Page 6

Sue gently encouraged Alice to stay lying down. That’s when I heard more giggling. I looked up and saw Cindy was still filming.

I saw red.

I jumped up. “Give me that phone.”

She stood there and laughed some more, holding it higher to film my face.

“Stop filming and give it to me now.” I held out my hand.

“No way. This is my phone and I’m not giving it to anyone. Just wait ’til I put this up on the internet. I’ll get so many likes.”

I was past red, I was sick to my stomach, I lunged for the phone. “Give this to me, now.”

She twisted away. “You don’t have the right to take it from me. I’ll tell my parents. You’ll lose your job.”

I yanked the phone out of her hand.

“Give that back to me,” she shrieked. “That’s my property.”

I turned away and crouched down next to Alice. I stopped the video feed and sent the video to my cell phone, then I put it into my skirt pocket.

Cindy yanked at my arm, tearing my blouse. I shrugged her off me.

“Give me my phone!” she shrieked again. Alice whimpered and scuttled away from the sound of Cindy yelling. She was obviously terrified. I needed to get Cindy away from her.

I turned to Sue. “You got this?”

“Yeah,” she muttered. “Take care of that mess.” She pointed to Cindy.

I got up off the floor and turned my attention to Cindy. I advanced on her, and she backed up until her back hit the lockers.

“You wait until the principal hears about this. You, Kim, and the other girl will be expelled for the rest of the school year. You probably will be charged with assault.”

Cindy paled. “I didn’t do anything. Kim and Julie were the ones that hurt Alice, I just filmed. My parents won’t let anything happen to me. You’ll be fired for touching me.”

“It’s on camera. I didn’t touch you.”

“You can’t prove anything. My dad won’t let you do anything to me.”

“I have the evidence, Cindy. I sent it to my phone.”

“You can’t do that!” She stamped her foot like she was in kindergarten.

“We’re waiting for the authorities to arrive, we’ll see what happens.”

I could hear the sirens. I’d need to guide them to where we were. I didn’t need to guard Cindy. I knew where to find her, plus I had the proof of what she did on her and my cell phones.

“You better stay here. It will be worse for you if the police have to hunt you down. I’m going to go get them so they can help Alice.”

“They won’t do anything to me,” she taunted. “You’re the one who’s in trouble.”

As soon as I started down the hall, I could hear her running. As I turned the corner I heard the student body returning to their classes. I hustled to rescue my shoes and make it to the EMTs.

By the time I got there, the principal and vice principal were already talking to the police. I rushed up.

“The injured girl is Alice Daly. She’s been beaten and dropped on the floor by two girls. I’m worried about a head injury. I can show you the way.”

I saw the principal give me a dark look. That was not something that she liked to drag the police into. She liked to handle bullying within the school. I’d never once heard her refer to a case of bullying as assault.