Beneath the Table

Anxiety. Burnt coffee. Students with baggy eyes.

It was a week to the final exams all right – that not-too-welcome yet inevitable time of the semester when students were in a constant state of panic. Brains were in a frenzy, overheated from cramming topics that were long overdue. Everyone was scared. These grades would determine if they passed on to the next class or not.

Everyone but Zach.

Not that he was a genius. He just knew how to get what he wanted from whoever had it. Funny part was, he didn’t look the type. The freckles, the glasses, the quiet and shy demeanour – all made him harmless. Invisible, even. He just did as he was told, especially when it meant he got a little income.

He got to the library and sat down at his favourite seat, the one facing the window. Then he saw her: Ama, glancing at him from the corner of her eyes, making sure her gestures were not too obvious. It made him smile. The thought of speaking to her terrified him but dealing with shady boys didn’t.

Funny how ironic life can be.

He bent over to pick up his laptop bag from the ground when he noticed a sticky note tucked beneath the table. How did this get here?

Moved by curiosity, he flattened the paper.

His face turned pale as he read the words. Was this intended for him? Most likely – this was his usual spot in the library. How did they know he would see it since it was underneath the table? Then it struck him - he always placed his laptop bag on the ground before bending over sideways to get it. Someone had indeed been studying him. But who? And how much did they truly know?

Panic set in. He hastily packed up his things, texted the boys about the situation and left, his heart pounding.

Ama, on the other hand, was left genuinely confused. She thought the note would work. She had spent all night talking about the boy-situation with her roommate and childhood bestie. Laura had told her how mystery was just the spark they both needed to get things running. She also wondered why she was daydreaming about some boy when they had their finals.

“I hear he’s smart though. If it works, let me know so I wring the answers out of him,” she’d teased, dodging a pillow.

She smiled at the memory. Did it work? Was he going to ask her out?

Wait - he knew it was her right? Or she had been misunderstood?

“He’ll find out soon enough,” she mumbled to herself, content she’d been smart enough to give love with Zach a shot.

Misunderstanding, however, is easy in chaos.

Ten minutes later, the boys crowded into Zach’s room.

“Someone knows,” he began quietly. “They left a note for me at the library.”

“So, what do we do now?” Dave asked, jaw tight. He was their leader.

“We need to find them and make sure they keep quiet,” said Johnny, his tone a little too eager than usual.

“The answer may be right in front of us. I think I know who it is but I’m not too sure. I’m sure it’s just a test,” he added weakly, hoping it wasn’t who he thought it was. But it had to be her, right?

He felt anxious, scared and everything in between. What did she know? These boys were not to be messed around with. Their devotion to their little boy club outweighed that of school coursework. They needed to pass to stay in college and keep milking their parents’ accounts dry. Some brotherhood, he thought. Maybe they deserved to blow off their exams like how they blew off cash the way they did.

Then again, why was he complaining? He’d gotten his share. He helped them pass.

Or they made him help them cheat. Either way, they were all guilty. Now someone knew. Ama knew.

The Frat Boys had been faking their grades all along. They would be expelled. One guy was even on a scholarship. Too bad.

“I say we look for the person and scare them off,” Johnny said again, his voice more forceful.

“Or we can pay them for their silence,” suggested Dave.

For a brief moment, the tension lifted. If money was the case, it would all be fine. One of them even managed to smile.

“Apart from this, we all know how my share would increase right? More work, more money, “Zach said flatly, refusing to look in Dave’s eyes.

“Look me in the eyes when you talk, loser,” Dave replied, his voice taunting him. “Don’t get too greedy Zachy-boy. You won’t recognise yourself when we are done with you if you do.” He paused, smirking. “Plus, we know who she is already. I’ve seen how you look at her in the library. See you later, Zachy-boy.”

What were they going to do to her?

That evening, Ama stayed behind in the study room, solving some equations that could possibly come in her first exam. The place was empty; the hum of crickets slipped in through the windows. She reached for her phone across the table to check her notifications. Laura had sent a text.

How did it go with Zach? Heard the Frat Boys were messing around with him. Was it cause of the note? Oh my - what if one of them likes you?

Before she could even reply, the lights flickered. Then they went out. The sound of footsteps followed. Shadows slipped into the room.

“Good evening, ma’am,” Dave said, his voice laced with a fake Texan drawl. “You like making notes?”

She froze, “I’m confused...what’s going on?”

Grinning, Johnny leaned forward. “You think you’re all smart, huh? Did you think a note would scare us?”

Zach stood silently behind them. The lights came back on for a moment; he saw the look of fright and disappointment in her eyes. She had seen him.

“Zach, I was just...”

“Quiet!” Johnny hissed, slamming a fist into the desk. “I know just what we will do to you.”

She tried to dart towards the exit. Tripping over a table instead, she found herself sprawled on the floor.

“You listen,” Dave began, squatting to look her in the eye. “Forget whatever you saw or heard. I would hate to hurt you, okay?”

“Dave, it’s not her,” Zach interjected, voice trembling. “She doesn’t know.”

Johnny and the others laughed. “Don’t try to cover for your little girlfriend Zachy-boy. We know she wrote your note.”

“Wait, what note?” she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

Zach’s face turned pale and so did the others when he showed them the message on his phone:

“I see you Zach. Stop helping them.”

All eyes were on her as she struggled to get to her feet. If it wasn’t her, who was it?

The sound of notifications flooded the room as Zach’s phone was bombarded with messages. Johnny grabbed the phone, eyes widening with each message he read. There were videos and pictures, each one more incriminating than the last, of their group.

Dave, snatching the phone from his hand, gasped when he saw the evidence.

“Zachy-boy, if this is you trying to blackmail us,” his voice threatening, “there will be hell to pay. You can’t hide behind those glasses!”

The door burst open and flashlight beams flooded the room. “Campus security! Hands up where I can see them!”

In seconds, chaos broke out in the room. Johnny and the others tried to escape; Dave bumped into a security man while doing so; Zach stood frozen. Ama tried to calm down, her breath fast and shallow. When the officers found Zach’s phone, they saw the messages and pictures and gave a low whistle. “You boys have a lot of explaining to do,” one remarked.

The next day, Dave, Johnny and the others were expelled for years of misconduct, exam leaks and intimidation. Zach, however, was not entirely innocent. The authorities had let him off the hook with a few weeks suspension for being their accomplice. Since he had been bullied into helping them, or so it seemed, there was no need for expulsion.

A few weeks later, Ama lingered near the library doorway. She saw a familiar face and pretended to check her bag, careful not to look too hopeful. I just want to make him feel seen, that’s all, she said to herself.

Zach was walking hurriedly, eager to get to his window seat. His expression was unreadable; her stomach flipped.

“Hi Zach,” she started shyly, hoping he had heard her, head bent. She looked up to face him.

“Oh, hi Ama. I didn’t see you there,” he replied, face breaking into a smile once he recognized her.

“I just wanted to...well I just wanted to say sorry. I didn’t know things would turn out the way they did,” she said, lowering her eyelids sadly.

“Oh, that’s alright. If it makes you feel any better, I don’t have to worry about them anymore.”

“I’m glad Zachy-boy,” she joked, drawing fresh ripples of laughter from both.

“But then, as the note said, I see you. You’re not as invisible as you think Zach,” she said slowly, smiling as she looked him in the eyes.

“I guess I’ve known that for a while now, haven’t I?” he said, smiling back.

Later, after Ama had left to her hostel, he bent to pick up his pen that had rolled to the ground.

Instinctively, he checked beneath the table.

Another note. Sighing loudly, he shook his head - not this again.

I’ll be watching.