Chapter 10
928 Words
Keira POV
“Stand up.”
Mrs. Hale’s voice cut through the conference room like a snap.
I stood.
So did Kaden.
Lila stayed seated, arms crossed, face blank.
The room was small.
Just the four of us and Mr. Davies from the board.
No students.
No phones.
No audience to play to.
Good.
“Let’s get this over with,” Mr. Davies said, shuffling papers.
“Lila West, you’re here for unauthorized recording, defamation, and harassment of a student.
Keira Morgan, you’re here as the victim.
Kaden West, you’re here as a witness.”
Lila didn’t flinch.
“Victim?” she said.
“She’s not a victim.
She’s just bad at hiding.”
Mrs. Hale’s eyes went cold.
“Watch your tone, Lila.”
Lila smiled.
“Or what? You’ll suspend me again?”
I felt my hands clench.
She wasn’t even scared.
Mr. Davies sighed.
“Let’s start with the footage.
Mrs. Hale, play it.”
The screen on the wall flickered on.
It was the library video.
The full one.
No cuts.
No music.
No fake captions.
I watched myself push Kaden away.
Watched Lila step into frame, phone up, smiling like she’d just won the lottery.
When it ended, the room was silent.
Mr. Davies turned to Lila.
“Care to explain?”
Lila leaned back in her chair.
“Yeah.
I was scared.
Keira and Kaden were acting weird.
I thought something was going on.
I recorded it to protect myself.”
“Protect yourself from what?” Mrs. Hale asked.
“From them,” Lila said.
“From what they could do to me.”
Kaden stepped forward.
“That’s not how this works, Lila.
You edited that video.
You posted it.
You lied.”
“I didn’t lie,” Lila said.
“I just didn’t show everything.”
Mr. Davies rubbed his temples.
“Miss West, do you understand that editing footage to mislead people is a violation of school policy?”
“I understand,” she said.
“I also understand that Keira isn’t exactly innocent.”
My head snapped up.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Lila looked right at me.
“At the quarry.
You two were alone.
No one else around.
What were you doing there, Keira?”
Kaden answered before I could.
“Talking.
Like normal people do when they’re trying to figure things out.”
“Yeah,” Lila said.
“Talking.”
She let the word hang in the air.
Mrs. Hale cut in.
“That’s enough.
We’re not here to discuss what may or may not have happened at the quarry.
We’re here to discuss what you did, Lila.”
Lila shrugged.
“Fine.
I posted the video.
I wanted people to know what she’s really like.”
“And what is she really like?” Mr. Davies asked.
Lila hesitated.
For the first time, she looked unsure.
“She’s… she’s trying to take my place,” she said quietly.
“My dad.
My school.
My life.”
The room went still.
I didn’t know what to say to that.
Because part of it was true.
I hadn’t asked for any of this.
But I was here now.
And I wasn’t leaving.
Mrs. Hale broke the silence.
“Lila, your behavior has created a hostile environment for another student.
That ends now.”
She looked at Mr. Davies.
“I recommend expulsion.”
Lila’s face didn’t change.
But her hands, resting on the table, curled into fists.
Mr. Davies nodded.
“I agree.
Lila West, you are expelled from St. Claire Academy, effective immediately.
You may appeal within seven days.”
Lila stood up slow.
She didn’t look at me.
Didn’t look at Kaden.
She looked at Mrs. Hale.
“Big mistake,” she said.
“You’ll see.”
Then she walked out.
The door closed behind her.
Silence again.
Mr. Davies closed his folder.
“Keira, Kaden, you’re free to go.
We’ll release a statement to the school tomorrow.
The videos will be taken down.”
Kaden nodded.
“Thank you.”
Mrs. Hale looked at me.
“You did the right thing, Keira.
Don’t let this change you.”
I nodded.
“I won’t.”
We left the room together.
The hallway outside was empty.
Lunch was still going on.
No one knew yet.
Kaden stopped me before we hit the courtyard.
“You okay?” he asked.
I thought about it.
“I will be.”
He nodded.
“Me too.”
We walked out into the light.
People were already looking.
Phones were out.
Someone had posted that Lila was gone.
The whispers started up again.
But this time, they weren’t about me and Kaden.
They were about Lila.
“Did you hear? She’s expelled.”
“Serves her right.”
“I feel bad for her dad though.”
I kept walking.
Head high.
Kaden stayed beside me.
Not too close.
Not too far.
Just there.
We reached the steps.
I stopped.
Kaden stopped too.
“What now?” he asked.
“Now,” I said,
“We go to class.”
He smiled.
“Yeah.
Like normal students.”
We started down the steps.
Halfway down, my phone buzzed.
I pulled it out.
Unknown Number:
_This isn’t over, Keira.
You think expelling me fixes anything?
I’m just getting started._
I showed it to Kaden.
His face hardened.
“Delete it,” he said.
“Don’t reply.”
I deleted it.
But my hands were shaking again.
Because Lila was right about one thing.
This wasn’t over.
- Writer
