded from all drama.

Hailey saw Young scratch his head, it was his habit. Suddenly, his hand jerked twice and then paused.

Morse code! Thought Hailey.

Help, Cassidy caught us skipping class on videotape . Wants to blackmail Fiona. Stop her!

She whipped out her phone and pressed speed dial, quickly sending a text to neighbouring allies.

Coming. Hailey tapped, her hands moving naturally. She strolled by Cassidy and Young casually. "Hey Cassidy! I have a question. You're the best in the class at French, right? Well, I was wondering, how do you conjugate the verb "Vouloir"?

Cassidy, despite her foul mood, brightened when her skill was recognized, "Bien sur, Mademoiselle! Toujours heureux de vous t'aider!" She said in French, grinning at the opportunity to show off her skills.

"Merci beaucoup, mon amie! Je suis désolé pour votre temps, mais j'ai vraiment besoin de savoir." Hailey replied. Her French speaking skills were just as good, but unlike Cassidy, she did not boast about it. That was one of the reasons why she had won the respect of the 'Geeks'- she was the first girl to join their elite study group.

"Rien de tout cela! Maintenant, écoutez attentivement. Je veux, tu veux , il veut..." Cassidy's voice dragged on with an air of importance.

Hailey couldn't help but slightly roll her eyes as Cassidy's sickly voice- it sounded like the screech of a bragger- the worst kind of person according to the Geek pamphlet.

Young, however, didn't stay around to chat. After Hailey fired up her distraction, he slipped away- the hour he spent had here with Fiona seemed like a much better alternative than all the drama in his life.

But then he smiled, because in his hands was the camera.

oO0Oo

Unfortunately, Cassidy was as clever as she was good with French. The camera that Young had taken had no chip inside. Therefore, Young had taken great risks, but gained nothing.

She knew that Young would try to attempt to save himself- she known him since preschool. Now, she could kick them both out for skipping class and claim that Young had stolen her camera.

It was just another day for Cassidy and her clever brain. So now here she was, heading towards the headmistress office located at the highest floor excluding the roof. While heaving a giant breath through her ragged lungs, she finally got to the top. She was so tired that she leaned on the door after knocking, which was left slightly ajar. So when she leaned, it fell open, depositing Cassidy on the floor and startling the secretary, Ms. Rickard.

"Oh dear, are you alright?" Ms. Rickard asked, while helping Cassidy up. What did this girl do to earn the wrath of karma? Thought the secretary worriedly.

"I'm fine, Ms. Rickard! I just need to see Mrs. Tregobov to report some misbehaviour," Cassidy babbled.

"Are you looking for me?" called a voice.

Cassidy thought she had located the sound and went to knock on a glossed mahogany door. But then the principal startled her from behind.

"Hello, Ms. Goldenberg. Would you kindly explain why you are spending the last few minutes of break up at my office? I, too, have work to do, you know."

"Oh, hello Mrs. Tregobov! I need to talk to you about something. Could we go somewhere more private?" Cassidy said, in the most sincere voice she could muster.

oO0Oo

English class rolled by without a hitch, although Mr. Anderson was confused with Fiona's project. Why was hers due next week? The teacher shrugged it off- he trusted technology more than the world's fairness.

Fiona and her group sighed with relief. Her day was going perfectly- and it just got better. Young had pulled Fiona aside and showed her Cassidy's camera. Fiona was grateful that she was not going to be punished- plus thanks to Young's tutoring, Fiona now knew many things about tax.

It was a surprise when the overhead speaker with Ms. Rickard's voice announced, "Will Fiona Chandler and Young Martin please come to Mrs. Tregobov's office?"

The entire class glanced at the duo when they had risen from their seats. The Geeks furiously tapped Morse code to Young. We thought you were off the hook?

Young tapped back in his hair, I do not know. Await further news. Please be at ease.

Don't worry guys! Fiona mouthed to her friends, It's probably about the time when I ran in the hallway.

Whether her friends understood or not, she walked out the door with Young trailing behind. He was blushing- all the stares from his fellow classmates felt patronizing.

oO0Oo

Mrs. Tregobov was a kind and fair principal. She didn't have favorites and was a famous judge before she came to work here, at the school of Collège Alpin International Beau Soleil- widely known as the most expensive school in the world. Therefore, when two students were sent to her office, reported by Cassidy Goldenberg, she immediately became suspicious.

Strange, Mrs. Tregobov thought as she observed Fiona and Young walking into her elegant office. Neither Fiona nor Young seemed nervous. Young looked confused and Fiona looked, as usual, defiant. Upon seeing Cassidy, seated in a chair, however, her face hardened into taut lines of hatred. Tregobov almost laughed. The two girl's hatred for each other was widely spread. The Goldenberg family had always felt that the Chandlers cheated them out of the fortune that they should've gotten.

"Have a seat." Tregobov said, gesturing at two empty chairs beside Cassidy.

Young immediately made a move to sit down, while Fiona was more reluctant. Slowly she lowered herself into the plush chintz chair right next to Cassidy- curse Young for taking the one in the corner!

Mrs. Tregobov wasted no time for small talk. "Cassidy," She said, gesturing towards the smug looking girl to the right of Young, "Told me that you two skipped class, and that Young stole her video camera. Is that correct?"

Young opened his mouth to defend himself. How did Cassidy convince her? I thought...oh why did I steal the camera?

"Yes. Yes, it is." Fiona answered confidently, looking straight into her principal's eyes.

Young looked at her in shock and dread, before following her example and staring ahead. He started to fidget and itch.

Cassidy, however, noticed the hesitation in Mrs. Tregobov's attitude, and butted in, "Mrs. Tregobov, I really think you should ask them to defend themselves."If they can't, let's show them the video of themselves!"

"Who asked for your opinion?" scoffed Fiona, "Mrs. Tregobov, let me explain. You must know our history- how can you not expect this immature girl to be biased?"

Cassidy glared diamond-bladed daggers at Fiona. If looks could kill, she would be reduced to a mangled, bloody mess on the floor.

The principal raised her hand, silencing the raging girls. She pointed to Young, who was sitting silently with his puppy eyes begging her to release him. Sighing, she made her decision. "I think Young should explain what he was doing. So, Young, why were you skipping class and hacking into the school's firewall with Fiona?"

The boy in question started to sweat as everyone stared at him- even with only three people in the room, he felt like an animal in a zoo exhibit. He sputtered, "F-f-Fiona asked m-me to h-help her extend her d-due date for M-Mr. Anderson's Mark of the Century p-project."

The principal was taking notes on a menacing looking folder. The three people in the room thought it was their permanent records. Her pen scribbles made Young lose his focus, and he paused for some stress releasing meditation. Mrs. Tregobov glanced up as if to tell him to keep going.

Young opened his mouth to continue but Fiona, quick as always, beat him to the chase.

"That's all. There is no more to it." She interjected coldly. She was steaming mad from Cassidy's hatred. It wasn't her fault that her family was richer and overall smarter.

Cassidy, who had the same loathing look as Fiona, glared at her and sweetly said, "Oh, are you sure you aren't missing anything? Mrs. Tregobov, put on the videotape."

Fiona took a breath. "Before you do that, Mrs. Tregobov, might I remind you of Cassidy's...manipulating history?" She looked pointedly at Cassidy. Suddenly, the Fiona Chandler her father had prepared with all of those hard mornings shone through like a flashlight in a sea of darkness.

"Cassidy Goldenberg." Fiona stated importantly while straightening her back. "Only child of Charles and Layla Goldenberg. As you know, the Goldenberg's have a famous history with the Chandlers. But let's go back further than that."

Fiona stood up, speaking with confidence. "In Israel, 50 BC, there was a warlord- his name was Elijah Goldenberg, who conquered many Jewish cities and was well-known for it. He was also known as Cassidy's ancient ancestor." She paused, surveying the room around her.

Cassidy looked, and was astounded. Fiona knew more about her than she did herself! Much as she wanted to find out why this interesting tale was important, she was wasting valuable time. She faked an enormous yawn, something she was very good at.

"Blah, blah, blah. Yes, let's skip the history lecture," She interjected.

Fiona didn't even glare at her, "Alright. Since you obviously have no patience, I'll stop beating around the bush and get right to the point," She said calmly.

"Huh. Right. The 'point'. Are you certain you even have one? You know, since you're so disorganized as to have forgotten your homework?" Cassidy scoffed, doing air quotes with her fingers. "Nothing can surprise me."

"You're my cousin."