We decided to launch our digital bomb from the school library the next day—using the public computers would make it harder to trace back to us. We arrived with the USB drive, our hands sweating.
But when we got to our usual computer, Hector Alcantara was already there, a smug, triumphant look on his face. And standing behind him, arms crossed, was the school principal, Mr. Alvarez.
"These two, sir," Hector said, pointing at us. "I overheard them planning to hack the school's server and plant fake news about my family. I think they have the virus on this." He held up a USB drive. Our USB drive. It must have fallen out of Leo's bag.
It was a brilliant, devastating move. They had flipped the narrative. We weren't whistleblowers; we were delinquent hackers spreading malicious lies about a respected family.
Mr. Alvarez's face was stern. "JM, Leo. My office. Now." We were caught. Outmaneuvered. And we had just lost our only copy of the evidence.