Chapter 4

Josiah was late. Not just a few minutes, but almost an hour. I sat on the bus, my bag beside me, gazing out the window at the blurred landscape. The bus was nearly full, students chattering excitedly about the camping trip. Two seats remained, side-by-side, in the middle. My usual spot. The spot he always saved for me, a silent understanding we' d shared since childhood.

But he wasn't there.

I tried to focus on the passing trees, on anything but the gnawing anxiety in my stomach. He always prioritized me. He always made sure I had my space. He always sat next to me.

Then I saw him, finally, jogging towards the bus, Alexandria clinging to his arm. She was laughing, her head thrown back. He whispered something to her, and she playfully punched his shoulder. They were the picture of carefree youth, oblivious to my silent vigil.

He stepped onto the bus, his eyes scanning the rows. He saw me. His gaze snagged on the two empty seats beside me. For a split second, I saw a familiar flicker in his eyes – recognition, perhaps a hint of guilt. He started to move towards me. My heart gave a tiny, stupid lurch.

But then, Alexandria tugged his arm. She whispered something, her nails digging playfully into his bicep. Her eyes, bright and calculating, met mine. A tiny, almost imperceptible smirk played on her lips. She didn't let go.

Josiah hesitated. His eyes darted from me to Alexandria, then back to me. His shoulders slumped almost imperceptibly. He took a breath, then turned, allowing Alexandria to guide him toward the back of the bus, where two seats had just opened up. He sat down next to her, a casual gesture that shredded the last remnants of my hope.

He chose her. Again. Publicly. Unquestionably.

I stared out the window, forcing my face into a blank mask. My phone vibrated. A text from him.

"Hey, sorry, Alex wanted to sit in the back. Just easier with her friends there. You good?"

I didn' t reply.

Another text, almost immediately. "You have your hearing aids, right? I know it' s loud on the bus. Don' t want you to miss out."

He still thought he was my protector, my voice. He still thought I needed him. He didn' t realize I was already deaf to his empty words. I simply blocked his number. The tiny satisfaction was fleeting, swallowed by the gaping hole in my chest. I pulled out my sketchbook, burying myself in the silent world of lines and shadows. The bus journey passed in a blur of forced indifference.

When we arrived at the campsite, the counselors announced the first activity: a scavenger hunt, requiring pairs. My stomach twisted. I hated these forced interactions. I preferred the quiet solitude of my own company.

Before I could even think of an excuse, Alexandria was there, a syrupy smile on her face. "Grace! You and me, right? Besties!" She linked her arm through mine. Her touch was cold, possessive.

I flinched, pulling my arm away. Her smile didn't waver, but her eyes narrowed. "What's wrong, Gracie? Don't want to be my partner?"

I shook my head, my jaw tight. I didn' t trust her. Not after the mural. Not after Josiah' s betrayal.

"Oh, come on," she purred, sidling closer. "It'll be fun! We can bond. You and me. Girls' day out in the wilderness." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Besides, Josiah is with Mark. You wouldn't want to ruin their bromance, would you?"

I just stood there, a stone in the stream. She moved even closer, her hand reaching for my arm again. This time, I recoiled sharply, stepping back a full pace.

Her smile vanished. Her eyes flashed with something ugly. "Fine," she hissed, her voice barely audible. "Be that way."

Then, with a dramatic gasp and a theatrical wobble, she stumbled backward. Her foot caught on an invisible root, and she went down with an exaggerated cry, landing with a soft thud on the damp earth.

"Ow! My ankle!" she shrieked, clutching her leg.

Immediately, Josiah was there. He rushed towards her, his face a mask of concern. "Alex! Are you okay? What happened?"

Alexandria, tears welling in her eyes, pointed a trembling finger at me. "Grace... she... she pushed me! I just wanted to be friends, and she... she shoved me!"

My blood ran cold. She pushed me. The lie hung in the air, thick and nauseating.

Josiah knelt beside her, his hand gently touching her ankle. He didn't even look at me. His focus was entirely on Alexandria.

"What?" I finally managed to croak, my voice raspy with shock and indignation. "I didn't... I didn't push her!"

A chorus of gasps and murmurs erupted from the surrounding students. Their eyes, once indifferent, were now fixed on me, filled with accusation and disgust. Mark, Josiah's friend, stepped forward, his face contorted in anger. "You seriously just shoved her? What is wrong with you, Grace? She was trying to be nice!"

"No! I didn't!" I insisted, my voice cracking, barely audible above their growing whispers.

"She's lying!" Alexandria wailed, burying her face in Josiah's shoulder. "She's always hated me! She's jealous!"

The whispers grew louder, morphing into outright condemnation. Crazy. Mute girl's gone psycho. Always so weird.

My vision blurred. My hands trembled. I was trapped, engulfed by their collective judgment.

Josiah, cradling Alexandria, finally looked up at me. His eyes, usually so kind, were now hard, cold, and utterly devoid of pity. "Grace," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "Apologize to her. Now."

My head snapped back. Me? Apologize? For something I didn't do?

"No," I choked out, my voice barely a whisper. "I won't. I didn't do anything."

"Grace, don't make this worse," he warned, his grip tightening on Alexandria. "She's hurt. And she's upset. Just apologize, and we can move past this."

"But I didn't push her!" My voice was a desperate plea, but it was lost in the growing tide of public opinion.

"Are you going to apologize, or do I have to drag you over here?" he threatened, his eyes blazing with an unfamiliar anger. "Do you want to make Alexandria look bad? Do you want everyone to think she's lying?"

His words, his tone, were a betrayal more profound than any before. He wasn't just choosing her; he was actively turning against me. He was sacrificing my dignity, my truth, for her convenience, for his own popularity.

The faces around me merged into a sea of scorn. Mark stepped forward, his voice a venomous hiss. "Go on, freak. Say you're sorry. You're always causing trouble, aren't you? The poor mute girl who can't take care of herself, always messing things up for everyone else."

My body shook with a rage so fierce, it consumed me. But then Josiah's voice cut through it, cold and unfeeling. "Grace. Apologize. Now." He stood up, Alexandria still clinging to him, and took a step towards me. His eyes, once my safe harbor, were now an enemy.

He reached for me, his hand grasping my shoulder. His fingers dug into my flesh, pushing me forward. My legs buckled. I fell, my knees hitting the rough ground with a sharp crack. I was kneeling before Alexandria, a public spectacle of humiliation.

The students around us pulled out their phones, their cameras flashing, capturing my degradation. They were documenting my public execution.

Josiah's voice, cold and clear, commanded, "Say it, Grace."