-willow tree-

outed

The next day, Jane returned to school with a heavy heart, still reeling from the loss of her friendship with Adaline. She felt determined to confront Adaline, hoping to explain everything and mend what had been broken. As she walked through the crowded hallways, she spotted Adaline standing by her locker, surrounded by a group of students.

Gathering her courage, Jane approached, her heart pounding. "Adaline, can we talk?" she asked softly, stepping closer.

But before she could say more, Adaline's expression shifted. Panic flickered in her eyes as she glanced around at their classmates. "Stay away from me, Jane," she said, her voice laced with fear. "You need to leave me alone."

Feeling the weight of her father's warning looming over her, Adaline realized that she had to protect herself at all costs. In a moment of desperation, she blurted out, "Everyone, just so you know, Jane is gay!"

The words hung in the air, and the surrounding students turned to look at Jane, confusion morphing into whispers. Jane felt her heart drop as she realized what Adaline was doing—outing her to shield herself from scrutiny.

"Adaline, please!" Jane pleaded, tears stinging her eyes. "This isn't fair!"

As the tension in the hallway escalated, Adaline's desperation to distance herself from Jane transformed into something darker. Fueled by fear and the desire to appease her father's expectations, she continued her tirade.

"Honestly, being gay is disgusting!" Adaline exclaimed, her voice rising above the whispers. "You deserve to go to conversion camp for thinking you can just be yourself like this!"

Adaline's friends, initially shocked, began to laugh, egged on by her words. They pulled out their phones, recording the scene as Adaline continued to berate Jane. The laughter echoed through the hallway, a cruel soundtrack to Jane's humiliation.

"Who do you think you are, trying to act like it's normal?" Adaline sneered, her heart racing as she saw her friends enjoying the moment. "You should be ashamed of yourself!"

Jane's eyes filled with tears as she felt the heat of shame wash over her. The laughter and the recording—evidence of her public shaming—cut deep. She stood there, frozen, unable to respond as Adaline's words struck like daggers.

As the laughter from her friends continued to echo in the hallway, Adaline's anger boiled over, and she found herself desperate to assert her dominance. In a moment of reckless rage, she grabbed her lunch tray filled with uneaten food and, without hesitation, poured it all over Jane's head.

"Look at you now!" Adaline shouted, watching as the contents of the tray dripped down Jane's hair and face. The crowd fell silent, shock washing over them as they processed what had just happened.

With a surge of aggression, Adaline then shoved Jane hard against the nearby locker, the loud bang reverberating through the hallway. "You think you can just be yourself and get away with it?" she spat, her voice laced with venom.

In that heated moment, Adaline's words turned even uglier. "You're just a freak!" she yelled, using a slur that cut deep, reflecting the harshness of the environment they were in. The surrounding students began to murmur, some pulling out their phones to record the scene, capturing the humiliation unfolding before them.

Jane's eyes widened in disbelief, tears streaming down her face as she struggled to comprehend the betrayal from someone she once considered a friend. The laughter and jeers from Adaline's friends only added to the pain, creating an atmosphere thick with cruelty.

As Jane stood there, covered in food and feeling utterly humiliated, Adaline took a step back, her heart racing. In that moment, she felt a fleeting sense of power, but it was quickly overshadowed by guilt and regret. The damage was done, and both girls were left to grapple with the consequences of that moment—a moment that would haunt them both for a long time.