Chapter Thirteen – Aftermath The night air hit Yn like a slap — cold, sharp, and almost sobering. She could still feel the sting on her cheek, the metallic taste of blood in her mouth. Her phone buzzed nonstop in her pocket, but she didn’t need to check it to know what was happening. The fight was already everywhere. Freya caught up to her outside the gym, breathless. “Yn, you can’t just—” “I didn’t start it,” Yn cut in, her voice tight. “I’m not letting her get away with this.” Freya glanced toward the doors, where Lila was still inside with Malachi. “She’s going to spin it. You know she will. And Malachi…” Freya hesitated. “He looked… conflicted.” Yn’s stomach twisted. She didn’t want to care about Malachi’s expression, but she did. Before she could respond, her phone lit up with a notification — a video. The thumbnail showed her and Lila mid-swing, frozen in a moment that would haunt her. The caption read: Friday Night Fallout: Cheer Fight Edition. Yn’s heart sank. By the time she got home, her mom was waiting in the living room, arms crossed. “We need to talk.” Yn dropped her bag. “I know what you saw. It’s not what it looks like.” Her mom’s eyes softened, but her tone stayed firm. “You’re better than this. Whatever’s going on with that girl, you need to walk away.” Yn wanted to argue, but the truth was, walking away felt impossible. Lila had made it personal — and now the whole school was watching. Later that night, as Yn scrolled through endless reposts of the fight, she saw something that made her freeze. A comment from Malachi: Some people aren’t who they pretend to be. Her pulse quickened. Was he talking about Lila… or her?
