"Who did this?"
"No one."
"Maya."
She looked away.
He didn't push.
He simply waited.
Eventually, she whispered,
"People are being stupid."
"Who?"
"Some students."
"How?"
She hesitated.
"Comments."
"What kind?"
"Nothing."
Marcus nodded.
"All right."
Maya looked at him.
"You're not going to ask?"
"I already did."
She smiled faintly.
"That's it?"
"For tonight."
He returned to the stove.
Maya thought the conversation was over.
It wasn't.
Because after she went upstairs, Marcus opened a notebook.
He wrote one sentence.
Maya says students are targeting her.
Then he wrote the date.
And underneath it:
Watch. Don't interfere unless necessary.
He closed the notebook.
Two days later, Maya found a note inside her locker.
LEAVE THE SQUAD.
She tore it up.
The next day, another appeared.
YOU'RE NOT WANTED.
She photographed it.
Then another.
YOUR DAD CAN'T PROTECT YOU HERE.
That one made her stop.
Maya stared at the words.
Someone knew about her father.
She immediately called him.
"Dad?"
"What's wrong?"
"How did they know about you?"
Marcus became silent.
"What happened?"
She told him.
He asked her to send a photograph.
She did.
He studied it.
"Have you told the school?"
"No."
"You should."
"I will."
"When?"
"Tomorrow."
Marcus looked at the photograph again.
"All right."
"You're not coming to school, are you?"
He smiled.
"Do you want me to?"
"No."
"Then I won't."
Maya relaxed.
"Thanks."
"However..."
She sighed.
"What?"
"If someone threatens you again, you tell me immediately."
"Okay."
"And Maya?"
"Yes?"
"You never have to be ashamed of asking for help."
She nodded.
"I know."
But she didn't.
Not yet.
The breaking point came during Friday night's game.
The gym was packed.
Students filled the bleachers.
Parents stood along the walls.
The marching band played.
The basketball team warmed up.
The cheerleaders prepared for their first routine.
Maya stood beside Grace, the only girl on the squad who had consistently been kind to her.
"You okay?" Grace asked.
"I'm fine."
Grace looked at her.
"You always say that."
Maya smiled.
"Maybe I'm always fine."
Grace didn't believe her.
Neither did Maya.
The music started.
The cheerleaders moved onto the court.
Maya performed flawlessly.
At the end of the routine, the crowd applauded.
Coach Harmon nodded.
For one brief moment, Maya felt happy.
Then Tyler walked past.
He bumped her shoulder.
Hard.
Maya stumbled.
"Watch where you're going," he said.
She turned.
"What is your problem?"
He smiled.
"You."
Before Maya could respond, Cassidy appeared.
"Don't start something."
Maya stared at her.
"I didn't start anything."
Cassidy leaned closer.
"That's not what people will think."
Maya frowned.
Then Cassidy walked away.
Five minutes later, Maya returned to the locker room.
Her bag was missing.
She searched everywhere.
Nothing.
Grace helped.
Finally, Maya found it inside a storage closet.