Imani believed the conflict had ended.
Then Eastborough changed the morning announcements format.
Dr. Foster wanted one weekly live segment on Fridays where clubs, teachers, and students could briefly promote events rather than submitting written blurbs.
Cole asked Imani to host.
She said yes.
Kendall asked why she had not been considered.
Cole answered honestly.
“You can apply to host a rotation.”
“I’ve been in media longer than she has.”
“That is true.”
“I’m better on camera.”
“That is also probably true.”
Kendall stared.
“So?”
“This is audio.”
She laughed sharply.
“Right.”
Cole leaned against the desk.
“Kendall.”
“What?”
“You are making this about Imani when I’m making it about the assignment.”
“She gets everything.”
The room went quiet.
Imani looked up.
Cole did too.
“What exactly does she get?”
Kendall realized she had said too much.
“Nothing.”
“No.”
Cole’s voice changed.
“Finish.”
Kendall gathered her notebook.
“I said nothing.”
She left class.
Imani stared at the door.
The sentence stayed.
She gets everything.
The following Friday, Imani hosted the first live student segment.
Three students promoted robotics tryouts.
A teacher announced a blood drive.
The girls’ basketball captain reminded everyone about senior night.
Nothing dramatic happened.
Afterward Cole told Imani the pacing was excellent.
Kendall overheard.
At lunch she sat with Avery and Brooke.
“That voice could probably announce a nuclear attack and teachers would clap.”
Brooke did not laugh.
Avery did.
Kendall continued.
“I swear Cole hears ‘good diction’ and forgets everything else.”
Brooke looked at her.
“Why are you still talking about her voice?”
Kendall shrugged.
“Because it’s fake.”
“Who cares?”
“I do.”
“That’s becoming obvious.”
Kendall stared.
Brooke returned to her food.
Their friendship changed slightly that afternoon.
The conflict might still have stayed social if someone had not posted a recording of Imani’s Friday segment on the school meme account.
The account was unofficial.
Anonymous.
Usually harmless.
A video appeared showing a classroom speaker while Imani’s voice played.
Text above it read:
EASTBOROUGH’S MOM HAS SPOKEN
Students laughed.
Imani laughed too.
The comments were mostly jokes about announcements.
Then one account wrote:
Why she sound whiter than my mom?
Another replied:
Wait till lunch lmao.
Then:
Corporate Imani activated.
Then:
She got the “don’t scare the donors” voice.
Imani stopped scrolling.
The language felt too familiar.
Nia noticed.
“Kendall?”
“I don’t know.”
“Sounds like her.”
“That doesn’t mean it is.”
Imani reported the comments to Cole but specifically said she had no evidence connecting them to Kendall.
The meme account removed them.
No disciplinary action followed.
That should have helped.
Instead, rumors formed.