Chapter 6
The competition did not continue that night.
The judges met privately.
The auditorium emptied slowly, full of whispers.
Some students came to the nurse’s room door.
A few cried.
A few apologized even though they had done nothing.
One girl from another school said, “You should have won.”
I smiled weakly.
“I finished.”
She nodded.
“That too.”
Brooke was sent home with her parents pending investigation.
Lily stayed and gave a full statement.
The police came.
I gave mine.
So did my mother.
So did Ms. Alvarez.
So did the stagehand who saw Brooke near my bag.
When the officer asked if I wanted to press charges, I looked at my mother.
She did not answer for me.
That mattered.
She waited.
I said, “Yes.”
The officer nodded.
Caroline Whitman, standing across the hall, looked like I had slapped her.
May you like
Good.
Maybe now she understood that pain could travel without permission.
