Suspension.

Sam sat in the administration waiting area for what felt like hours. The fluorescent lights flickered above, casting fleeting shadows on the pale walls. The hum of the air conditioning filled the silence, pressing down on him like a weight. The cold steel of the chair bit into his back, his rigid body unable to relax. His mind churned with questions he couldn’t answer: Who put that note on my desk? Why was Mr. Willis so upset? What does any of this mean?

He drummed his fingers on the armrest, his nerves unraveling with each passing moment. Why the wait? Everything had spiraled out of control so fast.

Footsteps echoed down the hall, snapping Sam out of his thoughts. The door behind him creaked open. He held his breath as Mr. Willis walked past without so much as a glance in his direction. His presence was commanding—erect and purposeful—as he knocked on Principal Ramirez's door and entered without hesitation.

Sam leaned forward, straining to catch fragments of the conversation, but the voices were muffled and indistinct. What little he could make out didn’t sound angry. The calm tones slowed his racing heart—until the door opened, and an outstretched hand gestured him inside.

“Sam,” Principal Ramirez said, his voice cool and formal, “we need to talk.”

Sam stood on trembling legs, his chest tightening. He couldn’t read their expressions—both men were firm, blank slates.

“Mr. Willis shared his account of the incident involving the note found on your desk,” Ramirez continued, folding his hands on the desk. “The accusation written there is serious. Now, I want to hear your side.”

Sam swallowed hard, his throat dry. “I didn’t write it,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. He took a breath, forcing himself to continue. “I don’t even know what it means. What does ‘X-sash traitor’ mean? I didn’t write that. I swear.”

Mr. Willis’s eyes narrowed. His voice was sharp. “You expect me to believe that?”

“Enough,” Ramirez said, cutting him off with a glance. Turning back to Sam, his tone softened slightly. “Sam, whether or not you wrote the note, there will be an investigation. Until that’s resolved, you are suspended from this school, effective immediately.”

Sam froze, the words crashing over him. “What?” he whispered. His thoughts raced,

scrambling for an explanation. X-sashes? What even are they? He hadn’t done anything—but it was clear that didn’t matter. The seed of doubt had already been planted.

Mr. Willis stepped closer, his eyes boring into Sam. “How do you know about the X-sashes, Sam? How?”

Sam opened his mouth, but no words came. His chest felt like it was caving in.

...continued tomorrow.