Abby chose the horticulture yard.
Rabbits had been eating lettuce.
She installed a small motion-activated trail camera on the pear tree.
McCall approved.
For three weeks it mostly photographed squirrels.
One raccoon.
Two rabbits.
A sophomore retrieving a soccer ball.
Madison changing shoes after practice.
Nobody cared.
Then the class project ended.
Abby forgot to remove the camera.
Ms. Nanduri forgot too.
The batteries stayed active.
That accident would later matter more than anyone’s planning.
By April, the spring plant sale dominated horticulture.
Rows of marigolds.
Petunias.
Tomatoes.
Basil.
Mint.
Peppers.
Hanging baskets.
The air smelled like damp soil and fertilizer.
Parents had already reserved more than two hundred plants.
McCall chose three student leads for sale day.
Kiara for inventory.
Madison for customer service.
Abby for plant-care stations.
Fair.
Madison hated that Kiara still held the role she wanted.
Then Cedar Hollow’s district office announced a photographer would attend sale day.
One sentence from the email became gasoline.
Please make sure student leaders are available for photos.
Madison took a screenshot.
Sent it to Lauren.
Here we go again.
Lauren:
lol
Madison:
Guess which face will be front center.
Lauren:
Kiara obviously
Madison:
Exactly.
Abby read the messages.
Then Madison sent:
Would love for them to see the real version first.
Abby:
what does that mean
Madison did not answer.
The next day, Kiara noticed a tray of tomato seedlings had been placed beneath a broken sprinkler line.
Twelve plants were damaged.
Madison blamed inventory placement.
Kiara said she had not moved them.
Madison smiled.
“You never do anything.”
Kiara looked at her.
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“You always have an explanation.”
“So do you.”
Madison stepped closer.
“Careful.”
“With what?”
“Your tone.”
Kiara laughed once.
“You don’t get to do that.”
“Do what?”
“Talk about my tone every time I disagree.”
Madison’s expression hardened.
“You are aggressive.”
There.
The word finally appeared.
Kiara became still.
“Am I?”
“Yes.”
“Right now?”
“Yes.”
Kiara looked at the six feet between them.
Her hands at her sides.
Voice normal.
“Interesting.”
Madison rolled her eyes.
“There you go.”
Kiara took out her phone.
Madison stared.
“What are you doing?”
“Writing down what you said.”
“You’re insane.”
“Maybe.”
She typed.
Date.
Time.
Location.
Exact phrase.
Madison walked away.
Abby watched.
Something inside her shifted.
That evening, she opened the group chat and searched Madison’s name.
Months of messages.
She began screen-recording.
Everything.
The plan formed Wednesday night.
Madison messaged Lauren privately.
Abby was not included.
Lauren later provided the conversation.
M: She needs to lose it before Saturday.
L: how
M: just push enough.
L: ur gonna get suspended
M: not if she starts swinging
L: she never does
M: everybody does if you embarrass them enough.
Then:
M: Camera is the only problem.