The Blaze Jackets were not present. They had been removed from the building, isolated under security supervision. The meeting began. Principal Rowan adjusted his glasses with a shaky hand. "We've all reviewed the footage.
We've all seen the livestream. There is no dispute regarding what occurred on the rooftop." Silence filled the room. Not relief, not comfort, but a collective inhalation before impact. Dean Marlo spoke next, his voice low and deliberate.
The severity of this incident forces us to confront something we avoided for too long. He clicked his remote. The screen behind him lit up. A yearbook photo appeared of a boy with soft eyes and a quiet smile. Caleb Morris.
Nadira looked up. She didn't know the name, but the room reacted as if a ghost had appeared. Halden swallowed hard. Caleb was a freshman when the first incident occurred. The parents next to Nadira stiffened.
The mother reached for her husband's hand, gripping it so tightly her knuckles whitened. "Vice principal heart exhaled shakily. It happened two years ago. A serious bullying event," Caleb was injured badly. Officer Ramirez stepped forward.
"Concussion, bruised ribs, a spinal sprain, and Halden added quietly, psychological trauma that lasted far longer than the physical injuries." Nadira stared at the photo. She felt the air around her Titan. This wasn't just history. It was a mirror.
Her mirror. Principal Rowan continued. According to Caleb's initial report, he was cornered on the old gym roof, pushed near the edge. His head was shoved into a mop bucket. He sustained injuries trying to escape.
Nadira froze. A mop bucket. A rooftop. A fall. a near drowning humiliation, the exact same pattern. But, Rowan said, his voice darkening.
The official report was later altered. It stated the incident was an accident. Horse play gone wrong. Halden's eyes burned with restrained fury. We were told to stand down, told not to pursue it.
The father of Caleb Morris leaned forward, voice trembling with controlled rage. We were pressured, manipulated. We tried to fight it, but the administration shut every door in our faces. The mother's eyes glistened with tears. We were told it would hurt the school's athletic partnerships if we pursued charges.
Nadira felt sick. This wasn't an isolated incident. This was a legacy. Principal Rowan's voice grew quieter. The same pattern repeated today.
The same behavior, the same group dynamic, the same attempt to silence the truth. The father nodded grimly because they never faced consequences the first time. Halden clenched his fists. They were taught that they could get away with anything and they nearly killed another student today because of it. Dean Marlo said the truth hit Nadira hard colder than any water Riker forced her into.