Case Reopened

Rumors (Part 2)

This is tied to the last chapter: At Fault. You might want to read that one first if you haven't.

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Sophia's Defense👊
Kennedy: Tell me when you get to school
Don't go to your locker

Sophia opened the message, prepared to update Kennedy on her arrival status when her mother spoke and Sophia lowered her phone.

"Thanks for letting me drive you," she said.

"You could drive me more often but since Kennedy and Harrison pass our house I thought it would be a waste of time and energy on your part."

Yvette smiled as she tucked a strand of Sophia's hair behind her ear. The smile and the gesture all seemed to convey an affection that Sophia knew that no matter how many words she knew she could never explain it.

When the world felt loud, overwhelming, and intrusive, her mother's calm presence and actions of love was the island Sophia could always escape to. Even if escape wasn't necessary, she could always run to her mother.

"Time spent with you is never wasted," Yvette said. "I hope you have a good day."

The affection and encouragement held onto Sophia as she climbed out of the car. When she shut the door, she returned her mother's wave and walked up the school steps. As she entered the hallways, she felt students shift and split ways for her. This occurrence merited no cause for reaction since it happened often.

What Sophia had not predicted for the day was the mass of students congregating around her locker. But instead of needing to ask them to move aside, they instantly created a path for her.

Sophia walked forward but stopped when she saw her locker. Scrolled across it in black letters were words that she'd never been called before and she didn't comprehend what their association with her was.

She looked from her locker to the mass around her, noticing some pointed their phones at her while the rest eyed her and whispered to each other.

The level of Sophia's confusion rose. Since arriving at this school she had slowly become accustomed to people watching her, saying things behind her back, and giving her names that she, in some way, could connect in her mind. The names on the locker and the looks she received now, were new and unexplainable.

"You deserve it," someone yelled at her.

Sophia scanned the crowd for the offender but she refused to speak again and Sophia failed to pin her down. Not understanding what was going on but aware that the words written for her were incorrect, she took the next logical step. Retrieving her phone, she took a photo of the locker and walked away.

Someone else shouted something at her back, but Sophia ignored the accusation. As she cut her way towards the main office, she saw more and more how the eyes of those she passed were less curious as they had been and were now narrowed, judging.

With each passing group, Sophia felt her heart rate slowly pick up, though she couldn't decipher what it was about the looks that made her body react in such a way.

By the time she made it to the main office, she needed to take a moment to breathe in slowly, willing her heart to calm down.

"Do you need something, sweetie?" the main office woman asked.

Sophia took in one last breath before answering.

"I would like to see Principal Wright," she said.

"She's free at the moment, you can go right."