“No.” Her voice was lower now.
Aaliyah looked at the space between them. “I’m leaving.”
“You don’t get to walk away after ruining people’s senior year.”
Aaliyah almost laughed. “Your senior year isn’t my responsibility.”
Lauren put both hands against Aaliyah’s upper chest and shoulders and shoved.
Aaliyah stepped backward. Her hands rose automatically but remained open.
“Do not touch me again.”
Students behind them began shouting at Lauren to stop. Paige stood frozen.
Meredith took one step forward and said, “Lauren, enough.”
Lauren heard the warning. She also heard the crowd.
That mattered.
For months, she had argued that Aaliyah exaggerated ordinary jokes. Now a courtyard full of witnesses had watched Lauren throw the drink and push her.
The narrative was slipping away while she stood inside it.
Lauren swung.
The first punch came wide from Aaliyah’s right. Aaliyah leaned back and let it pass in front of her face.
Her body moved before fear had time to become thought. Two years of basic boxing did not make her invincible, but it taught her not to stand directly in front of a swinging arm.
“Stop,” Aaliyah said.
Lauren attacked again. Aaliyah blocked the second swing against her forearm and stepped sideways.
She did not counter immediately. She created distance.
Lauren followed.
The third punch forced Aaliyah to respond. She slipped outside it, landed one short counter to the shoulder and upper chest, then pushed Lauren away.
Lauren stumbled. Aaliyah stopped.
There were nearly six feet between them. The fight could have ended.
Instead, Lauren rushed forward.
She grabbed at Aaliyah’s hoodie and swung again. Aaliyah pulled free, moved to the side, and countered only enough to break the advance.
Students yelled for security. Someone shouted that a teacher was coming.
Lauren still continued. Her anger had become less about winning than about refusing to stop in front of people watching.
Aaliyah blocked another punch. Lauren’s momentum carried her forward.
Aaliyah redirected her, stepped outside her legs, and shoved hard enough to create distance. Lauren lost her footing near the bench.
She fell onto the brick courtyard.
Aaliyah backed away instantly. Her hands remained raised.
Lauren stayed down for several seconds, stunned.
Aaliyah lowered her fists. “Stay down.”
She meant stop. Paige heard a threat.
“Don’t talk to her like that!” Paige rushed forward in the blue school jacket.
Aaliyah turned. “Paige, stop.”
Paige did not. She reached for Aaliyah’s shoulder and swung with the other hand.