The walk back to the classroom was quiet at first, the tension between us hanging in the air. Then Mr. Lee finally broke the silence.

“I’m sorry, Zak,” he said softly. “I should’ve spoken up, said something. But the principal... he can be tough sometimes. I was scared that if I stood up for you, I’d be the one getting in trouble. I know I should’ve said something about Lucas’s disgusting behavior. He was clearly the aggressor.”

I nodded, not saying a word. I didn’t trust myself to speak, and Mr. Lee seemed to take my silence as a sign to drop the subject.

I went back to the classroom to gather my things. My bag was still on the table at the far end. As I made my way across the room, I felt eyes on me. Some students stared, their faces cold and unfeeling, like I wasn’t even human. Others snickered as I walked by, whispering about the smell that still clung to me.

I kept my head down, avoiding eye contact with everyone—everyone except Alison. She sat somewhere in the middle of the room, and when our eyes met, she gave me a small smile. I smiled back, but quickly looked away as my heart started pounding in my chest and my face began to burn. Like every other guy in this school, I had a crush on her, but I knew nothing would ever come of it.

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I hurried out without looking back. Mr. Lee walked me all the way to the school gates before turning back. From there, I trudged the ten meters to the bus stop, waiting in silence until the bus arrived. Once I was on, my mind raced, trying to come up with a decent explanation for what had happened. How was I going to tell my parents about the suspension?

I went through a few possibilities, but then the real question hit me. Would they even believe me? I already knew the answer. My mum might—she’s always had a soft spot for me, like most mothers do. But my dad? My dad wouldn’t. No matter what I said, in the end, it would be my fault. It always was.

If I told him Lucas had taken my papers, he’d probably blame me for not getting proof—tell me I should’ve taken a video or something. At the same time, he’d criticize me for not fighting back, calling me weak. There’s no winning with him.

I squeezed my forehead and let out a long sigh. Whatever was coming, I just had to deal with it, even though I didn’t want to.