CHAPTER TEN162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcZ4X3vbt5s
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.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrVJ5cV8qn0
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.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZOcc8abtYY
Then she looks up at me, her voice low but urgent. “You did it. Thank you.” 162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFv2QtRTWFI
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.”162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBSonLZRPVy
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.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI4NdcJumah
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.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWN8YwdRILX
“Kim, listen,” she whispers, her voice trembling just a little. 162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLoFI6L9wtM
“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.”162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR1Z4Xs9sWz
I nod, my mind racing with questions I don’t dare ask. “Why are you helping me, Mary?”162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Epc1qBYAA
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.”162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsBTj0MvTSa
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.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOizh9ms4oy
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.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvAWGpVeExQ
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.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG6LYoPXLlw
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.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMPnGdFRg8H
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?162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRQ6XShzO2E
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.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcvpDOp07yG
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.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxSc2MRf68z
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.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVi3YLrTr2c
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.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJd6OY2EKpa
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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.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ7YUoZykDS
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.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO3TQ7Y1pzP
“Kim, where did you go?” Seline demands, her eyes searching mine. “You just disappeared.”162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvsYCLc7q9J
Shiko glances at my bag, then at my face. “Did you find something?”162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEsdWXEfrny
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.” 162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMK6wcHz7Px
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.”162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiMBqgte8WJ
They exchange a look-hurt, maybe, but also understanding. Seline reaches for my hand. “Whatever it is, we’re with you. Always.”162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKywiCc8sBI
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.”162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY5JvjZTknz
Shiko’s eyes light up with pride. “Let’s go together.”162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡovoQAMxDiT
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.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc4QvCupLKs
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.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUybU7CfJvl
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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.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEz8BEHLxKO
“Kimberly,” he says, voice measured, “I hope you have a good reason for this interruption.”162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡino1I3rlVx
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.”162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgVI9L2Fs94
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.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYPD8sM8MrN
Finally, he looks up, his tone softer but still cautious. “Where did you get these?”162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDWBracI3Bv
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.”162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJYdF6ui9nM
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.”162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfWah0me4TR
Relief floods through me, so strong I almost sway. Shiko squeezes my shoulder, and Seline lets out a breath she’s been holding.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyJGeg32iMu
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.”162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbGbF22KVCk
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.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPAA58HsOLm
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.162Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpuzV6b1rdm
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