CHAPTER TEN163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDXelXepaU1
Clutching the green notebook, I make my way across the courtyard, nerves buzzing. I haven’t told Shiko or Seline about Mary’s demand-I need to see if she’s for real before I trust anyone else with this. The air behind the old science block is thick with the smell of charred wood and secrets. Mary is already there, half-hidden in the shadow of the wall.163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAhlSNRIpb4
I hold out the notebook, unopened, just as she asked. She snatches it quickly, her eyes scanning the cover to make sure it’s the right one. For a moment, she just holds it, silent.163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOUKnVv8Zuk
Then she looks up at me, her voice low but urgent. “You did it. Thank you.” 163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgNgLgrETgE
She glances around, making sure we’re alone. “As promised, here’s what you need: in Section 14, locker 14-12. That’s where you’ll find the proof-the evidence that can clear your name. But be careful. You’re not the only one looking for answers.”163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeIjbGUoYS3
My heart pounds as I nod, the weight of the moment settling in. I’ve kept my end of the bargain. Now, with Mary’s secret exchanged for her trust, I finally have a real lead. Whatever’s in locker 14-12 could change everything.163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxRh5kGlLzS
I tuck my hands into my pockets, trying to steady my breathing as Mary hugs the green notebook to her chest. She glances over her shoulder, as if expecting someone to appear from the shadows, then leans in closer.163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1YfihbhdGy
“Kim, listen,” she whispers, her voice trembling just a little. 163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6sOE1ZPF7x
“Locker 14-12. The key is taped to the back of the fire extinguisher in the hallway. Don’t let anyone see you. Inside, you’ll find a brown envelope with your name on it. That’s what you need to show the deputy if you want to clear your name. But you have to move fast. If anyone else finds it first, it’s over.”163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrOxyIMshik
I nod, my mind racing with questions I don’t dare ask. “Why are you helping me, Mary?”163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzEahl7mc7R
She hesitates, hugging the notebook tighter. “Because I know what it’s like to be blamed for something you didn’t do. And because… what happened to you could’ve happened to any of us.”163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs3vnFET1AB
For a moment, we just stand there, two girls bound by secrets and desperation. Then Mary turns and slips away, disappearing around the corner, leaving me alone with a new sense of urgency.
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I make my way back toward Section 14, careful to avoid the main corridors. My heart thuds in my chest as I spot the fire extinguisher, just where Mary said it would be. I reach behind it, fingers brushing against cold metal, and pull out a small, taped-up key.163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX1V95cSHWl
Locker 14-12 is near the end of the row. I glance around to make sure no one’s watching, then slide the key into the lock. It opens with a soft click. Inside, just as Mary promised, is a brown envelope with my name written across the front in block letters.163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ46OsMx7fjl
My hands shake as I pull it out. Whatever’s inside could finally clear my name-or drag me deeper into the mess. Either way, I know there’s no turning back now.163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuhUKTLfTBI
I close the locker quietly, slip the envelope into my bag, and head back out into the sunlight, determined to see this through. For the first time since my name appeared on the deputy’s notice board, I feel the faintest flicker of hope.163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtO6u7YPuuL
I hurry away from the old block, the envelope pressed flat against my side beneath my sweater. My mind is a storm of questions-what’s inside? Who put it there? And why does it have my name, so carefully written, as if whoever did this wanted me to find it all along?163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc5O2O9nGTW
I duck behind the library, out of sight, and kneel in the shade. My hands are trembling as I break the seal. Inside, I find a stack of photocopied pages: a printout of the school’s phone confiscation log, a list of call times, and, most damning of all, a signed note from a teacher admitting the phone wasn’t found in my possession but “placed as evidence for administrative review.” There’s even a blurry photo, timestamped, showing someone else-face half-turned away, but definitely not me-slipping the phone into my bag during assembly.163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtY0kngdLH4
My breath catches. Relief, anger, and disbelief swirl inside me. This is it. This is what I need. I can finally prove I was set up.163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh2VnZ2Tah4
I want to run straight to Shiko and Seline, to tell them everything, but I pause. I still haven’t told them about Mary, about the deal I made, about the risk I took alone. For a moment, guilt pricks at me. But I know I had to be sure. Now, with the truth in my hands, I can finally let them in.163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFgmZSbMdyQ
I tuck the envelope away and stand, squaring my shoulders. I’m done hiding. It’s time to face the deputy, to clear my name, and to step out of the shadow of suspicion once and for all. And maybe, just maybe, to trust my friends again-with everything.163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡub3ssDWLUC
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I walk back toward the main building, the envelope clutched tightly in my hand, every step feeling lighter than the last. The sun is bright overhead, but for the first time in weeks, I don’t feel exposed-I feel powerful. I have the truth, and I have proof.163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNy69t4V5H9
As I near the administration block, I spot Shiko and Seline waiting outside the library, their faces etched with worry. For a moment, I hesitate, wondering how to explain everything I’ve kept from them. But as soon as they see me, they rush over.163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbnDwLvgxYW
“Kim, where did you go?” Seline demands, her eyes searching mine. “You just disappeared.”163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcds2OyYNJB
Shiko glances at my bag, then at my face. “Did you find something?”163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiGV1lZHY1Q
I take a deep breath and pull out the envelope, holding it up for them to see. “I did. There’s something you both need to know.” 163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf0P9fsBUTM
My voice is steadier than I expect. “I got help from someone I wasn’t sure I could trust. She gave me a lead, and I followed it. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I just… needed to be sure.”163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Od0z801XY
They exchange a look-hurt, maybe, but also understanding. Seline reaches for my hand. “Whatever it is, we’re with you. Always.”163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMU6o7cTDl5
I nod, swallowing the lump in my throat. “Inside this envelope is everything we need to clear my name. Proof that I was set up. A confession, a photo, even the logbook. I’m going to the deputy now.”163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3HpOFgIXyg
Shiko’s eyes light up with pride. “Let’s go together.”163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡECYKfJEUKh
We walk, side by side, toward the deputy principal’s office. For the first time, I don’t feel like I’m facing the world alone. Whatever comes next-questions, consequences, even more secrets-I know I have my friends. And I know I have the truth.163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzuIkPHGcy0
As I knock on the office door, I feel ready. Ready to fight for myself. Ready to reclaim my place. Ready to step out of the shadows and into the light, with Shiko and Seline at my side.163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCunjoofSdS
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The deputy principal looks up from his paperwork as we enter, his expression shifting from surprise to wary curiosity. I can feel my heart hammering in my chest, but I stand tall, envelope in hand, with Shiko and Seline flanking me like silent sentinels.163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡARUhgtfmv5
“Kimberly,” he says, voice measured, “I hope you have a good reason for this interruption.”163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ95dHkd8rlV
I meet his gaze, refusing to flinch. “Sir, I do. I have evidence that proves I was set up in the phone incident. I’d like you to look at it.”163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVh07Pzn8st
He gestures for me to approach. My hands are steady now as I place the envelope on his desk and slide out the documents: the logbook printout, the teacher’s note, the photo. He reads in silence, his brow furrowing deeper with each page. Shiko and Seline stand close, their presence giving me strength.163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8VSv6WDKRZ
Finally, he looks up, his tone softer but still cautious. “Where did you get these?”163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4z2rTFrgjf
I take a breath. “A student who saw what happened wanted to help. She pointed me to the right place. I know I should have come to you sooner, but I needed to be sure.”163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbHOwg0GOBi
He leans back, tapping the papers thoughtfully. “This is… substantial. If this is genuine, it changes everything. I’ll need to verify these documents and speak to the staff involved. But, Kimberly, if what you say is true, you’ll be cleared of all charges.”163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGAPZlH0pm0
Relief floods through me, so strong I almost sway. Shiko squeezes my shoulder, and Seline lets out a breath she’s been holding.163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpG5paYCe4W
The deputy principal stands, gathering the documents. “Go back to class. I’ll call you when I’ve finished my investigation. And, Kimberly… thank you for bringing this to my attention. It takes courage to fight for the truth.”163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3xyBefy2EC
We leave the office together, the weight on my shoulders finally beginning to lift. Outside, the sunlight seems brighter, the air lighter. Shiko grins, Seline hugs me, and for the first time since my name was circled in red on the notice board, I feel like I belong here again.163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqcQBKv9MFY
As we walk back to class, I know things won’t be perfect overnight. There will still be whispers, still be scars. But I have my friends, I have my voice, and I have the truth. And that, I realize, is enough.163Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlBTFptIZHA
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