Dr. Hendris interrupted, typing rapidly. With that level of training, surely you could have deescalated the situation without violence. They blocked my path deliberately. Brett grabbed my backpack. Cody seized my wrist.
I only used the minimum force necessary to Dr. Hendrick's phone rang, cutting through Aaliyah's explanation. She glanced at the caller ID and her expression shifted to immediate deference. "Excuse me," she said, answering quickly. "Yes, Mr. Vale, I understand your concern. Your son has provided his statement, and we're taking this matter very seriously." Aaliyah's blood ran cold as she realized who was calling.
"Absolutely," Dr. Hendrickx continued, her voice becoming more formal. A full investigation with appropriate disciplinary action. Yes, sir. The safety of our students is our highest priority. The call lasted five more minutes with Dr. Hrix mostly listening and making reassuring noises.
When she finally hung up, her attitude toward Aaliyah had hardened noticeably. That was Victor Vale, Grayson's father and one of our most generous alumni. She explained, "He's understandably upset that his son was injured by another student." "Dr. Hris, if you would just listen to what actually happened. I have Mr. Vale's account along with corroborating statements from three witnesses," Dr. Hendrix replied curtly. What I need to understand is why you felt justified in using martial arts training against students who posed no real threat to someone with your abilities.
The questions continued for another 20 minutes, each one framing Aliyah as the aggressor who had escalated a minor disagreement into violence. By the time the interview ended, Aaliyah felt like she was drowning in assumptions and accusations. Outside in the hallway, Nia waited anxiously. She grabbed Aliyah's arm as soon as she emerged. They're only showing part of what happened.
Nia whispered urgently. Someone posted a video online, but it's been edited. It starts right when you defend yourself, not when they surrounded you. Aaliyah's phone buzzed with notifications. Students were already sharing the clip, arguing in comments about whether she had overreacted or defended herself appropriately.
The edited footage made her look like she had attacked unprovoked. "I saved my original recording," Nia said firmly. "The full version that shows them blocking your path first. Nobody's going to alter my file." Before Aliyah could respond, Marcus appeared at the building entrance. His expression was grim as he approached them.
"I heard what happened," he said quietly. "Aaliyah, you need to request the security footage from the camera above the brick building entrance immediately. Don't let them claim it's unavailable or corrupted. Dr. Hris emerged from her office carrying a folder. Miss Brooks, based on the preliminary investigation, we're placing you under temporary disciplinary review pending a full hearing.
You are not to contact Grayson Vale, Brett Maddox, Cody Mercer, or Tessa Lang while this matter is being resolved. That evening, the campus study room felt like a war room. Aaliyah sat across from Marcus and Nia at the long wooden table, her notebook open and pen ready. The fluorescent lights hummed overhead as students passed by in the hallway, their voices distant and muffled. We need everything documented before they try to twist it more.
Marcus said firmly. Memory gets fuzzy. Details change. We write down exactly what happened right now. Aaliyah nodded and began writing.
3:15 p.m. Walking past the brick academic building. Grayson blocked the narrow walkway with Brett, Cody, and Tessa. He said they were going to teach you a lesson, Nia added, pulling out her phone. I'm backing up this recording to three different cloud accounts right now. Nobody's going to make my file disappear.