Only one boy asked me to prom since no one else wanted to go with me because of the birthmark on my face — everyone laughed until police officers walked into the gym.
I turned to Isaiah.
He had gone completely pale beside me.
The entire gym had fallen silent. Phones were raised. Eyes were wide. The same people who had been laughing at me only seconds ago were now standing frozen, waiting for the answer.
Isaiah swallowed hard. His voice came out low and shaking.
“Talia, I need to tell you everything. Right now. In front of everyone.”
My heart dropped.
“Three weeks ago,” he continued, “Vanessa and her friends offered me money to ask you to prom.”
I felt the room tilt around me.
Tears rushed into my eyes.
“No,” I whispered. “No, this can’t be true. Isaiah… how could you do this to me?”
“I’m sorry.” Isaiah reached toward me, but I stepped back. “They wanted me to dance with you, hold your hand, make you believe it was real… and then let them film your face when they revealed it was all a cruel joke.”
A sound escaped my throat, but I could barely breathe.
Everything I had feared about tonight suddenly felt true.
The dress. The dancing. His kindness.
Had all of it been a lie?
Then Isaiah’s eyes filled with tears.
“I agreed,” he said, “but not because I wanted to hurt you. I agreed because I knew it was the only way to get proof.”
I stared at him, trembling.
“Proof?”
One of the officers stepped forward.
“This afternoon, Isaiah came to the station and gave a full statement. He turned in voice recordings, screenshots, and messages showing a planned harassment scheme against you, Miss Morgan.”
The gym went even quieter.
I wiped my tears with shaking hands.
“So… you’re not here to arrest Isaiah?”
“No, ma’am,” the officer said. “We’re here for the girls who planned this.”
Something inside my chest cracked open.
But this time, it wasn’t shame.
It was the first tiny breath of justice.
Slowly, I turned toward the crowd.
Near the punch table stood Vanessa, the girl who had whispered about my face since freshman year. Her red dress sparkled under the gym lights, but her perfect smile had vanished.
Her mascara was already starting to smear.
I lifted one shaking hand and pointed.
“That’s her,” I said. “The girl in the red dress. And those five girls beside her helped.”
The officer nodded to his partners.
All three officers turned and walked across the gym floor.
Every student moved out of their way.
Vanessa’s face twisted when they stopped in front of her.
“Miss, we need you to step outside for questioning,” one officer said.
Vanessa gave a nervous laugh. “This is a joke, right? You can’t be serious.”
“I’m very serious,” the officer replied. “We have evidence that you conspired to publicly humiliate and harass a classmate.”
Vanessa’s mouth opened, but nothing came out.
Then she spun toward Isaiah, her voice rising into a shriek.
“You did this? You chose her over me?”
Isaiah’s jaw tightened.
“I chose to stop you.”
