Suspicion and Deception

Rakai sat on the edge of Ray's bed, his eyes fixed on some unknown point in front of him as he replayed the phone conversation with Kai over and over in his mind. Tota and Dabo exchanged a concerned glance, noticing the strange look on Rakai's face. "Hey, what's wrong?" Tota asked, his voice low and gentle. Rakai's gaze snapped back to the present, and he shook his head, trying to clear the thoughts that were clouding his mind. "I just got off the phone with... someone," he said, his voice hesitant. Dabo's curiosity was piqued. "Who was it? You sounded upset." Rakai took a deep breath before speaking. "It was Kai. But it wasn't Ray on the phone. It was Kai." Tota's eyes widened in surprise. "What? How did you get Kai's number?" Rakai's expression turned grim. "I didn't. I dialed Ray's number, but Kai answered. He told me that Ray had left his phone outside, and he was about to return it to him." Dabo's brow furrowed. "That's weird. What made you think it wasn't Ray?" Rakai's voice was laced with frustration. "The way he sounded. The way he answered. It was... Kai. And when I asked him where he was, he told me he was outside Ray's dorm, but I know that's not true." Tota's eyes locked onto Rakai's. "What do you think it means?" Rakai's jaw clenched. "I think it means that Kai has Ray's phone, and he's lying about his location. Which means that wherever Ray is, Kai is there too." Dabo's expression turned thoughtful. "Maybe they're with the other teachers, and Kai didn't want to admit it because he didn't want to show favoritism to Ray." Rakai shook his head, his eyes narrowing. "No, it's not that simple. Kai's lie was too convincing, too quick. He's hiding something, and I need to find out what it is." Tota's voice was soft. "We'll help you, Rakai. We'll figure out what's going on." Rakai's gaze locked onto Tota's, a determined look in his eyes. "We will. And when we do, Kai will regret ever lying to me."