ke hit upload without hesitation, sending the video to every news outlet he could think of.


    Brittany’s face went ghost-white.


    “Are you… are you insane?”


    She lunged for his phone but ke shoved her away.


    Everyone’s gonna see what a piece of shit you are!”


    You’re gonna suffer for every single thing you put her through.”


    Brittany copsed on the floor, sobbing hysterically.


    ess than thirty minutes after ke posted the video, #Brittany Hayes Abuse, #Genesis Dying, and #Genesis Charity were trending nationwide.


    nte users dug up all of Brittany’s dirty history-


    Homewrecking, stealing coworkers’ projects, plus this new video-she became public enemy number one overnight.


    erpany fired her within hours.


    rittany was officially canceled, a total social pariah.


    Iospital security eventually dragged her out because her crying was disturbing other patients.


    hat night, I stared nkly at the moon.


    couldn’t even turn my neck anymore.


    oon I’d be like a rock, a tree.


    oon I’d have to say goodbye to this world.


    le wheeled me back to West Valley High.


    The old academic building looked exactly the same as my drawings-brick walls, wooden window frames, those two crooked marks still carved into the


    windowsill.


    e positioned me by the window where we used to lean and look out during breaks.


    ame sky, same stars, but I wasn’t the same person anymore.


    o noisy students in the courtyard, no voices reading aloud in ssrooms.


    He crouched beside my wheelchair, voice gentle like he was talking to a scared child:


    This ce is getting torn down tomorrow. Sky, you know what? I never wanted to beat you.”


    His voice cracked, choking back sobs.


    I was… just scared you’d think I was a loser.”


    That day, right here in this hallway, I saw you switching to the liberal arts track.”


    I was afraid you’d be lonely in those sses. Couldn’t figure out how to say that, so I just… made it about beating you.”


    I just… wanted to stay somewhere you could see me.”


    Tears streamed down his face.


    ky, when I fought you for those paints-I just wanted you to talk to me. Never meant to hurt you.”


    “Those DMs I sent Brittany? Just trying to make you jealous.”


    “Graduation day when I said those horrible things… I just couldn’t handle you leaving,”


    His voice got quieter and quieter.


    “I never wanted to beat you!”


    My breathing got shallow and fast. Looking at ke, tears slowly rolled down my cheeks.


    ke reached up to wipe them away.


    I slowly lifted my hand-just barely-and touched his face with my fingertips.


    That tiny movement used up everything I had left.


    I looked at our old ssroom, the courtyard, the hallways.


    Here’s where he twisted his ankle ying basketball.


    There’s where he hit his head on a window frame.


    Over there’s where he snatched my pencil away.


    After a long time, I barely moved my lips.


    ke leaned in close, understanding.


    My voice was almost nothing. <fnc2e1> N?w ?ovel chapt?rs are published on Find★Novel</fnc2e1>


    ke… you won.”


    ke wentpletely still, then realized what I meant.


    This fifteen-yearpetition was finally over. He’d won, but he’d lost Skr forever.


    He held me tight in that wheelchair, tears flowing silently.


    All I could hear was wind blowing through our old ssroom windows, just like when we used to bicker and fight.


    Sunlight streamed through the wooden frames onto his face.


    But my chest had stopped rising and falling.


    n the end, I never got to hear ke say “I love you.”