There were several feet between them.
Nobody needed to continue.
Avery did.
She rushed forward.
Imani slipped outside another swing and pushed her away.
A desk shifted.
Students scrambled backward.
Avery regained balance and came again.
Imani blocked.
Countered.
Moved.
Stopped whenever space opened.
Avery refused to leave the space open.
By the time a teacher appeared in the hallway, the classroom had become chaos.
Then Harper entered physically.
She had spent the first exchange standing near the side, shouting at both girls.
When Avery stumbled toward a desk after another failed swing, Harper rushed forward.
Imani saw the navy tracksuit moving from the corner of her vision.
“Harper, don’t.”
Harper grabbed toward her arm.
Imani pulled away.
“Stop!”
Harper swung.
Imani blocked.
Avery came forward at nearly the same moment.
For several seconds, Imani was dealing with attacks from two directions.
She backed away.
Avery reached.
Imani turned.
Harper lunged.
Imani redirected her.
Harper lost balance and went down beside a row of desks.
Avery attacked again.
Imani countered and shoved her backward.
Avery struck the edge of a desk and fell across it, then slid toward the floor.
Silence arrived almost instantly.
Imani remained standing.
Her fists stayed raised.
Neither girl came forward.
She lowered her hands.
That was the end.
No kick.
No victory speech.
No pursuit.
Imani stood in the center of the classroom dripping water onto the floor while Avery leaned against a desk and Harper sat stunned near the aisle.
Students stared.
Several phones still recorded.
Imani looked around.
Her breathing sounded louder than anything else.
Then she turned toward the door.
Avery shouted something behind her.
Imani did not answer.
She walked into the hallway.
Assistant Principal Wilcox met her less than thirty seconds later.
The first thing Wilcox saw was water.