"These are serious accusations, Miss Carter," he said, leaning back in his chair. "Are you sure it wasn't already there? Or perhaps you misunderstood a joke between students?"
"This wasn't a joke," Aaliyah said firmly, showing him the stickers.
Warner sighed. "Without witnesses or camera evidence, there's nothing I can do. Perhaps you're being oversensitive. Adjusting to a new school can be stressful."
Later that day in chemistry class, as Aaliyah was completing the final steps of a project she'd spent weeks on, Logan passed behind her, deliberately knocking into her arm. The beaker of corrosive solution spilled across her work, destroying it completely.
"Mr. Hastings, please be more careful," the teacher said mildly, offering Aaliyah paper towels, but no extension on the assignment.
That afternoon, an unexpected ally appeared. Dexter Williams, a lanky white student with perpetually disheveled hair and intense focus, sat beside her in the library.
"You should have received an extension on the chemistry project," he said without preamble. "Logan's interference was deliberate, and school policy clearly states that sabotage warrants accommodation."
Aaliyah looked up, surprised. "I didn't catch your name."
"Dexter Williams. My father teaches physics at the community college. I've observed Logan's behavioral patterns for two years. His tactics are predictable once you analyze the data."
Despite his clinical tone, there was kindness in his eyes. When other students passed by, whispering about why Dexter was sitting with the scholarship girl, he seemed completely unaffected.
"Aren't you worried about being seen with me?" Aaliyah asked. "Logan's group seems to run this place."
Dexter adjusted his glasses. "They're afraid of Logan, but I'm only afraid of illogical thinking," he explained matter-of-factly. "Social hierarchies based on arbitrary factors like wealth or family connections are fundamentally irrational."