Chapter 4: The Girl Who Befriended Me
"Who is it?""
My father didn't answer immediately.
That frightened me more than if he had shouted.
I could hear students gathering at the edges of the hallway. Shoes stopped against marble. Whispers died.
Even Mrs. Whitmore had gone silent.
"Dad?""
He stepped closer.
"Her name is Madison Cole.""
My stomach dropped.
Madison.
The first person who had spoken to me at Bellmont Academy.
The girl who had sat beside me at lunch on my first day.
The girl who had helped me memorize the route from the library to the science wing.
My friend.
"No," I whispered.
Sarah shifted beside us.
"I'm sorry, Emily.""
I shook my head.
"Madison wouldn't do that.""
My father touched my shoulder.
"I want to hear her explanation too.""
Mrs. Whitmore suddenly stepped forward.
"This is ridiculous. You're interrogating children in a hallway.""
My father's voice remained calm.
"Nobody is being interrogated.""
"Then leave.""
He turned toward her.
"I'm standing beside my daughter in her school.""
Mrs. Whitmore didn't answer.
Principal Harrison cleared his throat.
"Perhaps we should continue this privately.""
Sarah spoke before anyone could move.
"There's more.""
Mrs. Whitmore snapped, "Sarah.""
Sarah flinched.
My father noticed.
"Let her speak.""
Sarah took a shaky breath.
"Madison didn't start the group.""
"Who did?"" my father asked.
"Chloe.""
A few students gasped.
Mrs. Whitmore's heels struck the marble.
"That's enough.""
"No," Sarah said.
Her voice was stronger this time.
"It isn't.""
Then I heard footsteps running toward us.
"Emily!""
Madison.
I recognized her immediately.
She stopped several feet away, breathing hard.
"Emily, please don't believe them.""
I gripped my cane.
"Did you record me?""
Silence.
That was my answer.
My throat tightened.
"Madison?""
"I can explain.""
"Did you record me?""
"Yes.""
One word.
It hurt worse than my knees had.
"Why?""
Madison began crying.
"Because Chloe told me to.""
I almost laughed.
Not because anything was funny.
Because the answer sounded so small compared with what it had done to me.
"She told you?""
Madison sniffed.
"She said everyone had to prove they belonged in the group.""
"What did you record?""
Another pause.
"The first day.""
My mind raced backward.
My first day.
Madison had offered to help me find the cafeteria.
She had asked questions.
Could I recognize people by footsteps?
Could I tell when someone waved at me?
Could I know if people were staring?
I had thought she was curious.
Now every question felt different.
"What happened in the video?""
Madison's voice cracked.
"I moved a chair.""
I stopped breathing.
"What?""
"In the cafeteria.""
A memory returned.
Walking toward the table.
Madison saying, "Right here.""
Me reaching for the chair.
Then falling backward because it wasn't where she said it was.
Everyone nearby had laughed.
Madison had helped me up.
She had hugged me.
She had told me it was an accident.
"You moved it?""
"I'm sorry.""
"You helped me up afterward.""
"I know.""
"You told me not to be embarrassed.""
"I know.""
My voice broke.
"You were recording me?""
Madison started sobbing.
"I wanted them to like me.""
I turned away.
My father didn't speak for several seconds.
Then he asked Sarah, "How many videos?""
"I don't know.""
"Approximately.""
Sarah swallowed.
"Dozens.""
Principal Harrison finally spoke.
"Dozens?""
Sarah nodded.
"Over the last two years.""
The principal sounded stunned.
My father didn't.
He sounded suspicious.
"You didn't know?""
"Absolutely not.""
Sarah whispered, "People reported things.""
The principal became quiet.
My father caught it immediately.
"What things?""
Sarah continued.
"A boy named Noah had his asthma inhaler hidden last year. They filmed him panicking while he searched for it.""
My father stiffened.
"A girl named Priya had food dumped over her during lunch. Another student had his clothes stolen from the locker room.""
"Enough!"" Mrs. Whitmore shouted.
Everyone went silent.
She walked toward Sarah.
"Do you understand what accusations like these can do to families?""
Sarah's voice trembled.
"What about what those families did to us?""
Mrs. Whitmore stopped.
Us.
That word changed everything.
My father heard it too.
"Sarah," he said gently, "were you one of their targets?""
She didn't answer.
Then I heard her crying.
"Yes.""
My father asked no more questions.
Instead, he turned toward Principal Harrison.
"Call the parents.""
"Which parents?""
"All of them.""
Mrs. Whitmore laughed bitterly.
"You think you can storm into this school and frighten everyone because of your name?""
My father faced her.
"My name is exactly why I must be careful.""
She went silent.
"If I wanted fear," he continued, "we wouldn't be having this conversation.""
His hand settled gently on my shoulder.
"I want accountability.""
For the first time, I understood something about my father.
Everyone expected Vincent Moretti to solve problems through intimidation.
But he knew people were waiting for exactly that.
So he refused to give them the excuse.
He looked at Elena.
"Preserve everything legally. Messages. Videos.
Dates. Complaints. Nothing altered.""
Elena nodded.
"Already started.""
Principal Harrison sounded alarmed.
"You cannot seize school property.""
"We won't.""
My father replied calmly.
"We'll request preservation through counsel.""
Then Sarah spoke again.
"There's something you need to see first.""
My father turned.
"What?""
"The group has a ranking system.""
My stomach twisted.
"A what?""
Sarah lowered her voice.
"They get points.""
"For bullying people?"" I asked.
"Yes.""
"Why?""
"Because at the end of every semester, someone wins.""
My father became very still.
"What do they win?""
Sarah whispered something so strange that nobody reacted at first.
"Money.""
My father asked, "From whom?""
Sarah didn't know.
But Madison did.
I could hear it in the way her breathing changed.
My father turned toward her.
"Madison?""
She started backing away.
"I can't.""
"Why?""
"Because she'll destroy my family.""
"Who?""
Madison began crying again.
May you like
Then she whispered:
"The person paying them isn't a student.""
