Chapter 3 Accusation

The hallway suddenly felt colder.

Naomi followed the direction Victoria was pointing and saw the principal walking quickly toward her. Students who had been lingering nearby immediately disappeared into classrooms or down staircases. No one wanted to be around when trouble started.

Victoria stood beside the principal with an expression that looked far too satisfied.

Naomi's stomach tightened.

"What is going on?" she muttered under her breath.

Beside her, Ethan remained unusually calm.

"Stay quiet," he said softly.

Before Naomi could ask what he meant, the principal stopped in front of them.

"Naomi Nelson?" he asked.

"Yes, sir," Naomi replied.

"I need you to come with me to the office."

Naomi blinked in confusion.

"Did something happen?"

Victoria folded her arms dramatically.

"Oh, something definitely happened."

The principal held up a hand. "Miss Hale, that will be enough."

But the damage was already done. Naomi could feel the weight of invisible eyes from every corner of the hallway.

Her heart began to beat faster.

She had been at Brookshire High for barely two days.

How could she already be in trouble?

The principal turned toward Ethan briefly.

"Mr. Cole, you may go."

Ethan didn't move.

Instead, he spoke calmly.

"Sir, may I ask what this is about?"

The principal hesitated before answering.

"There was an incident in the library this afternoon."

Naomi frowned.

"I haven't even been to the library today."

Victoria immediately spoke up.

"That's not what the cameras show."

Naomi's head snapped toward her.

"What?"

Victoria pulled out her phone.

"There was damage done to the library archives. Someone broke the lock on a restricted cabinet."

The principal nodded.

"And according to the hallway security camera, Naomi was the last person seen entering that section."

Naomi stared in disbelief.

"That's impossible."

Victoria shrugged.

"Well... the cameras don't lie."

Naomi turned to Ethan.

For some reason, his reaction mattered more than anyone else's.

His expression was thoughtful, but not suspicious.

Which somehow gave her a little relief.

"I didn't do it," Naomi said firmly.

The principal sighed.

"You can explain everything in my office."

Naomi glanced once more at Victoria.

The girl looked far too pleased.

Something about this didn't feel right.

But before Naomi could say anything else, the principal gestured toward the hallway.

"Let's go."

The walk to the office felt longer than usual.

Naomi could practically hear the rumors already spreading through the school.

The new girl.

Caught breaking into restricted school property.

Great.

Inside the principal's office, Naomi sat down across the desk while the principal reviewed a folder.

Victoria stood near the door like an eager witness.

Naomi hated that.

Finally the principal looked up.

"Miss Nelson, the library cabinet that was broken contains old student files and archived school records."

Naomi frowned.

"Okay..."

"And when the librarian returned from lunch, she found the lock forced open."

Naomi shook her head immediately.

"I didn't do that."

Victoria spoke again.

"But the camera shows you walking into that hallway."

Naomi turned toward her.

"I walked past the library earlier while trying to find the science lab. That's it."

The principal leaned back in his chair.

"That may be true. But the timing is suspicious."

Naomi felt frustration rising in her chest.

"So walking down a hallway makes me guilty?"

Victoria tilted her head slightly.

"Well... it's not like anyone else was there."

Naomi was about to argue again when suddenly the office door opened.

Ethan stepped inside.

The principal looked surprised.

"Mr. Cole, I thought I told you-"

"I know," Ethan said respectfully. "But I think there's something you should see."

The room went silent.

Ethan placed a tablet on the desk and tapped the screen.

"Another camera."

The principal leaned forward.

"This one faces the staircase near the archives," Ethan explained.

The video began playing.

Naomi watched the screen carefully.

There she was.

Walking down the hallway earlier that day.

Then the video paused.

The principal leaned closer.

Because just seconds after Naomi passed the hallway...

Someone else appeared.

A student wearing a hoodie.

Their face was partly hidden.

But their posture...

And their long blonde hair...

Made Naomi's eyes widen.

The principal slowly turned toward Victoria.

Victoria's smile disappeared instantly.

"That could be anyone," she said quickly.

But Ethan spoke quietly.

"The timestamp is five minutes before the cabinet was broken."

The principal's expression hardened.

"Miss Hale... would you like to explain why you were near the restricted archives?"

Victoria's face went pale.

"I-I was just passing through."

Ethan crossed his arms.

"Strange."

The room felt tense.

Victoria looked like she was trying to think of an escape.

Finally the principal stood up.

"I will need to review this more carefully."

Victoria forced a nervous laugh.

"Of course."

But Naomi noticed something strange.

Victoria didn't look scared.

She looked...

Angry.

At Naomi.

As the meeting ended, Naomi stepped outside the office.

Ethan followed.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Then Naomi exhaled slowly.

"Thank you."

Ethan shrugged.

"You were innocent."

"You didn't know that."

"I had a feeling."

Naomi studied him.

"You're surprisingly calm for someone who just exposed the most popular girl in school."

Ethan leaned against the hallway wall.

"Victoria Hale likes control."

Naomi crossed her arms.

"And?"

"And she doesn't lose easily."

Naomi frowned.

"What does that mean?"

Ethan looked directly at her.

"It means this probably isn't over."

Naomi sighed.

"Great."

Then she remembered something.

"The photo in your locker."

Ethan's expression shifted slightly.

"You said you'd been looking for me."

"Yes."

Naomi stepped closer.

"Why?"

For a moment Ethan seemed like he was debating whether to answer.

Finally he said quietly,

"Do you remember a bookstore downtown?"

Naomi blinked.

"Yes...?"

"Three years ago."

Naomi's heart skipped.

A faint memory flickered in her mind.

A rainy afternoon.

A stranger.

A conversation she barely remembered.

"You're saying we met before?" she asked slowly.

Ethan nodded.

"Yes."

Naomi opened her mouth to ask more-

But suddenly a loud shout echoed from down the hallway.

Students began running toward the stairwell.

"What happened?" Naomi asked.

One student rushed past them.

"The science lab!" he shouted.

"There was an explosion!"

Naomi and Ethan exchanged a shocked glance.

And in the distance...

A fire alarm began to scream.