Assistant Principal Keene looked at her shoes.
“You understand we’re cleaning outside?”
“They’re boots.”
He stared.
Brielle smiled.
Cassidy arrived wearing ripped jeans, sneakers, a white graphic shirt, and her usual black beanie. At least one of them looked prepared to work.
For the first hour, nothing happened.
Tiana swept leaves and dirt away from the restored memorial walkway. Cassidy helped move trash bags near the hose station. Brielle spent more time talking than working but managed to rinse several sections of concrete.
Tiana started believing Layla had worried for nothing.
Then she noticed Brielle watching her.
Not continuously.
Just enough.
Every few minutes, when Tiana turned toward the hose station, Brielle seemed to be looking.
Tiana ignored it.
At around ten thirty, a teacher left the courtyard group to help another crew near the parking lot.
That created a short window with fewer adults.
Brielle picked up the hose nozzle.
Cassidy stood beside her.
Tiana was sweeping twenty feet away with her back turned.
Brielle pointed the nozzle.
Cassidy said something.
Brielle laughed.
Then squeezed.
A narrow stream of cold water shot across the walkway and struck Tiana between the shoulders.
She gasped.
The broom stopped moving.
Students nearby turned.
Brielle released the nozzle.
Cassidy laughed.
Tiana looked down at herself.
Water had soaked through the back of her hoodie.
She turned halfway.
Brielle smiled innocently.
“Oops.”
Tiana stared.
Then turned back to the broom.
That reaction disappointed Brielle.
She squeezed again.
The second stream hit Tiana across the neck and side of her face.
This time students shouted.
Tiana dropped one hand from the broom.
Water ran down her forehead.
She turned completely.
Brielle kept the hose aimed toward her.
“What are you doing?”
Brielle shrugged.
“Cleaning.”
“Me?”
“You were in the way.”
Tiana looked at the distance between them.
Twenty feet.
Nothing else stood along the stream.
“Put it down.”
Brielle smiled.
“Or?”
Tiana let go of the broom.
It fell against the pavement.
“I’m not doing this with you.”
She wiped water from her face.
Then started walking toward the nearest teacher.
Brielle called after her.
“Of course.”
Tiana stopped.
She knew she should keep walking.
Instead, after months of hearing that same tone, she turned.
“What?”
Brielle set the hose down.
“You always run to somebody.”
Tiana stared at her.
“You just sprayed me with a hose.”
“You survived.”
“That isn’t the point.”
“You ruin everything and then act like the victim.”
Tiana almost laughed.
“This again?”
Brielle walked closer.
“Yes, this again.”
“You broke school property.”
“We were going to fix it.”
“You ran away.”
“We were kids having fun.”
“We are the same age.”
Several students laughed.
Brielle looked toward them.
The laughter changed something.
Tiana noticed immediately.
“Go finish your cleanup.”
Brielle stepped closer.
“You don’t tell me what to do.”
“I don’t want to tell you anything.”
“Then shut up.”
Tiana exhaled.
“Gladly.”
She turned.
That was when Cassidy moved.
She had been standing behind Brielle with her arms folded.
Now she rushed around her.
Tiana barely saw the swing coming.
Cassidy’s right hand shot toward the side of Tiana’s head.
Tiana jerked backward.
The punch missed her face and clipped the edge of her shoulder.
“What the hell?”
Cassidy came again.
Tiana raised both arms.
“Cassidy, stop!”
Cassidy swung.
Tiana blocked with one forearm.
Cassidy tried grabbing her hoodie.
Tiana twisted free.
Students began shouting.
Some backed away.
Others pulled out phones.
Tiana’s mind became strangely clear.
She had been taking kickboxing classes at a neighborhood gym since sophomore year. She went twice a week mostly for conditioning, rarely sparred hard, and had never imagined using any of it in a school courtyard. Her coach taught the same principles constantly: stay balanced, protect your head, create distance, leave when you can.
Tiana tried to create distance.
Cassidy kept closing it.
Another swing came.
Tiana moved outside it.
Cassidy stumbled forward.
Tiana pushed her away.
“STOP.”
Cassidy turned and rushed again.
Tiana caught her arms near the shoulders, pivoted, and used the forward motion to redirect her sideways.
Cassidy’s feet tangled.
She fell hard onto the wet concrete near the hose.
The entire crowd reacted.
Tiana stepped away immediately.
She did not follow her.
Brielle stared at Cassidy on the ground.
Then at Tiana.
“You hit her!”
Tiana looked at her.
“She attacked me.”
“You shoved her down!”
“She kept swinging.”
Brielle moved forward.
Tiana raised one hand.
“Don’t.”
Brielle kept coming.
“Don’t touch me.”
Brielle lifted both fists.
“You think you’re tough now?”
“No.”
Tiana backed away.
“I think both of you need to stop.”
Brielle swung.
Tiana leaned back.
The punch missed.
Brielle came again.
She kicked toward Tiana’s leg with one pink boot.
Tiana moved aside.
For one absurd second, Tiana noticed how difficult it must have been to fight in those boots.
Then another punch came.
She blocked.
Brielle grabbed at the front of Tiana’s hoodie.
Tiana pushed her hands away.
“Brielle!”
“Shut up!”
Brielle lunged.
Tiana stepped sideways.
Brielle’s boot slid through the water from the hose.
She recovered before falling.
Then came forward again.
Tiana stopped retreating.
She caught Brielle’s forearm, turned her body, and shoved her off line.