She came across it by accident.

Carolina texting Jackson, like usual. Asking him when he was coming back and what classes he had this semester and whether he missed her, stuff like that. But after not getting much info out of him and with him dry texting her back, she did the next best thing when it came to getting to know someone you liked.

Googling them.

And boy, did she hit the jackpot.

At first, she just found his old Facebook profile.

You know, the one people their age have because Facebook was soooo cool in middle school, but the second your grandma requested to be your friend, it was over, so now majority kept Facebook as a tool to keep touch with their relatives, nothing more.

She didn't get much information out of it except knowing his birth place, home town, birthday. She knew he played football, but apparently he played baseball and soccer too, and she didn't know was that he had a brother, whom he didn't talk to she assumed.

But the biggest thing that threw her off were all the mean messages left on his wall that were all less than a year old. There were things on there like "murderer", "psycho", "arsonist" and "killer" on it. Curious, she continued.

Carolina took the names she found and googled them. She entered "Jackson Hale" and "Holy Cross Academy for Boys fire" and saw a couple articles come up. Carolina read through them all, eventually piecing together what had happened.

Jackson killed somebody.

* * * *

Jay was working out by himself, since Jackson was still on vacation. He had a gym employee spot him while he bench pressed, breathing deeply in and out until a pair of boobs were waving in his face, almost making him lose his grip.

"Ahh!" He yelled, making the gym employee rush over to help him before the dumbbell crushed his throat.

"You okay?" Carolina asked, looking a bit concerned. "I'm sorry for scaring you, I️ didn't-"

"I uh...I'm okay," Jay said once he sits up. "Uh, thanks man," he tells the guy who basically saved his life. He then looks up and sees Carolina dressed in a sports bra and tight work out pants, showing off her curves. "Did you uh, need something? Are you looking for Jackson again? Cause he's still not back yet, he's-"

"Actually I️ came looking for you," she cuts him off, making him swallow. "Is that okay?" She asked him with a humorous look on her face.

"Yeah! Yeah, yeah, that's fine. That's cool-"

"Great! Wanna get out of here?" She asks, holding her hand out towards him for him to take. He gingerly takes it, and she drags him out the door.

Few minutes later and they ended up at McDonalds where Jay gave up his debit card to buy them both food. Once they sat down, he looks over at her while she ate her fries. "This is counterintuitive don't you think?"

"We're young, we can handle it," she says.

Jay simply nods, not touching his food. "Um, what did you want...anyways?"

Carolina sipped her Sprite. "Jay," she sounded offended, "can't two people hang out and eat McDonald's?" She asked playfully, making him laugh. Jay smiles and relaxes a bit, digging in.

"But...I️ have some questions," she said. "If you don't mind of course," she smiles sweetly.

"Anything for you," Jay says, smiling back.

* * * *

"What?!" He yelled into the phone as he waited for his mom to pick him up from the airport. "I️ barely got off the plane Carolina! You couldn't wait till I️ got home before you started your usual bullshit-"

"You and I️ need to talk," she cut right into it, her voice deadly serious. "Meet me at the park this afternoon," was all she said before she hung up, making him look down at the phone in confusion.

"What the hell-"

"Jack!" He heard his mother call, making him look up. He pocketed his as she pulls up in front of him and puts the car in park so should could get out and hung him. "How was visiting your father?" She asked. "Did he give you a hard time?"

"Oh you know dad," was his only answer. "But it was fine mostly," he nods as he opens the truck on the car to put his only bag in. "We actually bonded this Christmas," he tells her as he gets into the passenger seat, earning a hum of approval from her. "But I've never wanted to go back to school in my life. I'm getting bored just sitting at home," he complains. "Maybe I'll join soccer in the spring."

Once they arrive back home, Jackson excuses himself and asks to borrow his mom's car, stating he wants to meet up with Jay, whom he hasn't seen since break started. She lets him go, and Jackson hustles down to the local park where he knows everyone in their high school hangs out at when it came to throwing parties or smoking weed on the DL. He sits at a park picnic, and waits for Carolina to arrive, when all of a sudden a manila folder crashes down in front of him, startling him. "Jesus-!"

"What's up, killer?" Carolina taunts, placing her hands on either side of his shoulders. "Had a good break? I️ sure did," she says as she now sits in front of him. "But you would've known that if you'd just texted me back," she tilts her head to the side with a petty smirk.

Jackson glares at her before looking down at the folder. "What's this?" He asked.

"Nothing," she just shrugged. "Just information I️ dug up on your arson slash manslaughter case back home," she revealed, making him look up at her so quickly he almost gave himself whiplash.

"How the hell did you find this?!" He asked, angry now.

"I️ have my sources," she said for the sake of sounding mysterious. "But also nothing a quick Google search can't find," she shrugs.

Jackson couldn't believe what was happening right now. "You...bitch," he spat. "So what? Was this all an act? Pretending to be my friend and acting like you were on my side?" He confronted. "What was the point?!" He yells, standing up now. "Are you and Aaliyah even friends? Or is that an act too?"

Carolina remains unfazed at his outburst, before letting out a hysterical laugh, frustrating him. "Are you serious right now? I'm telling you I️ have dirt on you and all you can focus on is how this it'll affect Aaliyah?!" She yells, picking up the papers before tossing them in his face. "You wanna know how this will affect her?!" She screams. "How about she'll be devastated at the fact that one guy she used to like beats on her, and the other one is a psycho that likes to torch people!" She throws his mistake back in his face.

"You-"

"Then she'll find out that you're nothing but a lying arsonist that kills anyone close to him!" She taunts him now.

"Stop it!"

"That's why you left, right? Cause you killed Anthony Fiorella," the sound of his name is what caused him to snap. He shoved Carolina against a nearby tree, much to her surprise.

"I️ did not kill him!" He yells at her, pointing a finger at her face to get his point across. Realizing what he was doing, he immediately loosened his grip on her throat and backed off. "What do you want?" He asks.

"You," she answers much more softly now. "Look," she lightly rubs her neck where he just put his hands on her. Looking back, he felt guilty now. Sure she was sneaky but that didn't give him any right to do that. "I️ don't care about this, Jack," she shakes her head, walking up to him now. "I️ really don't, alright? It's just...I️ like you, okay?" She admits, making him look back at her. "I️ don't know, I️ didn't know any other way to get your attention," She now frowned, giving him a remorseful expression.

He walked up to her and grabbed both sides of her face, making her look up at him. "You are the most terrible person I've ever met," he whispers, making her soft frown turn into a hard glare. "And I️ would never date you," he hissed.

"And I️ would expose your ass to the entire school before the day is even over," she claps back. "Your choice," she says before leaning and pressing a soft kiss on his cheek before shoving him aside and walking off.

Now that he thinks about it, he should've choked her out.

________________________________

Bloop! Looks like Aaliyah's not the only one being blackmailed!

I'm sorry for taking a hot minute it's just...

Idk how to put this.

I️ guess you can say I've been caught up in a whirlwind romance of my own. I️ met a guy, and we don't have much time together so we kinda hang out as much as we can. And by hang out I️ mean have sex and eat and watch movies and go out clubbing and drunkenly (or even soberly) make out. So THAT'S why I️ aint update inna hot minute juheardme? I️ got my own life as well lmao.

That being said, thanks for reading!! 🥺