Chapter 2: The Video Changes Everything
By lunchtime, the video had spread throughout Oakridge High.
The freshman who had recorded the incident handed the original file directly to the principal.
There was no confusion.
No misunderstanding.
The footage clearly showed Vanessa grabbing Maya's backpack strap before looking away as Maya lost her balance.
The administration acted immediately.
Vanessa was removed from class and suspended pending a disciplinary hearing.
She insisted it had been an accident.
"I was trying to stop her!" she cried.
But another student came forward.
Then another.
One admitted hearing Vanessa brag about "finally getting rid of the fake victim."
Another revealed screenshots of cruel messages Vanessa had sent in a private group chat, mocking Maya's prosthetic leg.
The truth spread faster than any rumor Vanessa had ever started.
Students who had once ignored Maya suddenly realized how often they had remained silent while she was bullied.
That afternoon, Ethan visited Maya in the nurse's office.
"I should've noticed," he admitted.
"You tried," Maya answered.
"I just wasn't brave enough to tell you who I was."
May you like
Ethan shook his head.
"No... I wasn't paying attention."
