Chapter 5 - The Students Who Laughed
The bus videos appeared online that evening.
Not the security footage.
Student recordings from the morning.
Ava discovered this because her cousin Mia texted:
Please tell me you’re not on TikTok.
Ava was.
Unfortunately.
The first clip had already been viewed twenty-three thousand times.
It showed Kayla sitting in Ava’s seat.
Ava on the floor.
The line about her shoes.
Then inheritance.
The video ended before Mr. Walker mentioned yesterday.
The caption:
Rich girl destroys scholarship kid on school bus.
Ava stared at the screen.
“Scholarship kid?”
Ben took the phone.
“Stop.”
“People are commenting.”
“That’s why stop exists.”
She grabbed it back.
Most comments defended her.
That did not help.
Poor baby.
Someone buy her shoes.
Drop her Venmo.
She looks so sad omg.
Ava’s face burned.
“I hate this.”
Ben sat beside her.
“I know.”
“They think I need charity.”
“People online know thirty seconds.”
“One person said they’ll send sneakers.”
“Do you need sneakers?”
She looked down.
The soles were worn.
“Eventually.”
“Then I’ll buy you sneakers.”
“With what?”
“My mysterious auto-mechanic fortune.”
She almost smiled.
Then she saw another comment.
Maybe the Whitmore girl knows something. Martin family has always played the tragedy card.
Ava’s stomach dropped.
The account had no profile photo.
Ben saw her expression.
“What?”
She showed him.
His face tightened.
“Do not answer.”
“Who is that?”
“I don’t know.”
“It sounds like Dana.”
“Or someone who heard a story.”
Ava hated uncertainty.
At school the next morning, Principal Foster addressed the viral video.
She did not name Ava.
“Recording misconduct can preserve important evidence. Posting another student’s humiliation publicly is a separate decision with separate consequences.”
Three students looked uncomfortable.
One was Noah Briggs, who had filmed from across the aisle.
Ava knew immediately.
After assembly, Noah approached her.
“Hey.”
She kept walking.
“Ava.”
“What?”
He looked miserable.
“I posted it.”
“I figured.”
“I thought people should see what Kayla did.”
“Without asking me.”
“I wasn’t thinking.”
“That seems popular lately.”
He flinched.
“Sorry.”
Ava wanted to hurt him back.
Tell him his apology was garbage.
Instead:
“Take it down.”
“I did.”
“It’s everywhere.”
“I know.”
“Then taking yours down doesn’t fix it.”
“I know.”
She stared.
Noah swallowed.
“What can I do?”
Ava almost said nothing.
Then remembered something Principal Foster had told her.
People should not be given impossible repair jobs just so you can stay angry.
“Give the original file to the school.”
“I already did.”
“And don’t post me again.”
“I won’t.”
“Okay.”
“That’s it?”
“That’s enough.”
He looked surprised.
Ava walked away.
At lunch, Chloe Barnes approached.
Chloe had been Kayla’s closest friend since elementary school.
She had also been the girl on yesterday’s bus footage telling Kayla she went too far.
Now she carried a printed packet.
“I need to give you something.”
Ava tensed.
“What?”
“Messages.”
“Give them to Principal Foster.”
“I did.”
“Then why are you here?”
Chloe looked ashamed.
“Because some of them are mine.”
Ava folded her arms.
Chloe continued.
“I laughed at stuff.”
“I noticed.”
“I told her to stop sometimes.”
“Very heroic.”
“I know.”
The sarcasm hit Chloe.
She took it anyway.
Then said:
“Kayla’s been planning this longer than yesterday.”
Ava’s stomach tightened.
“How long?”
“Since finalist interviews started.”
“That was two weeks ago.”
Chloe nodded.
“She thought you were getting sympathy points because of your mom.”
“Why?”
“Her mom said something.”
There it was.
Ava went still.
“What?”
Chloe looked toward the cafeteria doors.
“She was angry after the Harrison fundraiser.”
“About me?”
“She saw your application summary.”
“How?”
“I don’t know.”
“Was she allowed to?”
“I don’t know.”
Ava’s heart began pounding.
“What did Dana say?”
Chloe swallowed.
“That foundations love a sad story.”
Same phrase.
Again.
“And Kayla said?”
“That you didn’t belong in the final six.”
Ava stared.
Chloe continued.
“I thought she was just mad.”
“Then?”
“She started asking what could disqualify someone.”
“Like theft.”
“Yes.”
Ava felt sick.
Chloe handed her the packet.
“The school already has copies.”
Ava did not take it.
“I don’t want to read people planning my life.”
Chloe’s eyes filled.
“I’m sorry.”
“Did you know about the bracelet?”
“Not until she did it.”
“You were on the video.”
“I know.”
“You could have told Mr. Walker.”
“I know.”
“You could’ve told me.”
“I know.”
Ava stared.
“Why didn’t you?”
Chloe looked down.
“Because Kayla scares me.”
That surprised Ava.
“Kayla?”
“She knows things.”
“What things?”
“About everybody.”
Ava almost laughed.
“She’s thirteen.”
“So are we.”
Chloe’s eyes watered.
“That doesn’t mean she can’t ruin your day.”
Ava looked away.
She knew that was true.
Then Chloe said:
“She has a folder.”
Ava turned back.
“What folder?”
“Screenshots. Secrets. Stuff people told her.”
“For what?”
“In case they stop being useful.”
Ava stared.
The bracelet might not have been a single bad decision.
It might have been part of a system.
And for the first time, the laughter on the bus felt different.
Not random.
Not harmless.
Some of those students had laughed because Kayla was funny.
May you like
Others, Ava realized, may have laughed because being on Kayla’s side felt safer than being under her attention.
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