By lunchtime, the entire school was buzzing. The video had spread far beyond what Maya expected, but something else was spreading too. Whispers. Doubts. Questions about how real the clip actually was.
The confrontation in the media room had not stayed secret. News traveled fast in Ridgewood International, especially when Vanessa was involved. Some students started wondering why she reacted the way she did. Why she looked shaken. Why Maya walked out with her head held high instead of crumbling.
It was the first crack in Vanessa's power.
Maya felt it. Liam felt it. And Vanessa definitely felt it.
Maya and Liam slipped into the computer lab right after lunch. The room was empty except for a few quiet students who barely lifted their heads.
"We need the access logs," Liam said quietly. "The media club computer tracks every edit made. Every file opened. Everything saved."
Maya nodded. "And if we find her name on it, we have proof."
Liam sat at one of the main computers and pulled up the school network's archive panel. Maya stood beside him, watching the screen load. Her palms were warm, her heart beating faster than she liked.
"Do you think she erased anything?" Maya asked.
"Maybe," Liam answered. "But the school's system keeps automatic backups. Even if she deleted the file, the backup might still show her activity."
Maya exhaled slowly. "Good."
Liam typed quickly, navigating through folders until he reached the media editing logs. There were dozens of entries from students who worked on school projects, club videos, and announcements.
Liam scrolled.
Maya leaned closer.
Then she saw it.
Not the video itself, but a name.
Vanessa Hawthorne.
Next to the label: Audio Manipulation File Created. Timestamp: Yesterday, 4:17 PM.
Maya felt her chest tighten. "There it is."
Liam clicked it, and a smaller panel opened with more details. The system automatically saved a short clip of each project for security reasons. The thumbnails were right there, small previews of the fake audio layers Vanessa had added to Maya's silent rooftop moment.
"This is everything we need," Liam said.
Maya nodded. "We should make copies."
Liam inserted a flash drive and saved the log file and video snippet. While it loaded, Maya scanned the room. It was still quiet, but the silence no longer felt calm. It felt like the calm before something big.
When the files finished saving, Liam pocketed the flash drive. "Let's get out of here before someone walks in."
They left the computer lab and stepped into the hallway. For a moment, Maya felt lighter. Stronger.
But her relief disappeared when she saw the figures waiting near the lockers.
Vanessa. And two of her friends.
They were blocking the hallway.
Vanessa's eyes fixed on the flash drive in Liam's hand. Her smile was thin and dangerous.
"So this is what you have been doing," she said slowly. "Digging through files that do not belong to you."
Maya stepped forward. "It is over, Vanessa. We saw the logs."
Vanessa laughed softly, but the sound did not match her eyes. They were sharp and furious. "You think the school will believe you? You broke into the system. You accessed restricted files. You will be punished before I ever will."
Liam did not waver. "We did not break in. We used a student account. Anyone can view media logs."
Vanessa's smile twitched for a second. Her confidence was slipping.
Maya folded her arms. "You made that video. You edited it. You tried to humiliate me. And now we have the evidence."
Vanessa stepped closer, her voice dropping. "You think this is enough to stop me? Everyone already saw the video. The damage is done."
Maya stepped closer too. "The truth spreads faster."
Vanessa's eyes darkened. "Not faster than me."
Maya felt her pulse quicken, but she did not step back. Not this time.
Liam placed a gentle hand on Maya's arm. "We are done talking."
Vanessa looked between the two of them, her expression tightening. "Do not walk away from me, Maya."
"I am done letting you control me."
Maya turned and walked down the hallway with Liam at her side. Vanessa called out after them, but Maya did not look back.
Not even once.
They moved quickly toward the administration wing. Liam touched the pocket where the flash drive rested.
"Next stop is the counselor's office," he said. "They handle digital misconduct reports."
"Are you ready?" Maya asked.
Liam gave her a confident nod. "Are you?"
Maya inhaled deeply. For the first time since arriving at Ridgewood, her answer felt sure.
"Yes."
They entered the office together.
Today, things would finally change.
And Maya was not the same girl she used to be.