“What if they think it was us?” One of them asked, his hands trembling. “What if he said something before he left?” “This is bad. I didn’t even do anything—did I?” No one knew. And the fear only fed the rumor mill. Still, the school tried to carry on, at least until Thursday morning, when the PA system crackled and the principal called an unexpected assembly.
The gym filled with restless bodies, the bleachers creaking under shifting weight and rising speculation. The principal’s speech was painfully vague. A reminder to “be kind.” A reminder that “everyone is part of this community.” A reminder that “words have consequences.” No names. No details. Just a thin veil over the thing everyone was already thinking. Richard.