The C-minus sat on the table like a declaration of war. Ruby stared at it, her face pale, the harsh red ink a personal, inexplicable betrayal. Jake was sputtering, a mixture of confusion and protective rage. Thea had gone completely still, her sketchbook forgotten, her eyes wide with a familiar, secondhand fear. She knew what it felt like when the world decided to turn on you for no reason.
Kofi's mind was racing, trying to connect the dots. 'How? How did she do it? She can't just make a teacher change a grade. There has to be more to it.'
Nina was the only one who seemed to understand the full scope of the attack. Her face was a mask of cold, calculated fury.
"It's not just about the grade," she said, her voice a low, dangerous whisper that cut through Jake's panicked rambling. "This is a message. She's showing us that she can get to anyone. She's poisoning the well."
"I still don't get it," Jake insisted. "How could she influence Mr. Harrison? He loves Ruby's writing."
