The sun was sinking behind the bleachers when Arpac gathered on the basketball court, an after-hours meeting fueled by humiliation, rage, and the collapse of their carefully crafted hierarchy. Beck's absence loomed over them like a ghost. A bruised ego wasn't the only thing he left behind. He'd left a power vacuum, and desperate boys stepped into vacuums with reckless ideas. Trent paced across the court, kicking stray pebbles with every furious step.
Do you all realize how bad this looks? Beck gets knocked out. And now half the school is siding with her. Milo clenched his fists. This never would have happened if Jace handled the story right.
You should have deleted the video. Jace snapped around, eyes bloodshot from stress and lack of sleep. There were 10 other angles. Everyone recorded it. What was I supposed to do?
Break every phone in the cafeteria? Carter muttered. Might have been easier than dealing with this mess. Their voices rose, overlapping in a chaotic swirl of blame and panic. Beck is in the hospital.
She made us look weak. She humiliated him humiliated all of us. Jace swallowed hard. He wasn't angry like the others. He was scared.
The kind of fear that came from knowing the truth. Beck had started it. Beck had crossed the line. Beck had earned that punch. But saying any of that out loud would fracture everything.
We have to do something, Trent growled, stepping into the center of the group. We can't just let her walk around acting like a hero. Carter spit on the court. Agreed. She needs to learn what happens when you mess with us.
Milo lowered his voice. We hit her again after school where no one's watching this time. A dangerous silence settled. Then Trent nodded. Yeah, we'll corner her behind the library lot.
No phones, no witnesses, just us and her. Jace's stomach twisted. He looked away toward the far end of the court where a lone figure walked past the chain-link fence. Zariah, she didn't look over. She didn't look afraid.
She simply walked, headphones in, shoulders relaxed, yet every step, radiating the quiet awareness of someone who sensed danger long before it arrived. Carter noticed Jace staring. What? Scared of her now? No, Jace said quickly, though the lie tasted bitter.
But someone else was scared. Milo, his voice cracked as he said. Guys, maybe we're going too far. That video Beck attacked her first. We shouldn't.
Trent glared at him. You backing out? I'm saying she isn't what we thought she was, and if we jump her again, we're not jumping her. Carter snapped. We're teaching her a lesson.
But Milo didn't respond. He just stared at the ground, jaw tense, guilt clawing at him. That night, when the group finally dispersed, Milo lingered behind. He pulled out his phone with shaking fingers and typed a message he knew could destroy his friendship and save someone's life. "They're planning to ambush you after school.
Be careful." He hesitated, then hit send. Across campus, Zariah felt her phone buzz. She read the message once, twice. Her face didn't change.