Life Within The Halls

Chapter 24: "Karma Is A Bit*h"

LIFE WITHIN THE HALLS

Sandra

Friday,  19th March, 10:30 a.m.

The day of Hill Academy's 30th anniversary celebration had finally arrived, and the assembly hall was buzzing with excitement.

The who's who of Bel-Air's elite had turned out in force, including reps from the Ministry of Education, the mayor, and even some personalities from the White House.

Parents were all dressed to the nines in what they deemed to be their most luxurious outfits, while students were eager to make a good impression.

The hall was decked out in banners reading '30th Anniversary', and news reporters with their cameramen were on hand to capture every moment. Student leaders took their seats in the front rows, with the rest of the student body filling in behind them.

It was shaping up to be a memorable day.

On the surface, everything seemed to be falling into place. Kelvin Cooper had stopped texting Jayden with Chloe's AnonymousX account, and Victoria had been busy perfecting her anniversary speech.Even Gideon seemed relieved after confessing to framing Kelvin Cooper to us, though I was sure he hadn't told us the whole truth. But as for me? I was just pretending to fit in, all while hiding my true intentions.

I had enrolled in the school with one goal in mind: to find out the truth about what had happened at the school's night party two years ago. What Principal Wilson had told me was garbage, and the media's version of it was also total trash. It couldn't have been the truth.

After a number of performances and speeches, Ms. Murphy, the MC for the ceremony, called upon Victoria to take the stage.

Victoria, who was sitting at the high table with her parents, got up and walked confidently to the podium.

She positioned the microphone to her height. "Good morning, esteemed guests, faculty members, fellow students, and press," she began, glancing briefly at her speech paper. "As we gather here today to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Hill Academy, I am reminded of the remarkable journey that has brought us to this moment. Thirty years ago, my late grandfather, Austin Gregory Hill, had a vision—a vision of creating an institution where students could not only receive an education but also be inspired to dream beyond the confines of their—"

Just as she was hitting her stride, my phone and everyone else's blew up with a notification, disrupting the serious mood.

I couldn't resist checking it. I unlocked my phone and tapped on the notification to find a live video stream by AnonymousX, which had almost 15,000 viewers.

The live video showed two boys in the school's basketball jackets in a state of terror, screaming for help as they ran through the hallways. It was as if something was chasing them.

Shock rippled through the hall, leading to a chorus of hushed conversations.

"Oh," I heard one girl whisper to another, "I remember when those two guys from the basketball team used to make fun of Kelvin Cooper, the student who stole exam papers, by making him sprint through the hallway when teachers weren't around."

The other girl nodded. "Karma is a bitch!"

A news reporter from News Channel Eight stood up from her seat, demanding answers. "Mr. Principal, what's happening here? Is this what's been going on behind the scenes?"

The live stream cut off, and the two guys from the video burst into the assembly hall, their desperate cries echoing off the walls.

We all gasped as they dropped to their knees on stage, begging for forgiveness. "We're so sorry for bullying you, please forgive us!"