Students parted instinctively, clearing a path as if a silent spotlight followed her. A few clapped, a few murmured, "She's so strong." Others muttered, "That's the girl who took down the jackets." But some glared most, wearing varsity jackets of their own. She ruined everything.
One boy muttered under his breath. Nadira heard him. She didn't react. She'd already survived a rooftop. Whispers couldn't hurt her more than that.
Across the courtyard, the Blaze jackets appeared escorted by security. Backpacks slung low, eyes hollow. Their suspension meant they were only on campus briefly to collect materials before being removed. The moment they appeared, the courtyard exploded again. Someone shouted, "Hope the investigation goes great, Riker."
Dripping sarcasm. Another yelled, "Try drowning someone now." A third. Leave Nadira alone. But the opposite side fired back.
Free the jackets. This school is pathetic. Riker didn't deserve this. The arguments collided midair. Shouts overlapping.
Accusations bouncing like flung stones. Then someone lifted their phone and shouted, "We're live again." Instantly, dozens of students surrounding Nadira turned toward the lens. A circle formed, half protective, half intrusive. The livestream started flooding with viewers.
Is that Nadira? She looks calm. A Blaze Jackets walking behind her. OMG. Say something, Nadira.
Show her face. Show his face. The camera panned to Riker. He froze. The red recording dot reflected off his eyes like a warning.
He tried to look defiant, but under the spotlight of his own undoing, his confidence had shattered. His posture sagged. His jaw clenched in humiliation. Then the phone swung back to Nadira. But Nadira didn't flinch.
Didn't shield her face. Didn't hide. She simply stood tall, letting the world look if it wanted to. Her silence became an image. Her bruise became a symbol.
Her steady breathing became a message. I survived. I'm not afraid of being seen. In that instant, the entire courtyard paused. A girl in the front whispered, "She's strong."
Another said, "She didn't choose any of this, but look at her." Someone typed into the livestream. "We're watching a survivor, not a victim." Riker's eyes darted to the comments, flushed with shame. A chant started quietly at first, then louder.