The halls of Wemberg High felt colder than usual. Whispers followed Calvin wherever he went — some full of sympathy, others thick with gossip. Ever since the attack on Tiana, nothing had been the same.
Calvin had stopped sitting with Sophie at lunch. Their conversations had dwindled into forced smiles and awkward silence. She would glance at him across the courtyard, hoping he'd look back — but he never did.
He couldn't.
Every time he saw her, all he could think of was the image of Tiana lying in that hospital bed.
Meanwhile, Dave stood outside the hospital room with a bouquet of white lilies in hand. He had been there for hours but couldn't bring himself to go in.
He still blamed himself.
He had ignored Tiana's warnings during the fair, brushed her off as dramatic — and now she had nearly lost her life.
The nurse smiled kindly at him. "She's awake now, you know. Been asking for water."
Dave nodded. "Thanks."
He stepped in quietly. Tiana was sitting up, weak but awake, her hair tucked behind her ear.
"Dave," she whispered when she saw him.
He froze, guilt thick in his throat. "Hey… I, uh, brought flowers."
"They're beautiful," she said softly.
A moment of silence lingered between them — then he blurted out, "I'm sorry, Tiana. For not listening. For not protecting you."
Her eyes softened, but she looked away. "It's not your fault. Whoever did this wanted me out of the way."
He nodded, unable to meet her gaze. "Still… I should've been there."
By the end of the week, Tiana was discharged and returned to school, though her steps were slower and her eyes carried shadows of what she'd seen. Calvin walked her to class every day, their silence warm and unspoken — a fragile kind of peace forming between them.
But one evening, as she passed by the art room, something clicked in her mind.
A sound.
A smell.
A voice.
Her head throbbed as fragments of memory rushed back.
The night of the fair — the heavy footsteps, the glint of something metallic, and then… a perfume. Sweet, sharp, unforgettable.
Cersie's perfume.
Tiana froze, her pulse racing. She remembered turning, seeing the flash of a bracelet with a silver serpent design — the same one Cersie always flaunted.
"Cersie…" she whispered.
Later that night, Tiana met Calvin behind the gym, her face pale and determined.
"I know who attacked me," she said.
Calvin's eyes widened. "What?"
"It wasn't Chloe," she continued. "It was Cersie. She framed Chloe."
He frowned, unsure. "Tia, are you certain? There was footage—"
"Footage that she edited," Tiana cut in. "She's the tech genius. Who else could've planted the flash drive?"
Calvin stared at her, realization dawning. "Then that drive must have proof."
Tiana nodded. "And I know where she hid it."
They found Cersie in the computer lab, alone, the glow of the monitors reflecting in her cold, calculating eyes.
"Well, if it isn't the comeback queen," Cersie drawled as they entered. "Recovered already, Tiana?"
"Drop the act," Tiana said firmly. "You tried to hurt me. You planted evidence against Chloe."
Cersie smirked. "Prove it."
Calvin stepped forward. "We plan to."
He glanced at the desk, where a familiar flash drive lay half-hidden under a notebook.
Cersie followed his gaze, realizing too late. Calvin grabbed it before she could react.
"You have no idea what you're dealing with," Cersie hissed.
"Oh, I think we do," Tiana replied coldly. "And this time, you won't hide behind your perfect grades."
They turned to leave, but Cersie's voice followed them, low and venomous. "You think people will believe you over me? I run this school."
Tiana didn't look back. "Not anymore."
The next morning, Calvin and Tiana stood in the principal's office, the retrieved flash drive clutched in Calvin's hand.
The principal, a stern man with sharp glasses, inserted it into his laptop. For minutes, the room was silent except for the whir of the computer fan — and then, videos appeared: clips of Cersie sneaking backstage, deleting files, and placing the fake bracelet.
The principal's expression darkened. "This is damning evidence."
"She framed Chloe," Tiana said quietly. "And Sophie helped her hide it."
Calvin's gaze flicked to Sophie, standing by the wall with tears in her eyes. She didn't deny it — just whispered, "I thought it was just a prank… I didn't know she'd go that far."
The principal folded his hands. "Cersie Williams and Sophie Stallion — you're both suspended from student leadership and placed on detention for two weeks. Chloe will also serve time for involvement in previous misconduct."
Cersie's mask of confidence cracked. Sophie sobbed quietly, while Chloe sat outside the door, pale and silent, the truth too bitter to taste.
When the decision was announced publicly, the school's air shifted. For once, whispers turned to relief — justice had been served.
Tiana returned to class the following Monday, greeted by cautious smiles and supportive hugs. Calvin walked beside her, shoulders brushing lightly, and for the first time in weeks, she felt safe again.
During lunch, Sophie approached, her eyes red. "Calvin, can we talk?"
He nodded, following her to the courtyard.
"I didn't mean for any of this to happen," she said softly. "I thought helping Cersie would make things easier… but I ruined everything."
Calvin's jaw tightened. "You chose the wrong side, Sophie."
Tears slipped down her cheeks. "So that's it? You're done with me?"
He sighed. "Yeah. I am."
She turned away before he could see her cry.
Later that afternoon, Dave caught up to Tiana outside the school gates.
"Tia," he said quietly, holding her hand. "I meant what I said — I'm sorry. For everything."
She looked at him for a long moment, then gave a faint smile. "Apology accepted. But things… won't be the same."
"I know," he whispered.
Calvin appeared behind her, slipping an arm around her shoulders protectively. Dave took the hint, nodding before walking away.
As they watched him leave, Tiana exhaled, feeling the last threads of chaos fall away.
"Guess the storm's over," Calvin murmured.
"Maybe," she said softly, looking up at the grey sky. "But storms always leave puddles."
He smiled faintly. "Then we'll jump over them together."