Claire looked toward Ethan’s camera. “Nothing.”
Talia followed her gaze.
“Were you hoping he’d photograph it?”
Ethan lowered the camera slightly.
Claire’s face changed. “You really think everything is a setup.”
“I think you walked over here and stepped on something sitting beside me.”
“You think every single thing I do is about you now.”
“You came to my photo session.”
“I’m graduation chair.”
“You already had your pictures.”
Claire stepped closer.
“So now I need permission to be in the courtyard?”
“No.”
Talia held up the damaged cap.
“You need permission to put your shoe on my stuff.”
Several seniors nearby had begun watching.
Two phones appeared.
Claire noticed.
Talia noticed her noticing.
The dynamic changed almost instantly.
Claire’s voice became louder. “See, this is exactly what you do.”
“What do I do?”
“Turn something stupid into a public trial.”
Talia stared at her.
“You stepped on my graduation cap in front of everybody.”
“And you’re acting like I burned your house down.”
“I asked why.”
“No, you want a scene.”
Talia almost laughed.
“I was sitting down.”
Claire took another step.
“You love this.”
“Love what?”
“Making people look racist.”
The courtyard became quieter.
Talia’s expression changed.
“I didn’t say anything about race.”
Claire stopped.
Neither girl moved for a second.
Ethan slowly raised his camera again.
Talia repeated herself. “I didn’t say race.”
Claire looked around at the watching students.
“You were thinking it.”
“That is not how words work.”
“You’ve been trying to turn me into some racist villain all semester.”
“I showed the school things you actually wrote.”
“Private messages.”
“About me.”
“You got me disciplined for having an opinion.”
“You got disciplined because of what you kept doing.”
Claire’s jaw tightened.
Talia could see the moment conversation stopped being about the cap.
Months of resentment had entered the courtyard.
“You took my graduation speech.”
Talia stared at her.
“No.”