Chapter 1 - The Fountain
The books hit the fountain before Anna understood what Kayla Harris had done.
One second, Anna was crossing the courtyard of Westbridge Academy with five library books pressed against her chest.
The next, Kayla’s hand struck the stack.
Hard.
Books scattered through the air.
Two landed on wet stone.
Three splashed directly into the fountain.
Anna gasped.
“No!”
She lunged toward the water.
Kayla grabbed the frayed strap of Anna’s old gray backpack and jerked her backward.
“Leave them.”
Anna nearly lost her balance.
Kayla smiled.
“Your family probably couldn’t afford to replace them anyway.”
A few students laughed.
Anna felt every face in the courtyard turn toward her.
Westbridge Academy was a private college-preparatory school outside Boston, a place of stone buildings, manicured lawns, donor plaques, and tuition that cost more each year than Anna’s mother earned from one of her two jobs.
Anna attended on a full academic scholarship.
Most students knew.
Kayla made sure they never forgot.
Anna dropped to her knees beside the fountain.
The water was cold enough to hurt her fingers.
She pulled out The Odyssey first.
Its pages were already swelling.
Then a history book.
Then a biography of Eleanor Roosevelt.
Water poured from their bindings.
Kayla stood over her.
“Look at you.”
Anna kept working.
“Begging over library books like they’re family heirlooms.”
More laughter.
Not everyone.
Anna noticed that.
Some students looked horrified.
Others stared at the ground.
Kayla leaned closer.
“I guess when your family owns nothing, anything feels expensive.”
Anna stopped moving.
Her fingers tightened around the soaked book.
She wanted to cry.
She refused.
Kayla’s perfume drifted over the fountain water.
“You should be grateful they even let families like yours through the front gate.”
That was when Ben Carter stopped watching.
He had been sitting on a nearby bench with his phone angled toward them.
Anna had not noticed.
Kayla had not noticed.
Ben had started recording when Kayla blocked Anna’s path.
He had captured everything.
The insult.
The books.
The backpack grab.
Every word.
Ben opened a message to Principal Daniel Mercer.
He typed:
Please help. Courtyard fountain. Kayla Harris is targeting Anna again. I recorded it.
He attached the video.
Sent.
Anna stood with three ruined books dripping against her skirt.
Kayla finally noticed Ben.
“What are you doing?”
Ben looked at his phone.
“Nothing.”
“Are you recording me?”
Before Ben answered, his phone rang.
The screen showed:
PRINCIPAL MERCER
Ben blinked.
He answered.
“Hello?”
Kayla’s smile weakened.
Ben listened.
“Yes, sir.”
Pause.
“We’re still in the courtyard.”
Another pause.
Ben’s eyebrows rose.
“What?”
Anna looked at him.
Kayla did too.
Ben turned slightly away.
“No, she doesn’t know.”
Kayla stepped forward.
“Who are you talking to?”
Ben lowered the phone.
“I’m not calling anyone.”
He looked directly at her.
“The principal called me.”
Kayla’s smile disappeared.
Anna slowly stood.
Water dripped from the books onto her shoes.
Ben listened again.
His expression changed.
“What did he say?” Anna whispered.
Ben covered the phone.
“He asked if Kayla knew there was already a complaint with her name on it.”
Kayla went completely still.
“From who?”
Ben’s eyes moved toward Westbridge’s administration building.
“He said the person is waiting inside.”
Kayla stared at the tall windows.
For the first time, Anna saw genuine fear on her face.
Not irritation.
Not embarrassment.
Fear.
“Who?” Kayla demanded again.
Ben shook his head.
“I don’t know.”
Kayla grabbed her bag.
“I’m leaving.”
A teacher entered the courtyard from the science wing.
“Kayla Harris?”
Kayla stopped.
The teacher’s tone was polite but firm.
“Principal Mercer has asked all three of you to come to his office.”
“I have class.”
“So do Anna and Ben.”
Kayla’s jaw tightened.
Anna looked at her soaked books.
“What about these?”
“I’ll contact the library,” the teacher said.
Anna swallowed.
“They’ll charge me.”
“No,” he replied. “Not before we understand what happened.”
Kayla gave a bitter laugh.
“Of course.”
Anna turned.
“What does that mean?”
“Nothing.”
“No. Say it.”
Kayla looked her up and down.
“You’ve always wanted people feeling sorry for you.”
Anna’s face burned again.
Then Ben stepped between them.
“Stop.”
Kayla stared at him.
“You think one video makes you important?”
“No.”
Ben slipped the phone into his pocket.
“I think it makes lying harder.”
The teacher directed them toward the administration building.
Students parted as they crossed the courtyard.
Anna hated that walk.
She could feel people staring at her wet skirt and damaged books.
But beside her, Kayla looked worse.
Pale.
Silent.
For once, she had nothing cruel to say.
Inside the office, Principal Mercer stood near the reception desk.
He looked first at Anna.
“Are you hurt?”
“No.”
“Did Kayla grab your backpack?”
Anna nodded.
Mercer looked at Kayla.
“We’ll discuss that in a moment.”
Kayla folded her arms.
“My mother needs to be here.”
“She’s being contacted.”
“Good.”
Then a side-office door opened.
A girl stepped out.
Anna recognized her immediately.
Mia Reynolds.
Kayla’s closest friend until three weeks earlier.
Mia’s eyes were red.
She held a thick envelope against her chest.
Kayla stared.
“You?”
Mia’s voice shook.
“Yes.”
Kayla looked from Mia to Principal Mercer.
“You filed a complaint against me?”
Mia swallowed.
“I should’ve done it months ago.”
The envelope trembled in her hands.
Anna looked at it.
“What’s in there?”
Mia met her eyes.
“Proof.”
Kayla’s face lost the last of its color.
And Anna suddenly understood that the books in the fountain had not started anything.
May you like
They had interrupted something already beginning to collapse.
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