Raye had barely stepped out of the administration office when she spotted Danielle standing near the campus entrance, flanked by a few stunned students. Her eyes were red, cheeks streaked with tears—but not the kind that carried remorse. These were the kind that screamed entitlement and rage.
Danielle's gaze locked onto Raye the second she saw her. "So… they finally cleared your name," she spat, her voice trembling with anger more than sorrow.
Raye kept her composure, taking a measured step back. "Yes, Danielle. The truth came out. You tampered with files. You disabled security cameras. You were expelled."
Danielle let out a bitter laugh, wiping at her face like it was an act. "Expelled… fine. But don't think this is over." Her eyes blazed, pointing an accusing finger at Raye. "It's your fault! You—you snatched Kyle away from me! If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have even been caught."
Raye blinked, stunned at the audacity. "Excuse me?"
"You heard me," Danielle snapped, her voice rising. "You get everything handed to you! You get him, the texts, the attention… And me? I get nothing but trouble and an expulsion for daring to… to—" She gestured wildly at Raye, "interfere!"
Jane, standing just behind Raye, gave a low growl under her breath. "Wow… she really has no shame."
Raye's hands curled into fists at her sides. "Danielle… none of this is my fault. You made your choices. You destroyed university property. You tried to frame me. That's why you're expelled. Kyle—" she paused, calming herself, "—was never yours to take. You need to accept that."
Danielle's face twisted with fury and disbelief. "Accept it? Ha! You think you've won? You think this changes anything? He should be mine!"
Raye shook her head slowly, her voice firm now. "No. Kyle sees the truth. And if you really cared about him, you wouldn't have tried to ruin another student's life to get attention. Your jealousy destroyed everything for you."
Danielle's tears now seemed performative, meant to evoke sympathy. "You don't get it!" she shrieked. "You always get what you want!"
Raye finally stepped forward, voice calm but cutting. "No, Danielle. I didn't take anything from you. You lost it yourself."
Danielle took one last, venomous look at Raye and Jane, then stormed off, the sound of her heels echoing angrily against the campus pavement. Students whispered and stared, some shaking their heads in disbelief at her behavior.
Jane nudged Raye's arm, grinning. "Well… that was satisfying. Remorse? Zero. Drama? Maximum."
Raye let out a slow breath, feeling a mixture of relief and lingering irritation. "I just… can't believe how childish she is. I mean, really. Expelled and still blaming me."
Jane smirked. "Some people never learn, bestie. You, on the other hand, get to move on. Clean slate. Finally."
Raye nodded, finally feeling the weight of the last few weeks lifting. Danielle's reign of chaos was over. She could breathe again, focus on school, on friends, and maybe… on Kyle.
The afternoon sun poured through the hallway windows, painting everything in a soft, dusty glow. The campus felt quieter than usual. News traveled fast—Danielle's expulsion had spread like wildfire, and everyone was whispering about it.
Raye tried to keep walking, ignoring the stares. Jane had already gone to class, and she just wanted to be alone for a bit—to breathe without hearing Danielle's name again.
She rounded the corner near the practice room when someone stepped in front of her.
Joshua.
He looked… wrecked. Dark circles under his eyes, hair messed up like he hadn't slept properly. Gone was the usual easy confidence—the grin, the smugness, all replaced by something like regret.
"Raye," he said quietly.
Her grip tightened on her bag strap. "Move."
"Please, just hear me out."
She exhaled sharply, looking away. "Why? To say sorry after standing by while your little princess ruined my life?"
Joshua winced but didn't back away. "It's not like that. I didn't know what she planned—at least not all of it."
Raye crossed her arms, her expression unreadable. "Oh, really? You just happened to be around every time she opened her mouth?"
"I swear, Raye." His voice cracked slightly, and he ran a hand through his hair, pacing a little. "I knew she was jealous of you. Everyone did. But I thought she was just talking—just venting. Danielle told me she was going to expose you for cheating, but I didn't think she'd fake the footage and spoil the new audio machine , she only said she would frame you for entering to archive room " he paused running a hand dthrough his messy hair . " She didn't say she would destroy stuff .. I thought she actually had proof."
He took a shaky breath. "When the rumor started spreading, I confronted her. She said she'd show me everything after the announcement. I didn't know she'd—"
He stopped mid-sentence, shaking his head as if disgusted by the memory. "I didn't know she'd go that far, Raye."
Raye laughed bitterly, the sound hollow. "You didn't know. You never know, do you, Joshua? You just stand there and let people decide who I am."
Her eyes shimmered, but not from tears—from exhaustion. "You could've said something. You could've asked me. Instead, you stood with them, watching me fall apart , do I look like some derange animal that would go over tossing , and destroying things in a room _just like that ".
Joshua looked down. "I didn't stand with her. I just—didn't stand with you either. And that's what's killing me."
Silence hung between them, heavy and painful.
She looked at him—this boy who'd once been her first crush , the one she'd laughed with after every study session. But now all she saw was a stranger who had chosen silence when she needed a voice.
Joshua's eyes softened. "I know sorry won't fix anything, but I need you to know I didn't mean for this to happen. I was stupid. I thought keeping quiet would stop the drama from getting worse."
Raye's lips parted slightly, and her voice came out quiet but steady.
"Silence doesn't stop drama, Joshua. It feeds it."
He nodded slowly, tears glinting in his eyes. "You're right."
For a long moment, neither of them moved. The faint echo of students laughing in the distance filled the gap between their words.
Finally, Joshua stepped back, voice low. "I just… wanted to clear things up. I don't expect forgiveness. I just didn't want you to think I helped her."
Raye's eyes flicked up to meet his. "I don't think you helped her, Joshua. I think you helped yourself—by staying comfortable."
That one hit hard. He swallowed, his jaw tightening.
And just as he turned to leave, she spoke again—softly, almost too soft to catch.
"For what it's worth… I hope you learned what it costs to stay quiet."
Joshua stopped for a heartbeat, then nodded once without looking back.
"Yeah," he said hoarsely. "I did."
When he walked away, Raye stood still, the weight of the conversation pressing against her chest.
She wanted to cry again—but no. Not for him. Not anymore.