The sun rose gently over Maplewood Academy, casting golden hues through the large glass windows of the girls' dormitory. Lemon stretched with a soft groan, rubbing her eyes as the rays of light warmed her face. One by one, the girls stirred from their slumber — Scarlett, Hazel, Autumn, and Riley yawned and shuffled around the room, slowly waking to the new day.
They moved through their morning routine as if in a trance — brushing, bathing, dressing up, tying hair, checking their bags — their minds weighed down from everything that had happened. Evelyn, however, lay bundled up in bed, her forehead glistening with sweat.
"I'm sorry," she mumbled when she noticed them getting ready. "I can't come. I feel horrible."
Lemon approached her and gently placed a hand on her forehead. "You're burning up, Eve. Rest today. We'll bring you notes."
With worried glances exchanged, the five girls made their way through the long corridor, stepping into the fresh air outside. The trees swayed softly with the morning breeze, but none of them noticed. Even the sky seemed to reflect their mood — heavy and grey.
They reached their classroom, sat down in their usual spots, and watched blankly as the professor began the lecture. Words floated in the air, ungrasped, unnoticed.
Hazel twirled her pen but wasn't writing anything.
Scarlett stared at the same sentence in her notebook for fifteen minutes.
Lemon kept zoning out, her chin in her palm.
The professor's voice was interrupted by the knock of another teacher. They whispered, but the silence in the class made it easy to hear.
"What? The media? They barged in without permission?"
The professor's eyes widened as he turned to the class. "All of you stay here. Do not come out unless told."
He rushed out of the room, leaving the students whispering and buzzing.
One girl, two benches ahead, leaned to her friend and whispered, "I bet it's about that girl… Evelyn. You know, the one who threatened that Alisha girl?"
Another joined in, "Yeah! She literally said she'd kill her, and now the girl's dead?"
The five girls looked at each other — frozen — then immediately stood up and bolted out of the class. Their footsteps echoed in the corridor as they sprinted toward the hostel building.
The path felt longer than usual. The closer they got, the more people they saw. The air buzzed with chaos. Parents stood in clusters, anxious and angry, and media vans lined the street. Cameras flashed. Boom mics jutted into the air.
As they turned the corner to their dorm, they saw a crowd gathering outside their room. Teachers were trying to control. Reporters were pointing their microphones through the half-open door.
"Is it true that you threatened the victim?"
"How exactly did you murder her?"
"Was it personal hatred or part of a bigger plan?"
Inside the room, Evelyn sat on the bed, frozen in fear and confusion, her face pale and lips trembling.
Lemon's blood boiled. She couldn't take it anymore.
She pushed through the crowd and stormed into the room.
"ENOUGH!" she screamed. Her voice cracked like lightning.
Everyone turned. Cameras pointed to her now.
"Why now, huh? Why the hell did you all show up now?" she continued, eyes blazing. "Four girls — FOUR — were murdered in this hostel. And no one... no one gave a damn. No police stayed. No media cared. No justice was demanded!"
The reporters stepped back.
"But now," Lemon hissed, pointing a shaky finger at them, "just because of a stupid RUMOUR — that my friend, who has been lying in bed sick and broken, might have done it — you all run here like it's some TV drama?"
One reporter tried to ask a question. Lemon cut her off.
"She was with us the ENTIRE day Alisha died. How can you be so blind? Do you think threatening someone in anger is the same as killing them? Do you think any girl who's mad one day becomes a murderer the next?!"
Some parents in the crowd shouted back.
"Our daughters were innocent too!"
"She should be arrested!"
"She must have done it!"
Lemon's face hardened.
"She didn't even know those girls personally. She never had any reason to hurt them! You're not grieving parents. You're just scared, and you're throwing your pain at the wrong person!. You all think you can ruin someone's life with just a few whispers, don't you? You can't decide someone's fate based on rumors. Evelyn didn't kill anyone. She was with us the whole day when Alisha died. You think you can blame her just because of a stupid fight? You don't know anything!"
Lemon's voice grew louder, the fury in her eyes matching the fire in her words.
"She was the last one to fight Alisha!" a voice yelled.
"She's dangerous!" another added.
"She's a murderer!"
One of the parents, her face red with rage, stepped forward. "She's the one! She's guilty!"
Lemon stepped closer, her face inches from the woman's. "And what makes you think you know that? What makes you so sure that Evelyn is the killer? You don't have all the facts. You're making judgments based on nothing, and that's not fair to anyone."
Before Lemon could yell again, the teachers stepped in, forcing the media and the parents to retreat. Shouts echoed down the corridor as officials worked to push everyone out of the building. One teacher barked orders to reporters.
"This is not a place for your circus! OUT!"
Another guided the stunned girls back into their room.
Finally, the door shut.
Evelyn burst into tears, her hands shaking.
Lemon rushed to her side and wrapped her arms around her. Hazel, Scarlett, Riley, and Autumn joined in. The six girls huddled together in a tight group hug.
"Don't worry, Evelyn," Lemon whispered, her voice fierce yet gentle. "We're with you. No matter what."
"We know you didn't do anything," Scarlett added.
"You're not alone in this," said Hazel.
"You're not a killer, Eve," Autumn said. "You're our friend. You're family."
Riley wiped a tear from Evelyn's cheek. "We'll protect you. Whatever it takes."
Evelyn looked around, eyes filled with pain and gratitude. "Thank you," she whispered. "Thank you so much."
The storm outside might have raged, but inside that room — among those six girls — there was still a flicker of unshakable trust.