It felt heavier.
Not much.
Just enough.
She looked around.
No one was watching.
Or at least she thought no one was.
Nora reached for the lid.
A hand grabbed her wrist.
She spun around.
Victoria.
"What are you doing?"
"Checking the box."
"You don't need to."
"I think I do."
Victoria tightened her grip.
"Let go."
"You shouldn't be touching that."
"It's my job."
"No."
Victoria smiled.
"It was your job."
Nora stared at her.
"What does that mean?"
Victoria released her.
"You'll find out."
She walked away.
Nora watched her go.
Then she noticed someone standing near the stage.
Victoria's father.
Richard Sterling.
He wasn't looking at the crowd.
He was looking directly at Nora.
And for the first time that evening, Nora felt genuinely afraid.
Not because of Victoria.
Because adults were involved.
The next morning, Nora arrived at school to discover that she was no longer assigned to the voting committee.
Her name had been removed from the schedule.
Beside it was a handwritten note.
REASSIGNED.
No explanation.
She went directly to the student activities office.
Ms. Bennett looked uncomfortable when Nora walked in.
"Good morning."
"Why was I removed from the fundraiser vote?"
Ms. Bennett looked at the schedule.
"I don't know."
"My name was there yesterday."
"I know."
"Who changed it?"
Ms. Bennett hesitated.
"Someone from the foundation committee."
"Who?"
"I'm not sure."
Nora stared at her.
"You do know."
The teacher sighed.
"Victoria's mother requested a staffing adjustment."
"Why?"
"I wasn't given a reason."
Nora knew that was a lie.
Not a malicious lie.
A frightened one.
She left.
In the hallway, her best friend Maya was waiting.
"What happened?"
"They removed me."
"From what?"
"The vote."
Maya's expression changed.
"Why?"
"I don't know."
"You think Victoria did it?"
"I think someone doesn't want me near those ballots."
Maya looked around.
"Then maybe you should stay away."
Nora shook her head.
"That's exactly why I can't."
That afternoon, Nora received an anonymous message.
DON'T MAKE THIS WORSE.
She stared at the screen.
Then another message arrived.
YOU DON'T KNOW WHO YOU'RE DEALING WITH.
Nora showed Maya.
Maya's face went pale.
"Delete it."
"No."
"Nora."
"If I delete it, it's gone."
"That's the point."
"No."
Nora took a screenshot.
Then another.
She forwarded them to her own email.
Maya looked at her.
"You've been watching too many detective shows."
"Maybe."
"You really think this is serious?"
Nora looked down the empty hallway.
"Yes."
That evening, Nora went to the library.
She searched through the school's public records.
The fundraiser had been advertised as a student-led project.
But the financial documents told a different story.
The money was not going directly to student programs.
It passed through something called the Future Leaders Partnership.
Nora searched the name.
It was a nonprofit organization.
And its largest private donor was—
Sterling Development Group.
Nora leaned closer to the screen.
She clicked again.
The nonprofit's board included Richard Sterling.
Her heart started beating faster.
Then she found something else.
Three years earlier, the Future Leaders Partnership had received a large grant from the school foundation.
The money had supposedly been used to purchase educational technology.