Maya walked into school and felt it immediately.

People stared.

Jordan met her near the front doors.

“You should probably know something.”

“That sentence never brings anything good.”

“Claire says you got her disqualified.”

Maya stopped.

“I didn’t even know she used my name until Patel showed me.”

“I know.”

“She forged my name.”

“I know.”

“So how did I get her disqualified?”

Jordan shrugged.

“Reality has not traditionally slowed Claire down.”

Maya started walking again.

Claire was waiting near Maya’s locker.

Lexi stood beside her.

This time there was no smile.

“You happy?”

Maya opened her locker.

“About what?”

“Don’t.”

Maya looked at her.

“You’re going to need to be more specific.”

“You told Patel I faked my hours.”

“She showed me a form with my name on it.”

“You could’ve said you forgot signing it.”

Maya stared at her.

Claire actually believed that.

“You wanted me to lie?”

“You didn’t have to make it some huge thing.”

“You used my name.”

“It was a signature.”

“It wasn’t my signature.”

“It wasn’t hurting you.”

Maya closed her locker.

“That’s not your decision.”

Claire stepped closer.

“You cost me fifteen thousand dollars.”

“No.”

Maya placed the backpack over one shoulder.

“You did.”

Claire’s face reddened.

“Don’t act like you’re innocent.”

“I am literally innocent.”

Lexi laughed before she could stop herself.

Claire whipped around.

“Shut up.”

The hallway became quiet.

Maya looked at Lexi.

Then Claire.

And for the first time, Maya understood that this was bigger than simple annoyance.

Claire was humiliated.

And Claire did not know how to experience humiliation without finding someone else to carry it.

Maya walked away.

The harassment returned immediately.

Someone smeared yogurt across the handle of Maya’s locker.

Claire began loudly calling her “Officer Reynolds” whenever they crossed paths.

A fake post claimed Maya reported students because she was “desperate for scholarship sympathy.”

Then a private message arrived from an account Maya did not recognize.

WATCH YOUR BACK IN THE CAFETERIA. SNITCHES SLIP.

Maya stared at it for nearly a minute.

That one she saved.

Jordan told her to report it.

Maya resisted.

“You have an actual threat.”

“It’s probably some idiot.”

“An idiot threatening you is still an idiot threatening you.”

“I don’t want this turning into a whole investigation.”

“It already is a whole investigation.”

Maya sighed.