Chapter Fourteen – The Battlefield Monday morning felt heavier than usual — like the air itself was thick with whispers. Yn walked through the front doors of the school, and instantly, she knew. Heads turned. Conversations stopped mid-sentence. Then, just as quickly, they resumed — but quieter, sharper. She caught fragments as she passed: "Did you see the video? She went crazy." "Lila’s face looked worse, though." "Malachi was there… wonder whose side he’s on." Her locker was no refuge. A group of juniors stood nearby, pretending not to stare while one of them pulled up the fight on their phone. The sound of the crowd’s roar from Friday echoed faintly, like a ghost she couldn’t shake. Freya appeared beside her, looking tense. “It’s bad, Yn. People are picking sides. And guess what? Lila’s been telling everyone you attacked her first.” Yn slammed her locker shut. “Of course she is.” As they walked toward first period, the hallway felt like a gauntlet. Lila was at the far end, surrounded by her friends, laughing loudly. She caught Yn’s eye and mouthed something — loser — before turning away. In class, the whispers didn’t stop. Even the teacher seemed distracted, glancing at Yn like she was a ticking time bomb. By lunch, the cafeteria was buzzing. Someone had made a meme of the fight — a freeze-frame of Yn grabbing Lila’s arm, captioned Cheer Wars: The Final Season. It had over a thousand likes. Malachi was sitting with the basketball team, but his gaze kept flicking toward her. When their eyes met, he didn’t look away — just gave a small, unreadable nod. Freya leaned in. “He’s going to talk to you. I can feel it.” Yn’s stomach tightened. She wasn’t sure if she wanted that… or dreaded it. Because here, in the middle of the cafeteria, with everyone watching, any word from Malachi could either calm the storm — or make it explode.
