The Secret Consultant At School

At the school assembly, Brayden pointed at me and screamed that I was a total fraud.

Riley isnt some police consultant. Shes nothing but a hopeless loser who cant even pass a basic test!

The entire auditorium erupted in mocking laughter.

That was until the Chief of Police pushed open the double doors.

He walked straight toward me in front of two thousand students and teachers, bowing deeply.

Consultant X, I am so sorry for the disrespect youve been subjected to.

The laughter died instantly.

Braydens face drained of all color.

1.

At Oak Creek High, I was famous for being a failure.

I was dead last in every class, barely scraping together a score, and whenever the teachers called my name, the whole room would break into giggles.

Riley, what is the answer to this problem?

...C?

HahahahahaD

The sound of their laughter hit me like a tidal wave from every direction, drowning me.

I kept my head down, huddled in the back corner like a bug that everyone was eager to crush.

What a loser.

Total trash.

She cant even copy the answers correctly.

I had been hearing these words for three years.

From freshman year to now, it never stopped.

But I didn't care.

Because I knew my true identity wasnt what they thought.

My name is Riley, Im seventeen, and Im a special investigative consultant for the City Police Department, codenamed X.

Over the past two years, Ive helped the police crack eleven major cases, including a high-profile string of burglaries and a terrifying school poisoning plot.

Nobody knows about this.

The police kept the identity of their consultant strictly confidential.

And I enjoyed keeping up this academic disaster actDit kept me low-key and invisible, which made my school life much easier to manage.

But some people just wouldnt let me be.

Riley, stand up.

Braydens voice came from above, dripping with the arrogance of a rich kid who owned the world.

He was the wealthiest student in our class; his father was a local real estate developer, and he drove luxury cars and lived in a mansion, acting like he owned the hallway.

I looked up at him.

He stood in front of my desk holding a paperDmy test paper, with a big, red 47 circled on it. It was blindingly bright.

Riley, take a look at your grades, Brayden held the paper high, making sure everyone could see, Forty-seven percent. Do you even have the dignity to keep coming to school?

The whole class erupted in laughter.

Dont you have any shame? Youre always dragging our class average down!

With a brain like hers, she should just drop out and find a farm to work on!

HahahaD

The laughter felt like daggers, slicing into me one by one.

But I didnt cry, and I didnt get angry.

I just stared at Brayden, observing his smug face, and started counting in my headD

This was the seven-hundred-and-thirty-second day Id had to endure this.

Brayden, thats enough, a voice came from the side.

Caleb.

He sat by the window in the third row, the sunlight hitting his profile, making him look like a piece of art.

Whats it to you? Brayden glared at him.

Shes my seatmate, Caleb said, his tone flat, If you bully her, youre bullying me.

Brayden snorted, tossed the test paper back onto my desk, and walked away.

Before leaving, he shot me a look filled with pure, cold-blooded threats.

Riley, youre done for.

I looked down at the forty-seven-percent test, the corner of my mouth twitching slightly.

The open notebook next to me wasnt filled with math formulasDit was covered in a behavioral profile for the suspect of last nights case.

Done for?

I was the one waiting for you, Brayden.

2.

Brayden meant what he said.

The next day, he started a rumor around the classDhe claimed I had stolen his watch.

My luxury watch, worth over five thousand dollars, was in my backpack yesterday and now its gone, Brayden stood at the front of the room, looking innocent, Yesterday after school, only Riley was left in the classroom.

Every pair of eyes in the room locked onto me.

I didnt steal it, I stood up.

You didnt? Then where did it go? Brayden sneered, Riley, we all know your familys situation. Can you even afford something like this?

Just because I cant afford it doesnt mean Id steal it.

Then tell me, where is the watch?

How should I know where your watch went?

Because you stole it! Brayden raised his voice, Riley, youre just a common thief!

The class began whispering again.

It does seem like she was the only one left...

Her family is so poor, its not surprising shed steal...

So disgusting...

I stood my ground, clenching my fists.

It wasnt that I didnt have a temper; I just refused to lose it in front of these people.

Because the moment I showed my real capabilities, the identity Id hidden for two years would be exposed.

I didnt want anyone to know who I really was.

Thats enough, our homeroom teacher, Mr. Chen, walked in, Everyone, quiet! Brayden, do you have any proof?

I dont have hard proof, but she was the only one with the opportunity, Brayden argued confidently.

If you dont have proof, stop running your mouth, Mr. Chen looked at me, Riley, sit down.

I sat down.

But the situation was far from over.

For the next week, Brayden stepped up his game.

He hid my textbooks so I couldnt turn in my homework.

He used a bright red marker to write THIEF on my desk.

He teamed up with other wealthy kids to block my path in the cafeteria and dumped my food on the floor.

Riley, this is what happens to thieves, he stood over me, looking down with disdain, Had enough yet?

I crouched on the floor, staring at the spilled lunch, staying silent.

Not enough? Brayden sneered, Then well keep going.

He walked away, leaving behind a mess of soup and broken plastic.

I crouched there all alone, slowly picking up the pieces.

Are you alright? the cafeteria lady walked over and helped me clean up.

Im fine, I said, Thank you, maam.

That boy is just evil, she sighed, Dont be afraid of him, go report him to the teachers.

Report him?

If that actually worked, I wouldnt be down here picking up trash.

That night, I received a call from Old Joe.

Riley, theres a case tomorrow that needs you on the scene.

Okay, I replied, What time?

Eight in the morning, at the city library. Someone planted a bomb there.

A bomb.

Understood, I said and hung up.

Early the next morning, I skipped first period and headed to the library.

Nobody knew that the bomb case which had baffled the entire police force had been defused by a seventeen-year-old student.

When I got back to school, Brayden was standing at my desk, using scissors to shred my backpack.

Riley! You skipped class again! he saw me and laughed happily, Ive already told Mr. Chen. Youre skipping, so youre getting a formal write-up!

I looked at the shredded pieces of my bag on the floor and said nothing.

That bag should have held the case files Old Joe had just given me.

Luckily, I kept them on me at all times.

3.

Brayden wasnt satisfied with just bullying me at school; he started using his familys connections.

A week later, the principal called me into his office.

Riley, the principal sat across from me with a troubled expression, Parents have submitted a joint complaint. They say youve been stealing, skipping class, and affecting the education of others...

I didnt steal anything, I said.

I know, but there are twenty-three parent signatures on this letter, the principal sighed, They say if you stay in school, theyll move their children to a different district.

Twenty-three parents.

They were all part of Braydens fathers inner circle.

Riley, the principal looked at me, The school board discussed it, and theyve decided to offer you a choiceDeither transfer schools or take a one-year suspension.

I was stunned.

I havent done anything wrong, I looked at him, Why should I have to transfer?

Its not your fault, the principal sighed, But the school is in a tough spot. If twenty-three students leave...

I understood.

It wasnt about right or wrong; it was about the bottom line.

Braydens family had money and power, and twenty-three parents were applying pressure that the school couldnt handle.

And I was just a failure with no background.

Ill think about it, I said, and stood up to leave.

As I walked out of the office, my legs felt like lead.

It wasnt fear. It was the crushing weight of unfairness.

Id been at this school for three years. Id never hurt anyone; Id never done anything wrong. Just because a rich brat didnt like me, twenty-three parents put their foot down, and the school was ready to kick me out.

How was that fair?

As I reached the corner of the hallway, I overheard a conversation from the principals office.

Mr. Brayden, dont worry, Ive already spoken with her. Shell be transferring out.

Make it fast. I dont want to see her on campus anymore.

It was the principals voice, followed by Braydens fathers.

I stood around the corner, my hands balled into tight fists.

It turns out, the outcome had been decided from the very start.

Whether I was innocent or not didnt matter at all. The only thing that mattered was that they had power, and I didnt.

Walking out of the building, I saw Brayden standing at the end of the hall, leaning against the wall, arms crossed, looking incredibly smug.

So, Riley, howd it go? he asked with a grin, Did you get expelled?

No, I said.

It doesnt matter, itll happen eventually, Brayden walked over, whispering in my ear, My dad said as long as youre still at Oak Creek, hell keep the pressure on until youre gone.

He patted my shoulder like he was comforting me.

Riley, just accept your fate. You cant beat me.

I looked at him and said nothing.

Accept my fate?

I never believed in that word.

I turned and walked away, my pace faster than usual.

As I left the school gates, I took one look backDthe school building stood silently in the sunset, just as it always did.

Everything was just as it always was.

I gripped my backpack straps and walked toward the bus stop.

Seven hundred and thirty-two days.

If I have to endure it tomorrow, Ill take it one day at a time.

If I have to endure it the day after, Ill take it one day at a time.

Eventually, the day would come when I wouldnt have to endure anything anymore.

4.

After leaving the principals office, I continued going to classes, skipping them to go to the police station, and eating lunch alone in the cafeteria.

Id survived seven hundred and thirty-two days; a few more didnt change anything.

But Id forgotten one thingDBrayden wasnt a fool.

From that day on, hed been watching me.

Not out in the open, but in secret. During class, hed turn around to look at me, his gaze shifting from contempt to curiosity. I even saw him following me home a few times.

Brayden would stand at the street corner, and while I noticed, I didn't care.

That was until one day, I walked into school, and I noticed the strange looks and whispers from my classmates.

Everyone was staring at their phones, buzzing with rumorsDBrayden had started a livestream to talk about me.

I pulled out my phone, and in the stream, Brayden was showing footage from his own phone.

He had broken into my desk while I was at gym class.

He had been looking for dirtDtest papers, graded work, anything to prove I was a failure.

But hed found my notebook.

The cover said it was a math notebook, and the first few pages were indeed homeworkDbut flipping further, it was all case analysis.

Behavioral models for suspects.

Timelines for crimes.

In the top right corner of every page, a single code was writtenDX.

Brayden mocked me on the stream.

Look everyone, a loser is always a loser. Even their fake evidence is sloppy.

He pointed to a paper tucked into my notebook.

It was a copy.

It readD

Special Investigative Consultant Appointment - ID: X-2019-0037 - Holder: Riley

It was stamped with the official seal of the City Police Department.

Brayden laughed, exhilarated.

How could a failure who gets forty-seven percent on a test be a police consultant? This certificate must be fake, something she made up for attention. Forging a government document, RileyDyoure finished.

I just shook my head helplessly, choosing not to engage.

5.

The school assembly went on as planned.

Over two thousand teachers and students were packed into the auditorium, a sea of bodies.

The principal was on stage, talking about school growth and achievements. But I noticed Brayden whispering to his lackeys below, his face twisted in a victory grin.

That look reminded me of how he acted every time he bullied meDarrogant and untouchable.

I sat in the corner, head down.

Caleb sat next to me, glancing over.

Are you okay? he whispered.

Yeah, I said.

Finally, the principal finished, and it was time for the open-floor segment.

Brayden was the first to raise his hand.

Principal, I have something to say!

He walked up on stage, grabbed the mic, and faced the crowd of two thousand.

Teachers, students, his voice boomed through the hall, Today, Im going to expose a massive fraud!

Theres a student here named Riley. She forged a police consultant certificate and has been telling everyone shes working for the forceD

Its a total lie! he emphasized, How could a dropout who gets forty-seven percent be a police consultant? Shes a liar!

The crowd erupted.

Liar!

What a disgrace to fake that!

Expel her!

The shouts rushed toward me like a tide, and two thousand pairs of eyes locked onto me.

I sat in my corner and didnt stand up.

People were holding up their phones, recording.

I didnt blame them. For two years, Id been the school joke; why wouldnt they want to film it?

Brayden pointed at me from the stage: Riley, do you dare to come up here? Do you dare prove to this whole school that youre not a fraud?

I didnt move.

See! Brayden shouted triumphantly, She wont! Because she is a fraud! Shes nothing! Shes just a hopeless, academic failureD

He kept going, his voice getting louder and more agitated.

The crowd below was joining in, jeering and filming.

I kept my head down, not hearing a word of it.

Seven hundred and thirty-two days.

One more day wouldnt kill me.

Then, the auditorium doors were pushed open.

They werent just pushedDthey were slammed wide open.

A middle-aged man in a police uniform marched inside.

He was followed by four or five other officers, looking sharp and professional.

The auditorium went silent.

The principal froze, quickly coming down from the stage: May I ask who...

The officer ignored the principal, walking straight through the crowd until he stood in front of me.

Two thousand pairs of eyes watched in silence.

He stopped, and thenD

He bowed at a ninety-degree angle.

Consultant X, I am so sorry for the disrespect youve been subjected to.

The entire hall went deathly quiet.

You could have heard a pin drop.