keep the Special edition from getting into the wrong hands

Three weeks later, Maya walked around the cultural festival, her heart racing with every step. She had spent the past few weeks trying to forget about the video, but it haunted her every waking moment. The thought of it being shared with the entire school terrified her.

The festival banners flapped overhead like accusatory flags as Maya’s heels clicked against the gymnasium floor. A burst of laughter from the anime club’s booth made her shoulders tense—was that mocking? Her fingers trembled against the clipboard she clutched like a shield.

Then she saw it.

The AV Club’s booth loomed ahead—a folding table draped in black fabric, littered with outdated camcorders and stacks of unmarked DVDs in cracked jewel cases. A hand-scrawled sign reading "RARE FOOTAGE - LIMITED STOCK" dangled crookedly from the edge. Maya’s breath hitched when she spotted the USB drives arranged like trophies beside Liam’s laptop, their silver casings catching the fluorescent lights.

One of the discs slid toward the table’s edge as Alex leaned forward, his grin widening when he noticed her frozen stare. "See something you like, Prez?"

Maya **** herself to swallow past the lump in her throat. "What is it?" She tried to keep her voice steady, but it came out as a trembling whisper.

Alex grinned widely, his eyes glinting with satisfaction. "We've got some exclusive footage of you, Prez. You know, from that little incident during Club Inspection Week."

Maya felt her heart racing as she tried to maintain her composure. She **** herself to look away from the USB drives, focusing on the anime club's booth instead. The laughter from before seemed louder now, more mocking.

"I'm sure the students will appreciate it," Alex continued, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "It's not every day they get to see their beloved Student Body President in such... compromising positions."

Maya's fingers dug into the clipboard until her knuckles turned white. "D-did you—" Her voice cracked. She swallowed hard, forcing the words out. "Is my face blurred? My student ID?"

Liam tapped a key on his laptop, making the screen tilt toward her. The playback showed her naked body squirming under the studio lights—but as promised, her face and student ID were digitally smeared into unrecognizable blurs. "Public version's censored," he said, dragging a fingertip across the trackpad to zoom in on her trembling thighs. "But these the Special edition?" He tapped another key, and suddenly her face snapped into sharp focus—eyes wet with humiliation, lips bitten raw. Her student ID swung into view, every digit crystal clear.

Maya's stomach lurched. The uncensored version. Right here in the open, inches from where students milled past with cotton candy and festival programs.

"I can't do that," she whispered, her voice barely audible over the din of the festival. "I mean, your can't sell the Special edition."

Ethan leaned back in his chair, a smug grin spreading across his face. "Well, Prez, it looks like you're in quite a pickle. We've got the video, and we're not afraid to use it."

Maya's heart pounded against her ribcage. She couldn't let them distribute the uncensored version—the humiliation would be unbearable. "I-I understand," she stammered. "What do you want me to do?"

Alex smirked. "We've got a few ideas. First, we want you to attend our next meeting, tomorrow, after school."

Maya felt her stomach drop. She knew she couldn't refuse—not if she wanted to keep the Special edition from getting into the wrong hands. "Alright," she managed to say, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'll be there."