“Of course you do.”
“Yes.”
“You planned this.”
Nyla blinked.
“Planned what?”
“You wanted me to do something.”
That accusation was so absurd Nyla could not answer immediately.
Brooke stepped closer.
“You’ve been waiting for this.”
“No.”
“You kept pushing.”
“By doing my assignment?”
“You knew exactly what you were doing.”
Nyla’s anger sharpened.
“You destroyed my binder because you didn’t like documents your grandfather wrote.”
“Shut up.”
Nyla became still.
Brooke’s eyes filled.
“Stop talking about him.”
Nyla lowered her voice.
“Then stop coming to me.”
“I said shut up.”
Brooke shoved Nyla’s shoulder.
The courtyard erupted.
Nyla stumbled half a step.
Recovered.
“Do not touch me.”
Brooke laughed without humor.
“Make me.”
Nyla backed away.
“I’m done.”
She turned slightly.
Brooke reached for her arm.
Nyla pulled free.
“Stop.”
Brooke swung.
The first strike came high.
Nyla ducked.
Brooke’s hand passed over her head.
Students shouted.
Nyla came up beside the table.
“What are you doing?”
Brooke moved again.
Nyla raised her forearms.
“Stop.”
Brooke shoved forward.
Nyla blocked.
Pushed the arm away.
Brooke lost balance slightly but recovered.
She came back.
Nyla moved sideways.
“Back off.”
The phone recording now captured everything.
Brooke grabbed at Nyla’s shoulder.
Nyla caught her forearm and redirected it.
Brooke spun partly away.
Then turned back.
For a second both girls stood several feet apart.
That was another exit.
Nyla did not move forward.
Brooke did.
She swung wider.
Nyla ducked again.
Brooke’s momentum carried past her.
Nyla pushed outward at Brooke’s upper arm and shoulder.
Enough to make distance.
Brooke stumbled.
She caught herself.
Then charged again.
Nyla’s face changed.
Not anger anymore.
Calculation.
She moved aside.
Blocked Brooke’s arm.
Used the forward momentum.
Brooke’s foot struck the leg of a café chair.
Her balance broke.
She fell hard beside the table.
One shoulder hit first.
Then her back.
The empty coffee cup rolled across concrete.
The courtyard went silent.
Nyla stopped.
Immediately.
No kick.
No follow-up.
No step toward Brooke.
She stood breathing hard.
Brooke remained on the ground.
Several students stared through phone screens.
Nyla looked down at her.
Then at the binder.
She returned to the table.