Finally, it’s Ishu’s turn.
“Hi everyone,” she says slowly. “I’m … Ishita Dey.” Ishu takes a shaky breath that reverberates around the hall. “I think you should vote me for Head Girl because … I’m the best person for the job, I guess. I’ve consistently been at the top of my classes, which shows I’m a hard worker, and—”
Ishu’s speech is interrupted by a low cough that sounds distinctively like “cheater.” It’s followed by another which more clearly mumbles “liar.” I glance at the top of the hall at Aisling and Dee, but the thing is I’m not even sure if it was them. It could be anyone—they all think Ishu is a cheater.
Ishu pauses in her speech and glances back at Principal Gallagher. I will Ms. Gallagher to stand up and tell everyone here the truth. That it wasAislingwho cheated, not Ishu. But Principal Gallagher isn’t even looking at Ishu. She stares off into the distance, a blank expression on her face.
Ishu clears her throat.” … And on that note, I would like to formally take myself out of the running for Head Girl.”
Now, Principal Gallagher shifts in her seat. “Ishita—” she begins, but Ishu is already at the bottom of the stage, rushing toward the exit. The previously quiet hall explodes into a rush of whispers and giggles as everyone watches Ishu make her exit. She’s holding her head up high—though everyone thinks the worst of her.
I’m not sure where the motivation comes from, but one moment I’m sitting in my seat, looking after Ishu, and the next I’m rushing up to the stage.
“Ishita isnot acheater.” The hall descends into silence once more. Everyone’s eyes are turned to me but I can’t exactly stop now. “You’ve all got to be daft to believe that sheis.What, do you believe every single thing Aisling has said to you?” I glance at Aisling, who is glaring daggers up at me. There’s a tug of discomfort in my stomach at her gaze. We’rebest friends. Wewerebest friends,I remind myself as I turn away from her, and toward Principal Gallagher. “Ms. Gallagher, you know it was Aisling who cheated. Shetoldme so. Why are you letting Ishita take the blame for this?”
Ms. Gallagher finally stands, and shuffles over to the podium stand. And as if she hasn’t heard a single word I’ve said, she speaks into the mic, “Thank you to thethreeHead Girl candidates for their presentations. Voting will be next week. You can all return to your classrooms.”
Everyone shuffles to their feet and out through the double doors at the end of the hallway, stealing glances back at me the whole time. My bravery from a few moments ago is gone now, leaving me with an impending feeling of doom in my chest.
“Humaira,” Ms. Gallagher finally turns to me as the hallway becomes emptier and emptier. “You can’t just get up in front of your whole year and say things like that.”
“But it’s the truth,” I say.
“Ishita and I have an understanding about the situation with Aisling,” Ms. Gallagher says. Somehow, I don’t believe her at all.
“An understanding that Aisling can do whatever she wants?”
“She’ll be punished. But … dragging her name through the mud in front of the entire school? We have a zero tolerance policy for bullying here, so I’d be careful. Now, why don’t you get back to class?”
There are still a million thoughts scrambling around inside my head, but I know that speaking to Principal Gallagher is pointless. She thinks somehow Aisling is the victim and Ishu the perpetrator, and I’m not sure anything I say will change the way she sees the two of them. So, I step down from the stage, trying my best to not let my anger spill over.
chapter forty-six
ishu
I dropped out of the Head Girl election.
I send off the text and heave a sigh. The bathroom stall I’ve decided to hole up in has the lyrics to an Ariana Grande song scribbled onto it in black marker. That makes me smile, thinking about any of the girls in our school spending their time carefully etching lyrics onto the bathroom door instead of going to class.
My phone vibrates with texts from Nik just a few minutes later.
Nik: ????
Nik: WHY???
Because all the girls were accusing me of—
I hesitate and erase the text. That’s notreallywhy.
Because I didn’t know how to say—
I stop again, staring down at my phone screen, unsure of how to exactly explain to my sister why I made the decision when I’m not sure I completely understand it myself.
I don’t have the time to think about it too much though, because in the next moment my phone is buzzing with a phone call.
“Hello?” I whisper, hoping that no teachers come in here looking for me.
“What happened?” Nik asks. “Do I need to come down there again?” She says it like it’s a joke but I fully believe she would do it again if she had to.
