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The house was still quiet when I slipped out of bed, the soft glow of the early morning light barely peeking through my window.

I stretched, rubbing the sleep from my eyes as I tiptoed down the hallway. The last thing I wanted was to wake anyone up—not yet. Today was my birthday, and for once, I actually felt excited.

I had a plan.

Brownies.

Not the store-bought kind, not the ones from a box, but real, homemade fudgy, chocolatey, melt-in-your-mouth brownies. My class deserved the good stuff.

I padded into the kitchen and flipped on the light, the warm glow making the space feel cozy. As I started gathering ingredients—flour, sugar, eggs, butter—I realized something.

No cocoa powder.

I frowned, checking the back of the cupboard again. Nothing.

Great. Just great. How was I supposed to make brownies without cocoa?

I was about to give up when my eyes landed on something tucked behind a bag of rice—a few chocolate bars.

A slow grin spread across my face. That would work.

I unwrapped them quickly, breaking them into pieces and tossing them into a saucepan with the butter. As the chocolate slowly melted, the rich, warm smell filled the kitchen. It smelled even better than cocoa powder would have.

I stirred carefully, making sure it didn't burn. The chocolate turned glossy and smooth.

With a little extra confidence, I mixed everything together—sugar, eggs, vanilla, the melted chocolate. The batter was thick and rich, like pure chocolate heaven. I poured it into a pan, smoothing out the top before sliding it into the oven.

I set the timer and leaned against the counter, exhaling slowly.

This year felt different.

A few months ago, I wouldn't have even thought about doing something like this. I would have spent the day quietly, not wanting to draw attention to myself. But things were different now.

I had friends. I had people who cared. I wasn't just surviving anymore—I was living.

I closed my eyes for a second, letting the scent of chocolate fill the air.

Today was going to be a good day.

The soft sound of footsteps padding across the floor broke the quiet moment. I turned to see Lily, her hair a messy tangle from sleep, rubbing her eyes as she stepped into the kitchen.

"Emily? What are you doing?" she mumbled, her voice still thick with sleep.

I smiled. "Making brownies for my class."

Lily's face lit up instantly. "Brownies? Ooooh, can I have one?"

I hesitated. "They're for school."

Her expression immediately fell into a dramatic pout. "But it's your birthday! Shouldn't I get a birthday brownie?"

I laughed softly, shaking my head. "Sorry, Lily. I have to make sure there are enough for everyone in my class."

She crossed her arms, grumbling under her breath, but didn't push it further. Instead, she slumped into a chair at the table, resting her head on her arms.

A few minutes later, Sam wandered in, still looking half-asleep. He yawned as he ran a hand through his messy hair. "Why is it so early, and why does it smell like chocolate?"

"Because I'm making brownies for my class," I explained again.

"Oh." He blinked at me, then at Lily, who was still pouting at the table. "Let me guess—she's mad she can't have one?"

"Yep."

Lily groaned dramatically. "This is the worst birthday ever."

"It's not even your birthday."

"Exactly! And now I don't even get a brownie!"

Sam rolled his eyes but didn't argue, instead grabbing a glass from the cabinet and filling it with water. "Well, happy birthday, I guess."

I smiled. "Thanks."

Just as I was about to check on the brownies, Mom walked in, her robe tied loosely around her waist. She paused, taking in the scene—the ingredients scattered on the counter, Lily's exaggerated sulking, Sam sipping his water like this was a perfectly normal morning.

"Well, I guess I don't need to ask what's going on," she said with a sleepy smile.

I wiped my hands on a towel. "I'm making brownies for my class."

Mom nodded approvingly. "That's a great idea, sweetheart. You're making them from scratch?"

"Yeah. We were out of cocoa powder, so I melted some chocolate bars instead."

Mom's eyes lit up. "Even better. Those are going to be amazing."

Lily groaned. "Yeah, yeah, but I don't get any."

Mom glanced at the oven before turning back to Lily with a knowing smile. "Emily said they're for her class."

Lily huffed. "Worst. Birthday. Ever."

Mom chuckled and turned to me. "Happy birthday, Emily."

I smiled, feeling warmth settle in my chest. "Thanks, Mom."

The oven timer dinged, signaling that the brownies were ready. I pulled them out carefully, setting them on the counter to cool. The scent of chocolate filled the air, rich and warm.

I walked into school, holding the container of brownies carefully as I made my way toward my classroom. This was supposed to be a good day. I was excited to share them with everyone, to feel like today was special.

But before I even reached the classroom door, I felt the sudden jerk of the container being ripped from my hands.

I barely had time to react before I saw him—Trevor.

He grinned wickedly as he sprinted down the hallway, holding my brownies like a prize he had just stolen from a treasure chest.

"HEY!" I shouted, running after him, but he was already shoving brownies into his mouth as he ran, crumbs flying in every direction.

"Mmm, these are actually kinda good, Blake!" he said with his mouth full, his voice muffled by chocolate.

Students turned their heads, watching the chaos unfold. Some looked amused, others shocked.

"Trevor, give them back!" I yelled, but he just laughed, stuffing another brownie into his mouth like some kind of wild animal.

My fists clenched as rage boiled in my chest. I had woken up early, worked hard to make these, and he was just... ruining it.

Jasmine and Mia rushed up beside me, their faces mirroring my anger.

"Are you kidding me?!" Jasmine snapped. "You're disgusting, Trevor!"

Mia glared. "Seriously, do you even have the ability to act like a decent human being?"

Trevor just laughed through his chewing, enjoying every bit of the attention he was getting.

My birthday was already off to a terrible start.

Tears burned my eyes before I could stop them. I had worked so hard, poured so much effort into making those brownies special, and now Trevor was just ruining everything. My hands clenched into fists at my sides, my whole body trembling with frustration and hurt.

Trevor's grin faltered when he noticed my tears. Maybe he hadn't expected me to cry—maybe he thought I'd yell or chase him, that I'd fight back like I sometimes did. But I couldn't. Not this time.

"Are you serious, Trevor?" Jasmine's voice cut through the noise like a blade. "You just had to ruin her birthday, huh?"

Mia stepped forward, her glare sharper than I'd ever seen it. "You're a pathetic bully. What, do you think you're funny? You think stealing someone's birthday treat makes you cool?"

Trevor's smirk returned, though it wasn't as confident as before. "Relax, it's just brownies," he scoffed, though his voice lacked its usual bite.

"No, it's not just brownies," Jasmine snapped. "It's about respect. Something you clearly don't have."

I sniffled, wiping my face with my sleeve. My stomach twisted with embarrassment. I hadn't meant to cry in front of everyone. Now, more students had gathered, whispering, watching, waiting to see what would happen next.

"Hey! What's going on here?"

A sharp voice made everyone freeze. I turned to see Ms. Martin, one of the eighth-grade teachers, striding toward us, her sharp eyes scanning the scene. She looked at Trevor, who still had chocolate smeared on his fingers, then at me, my face blotchy from crying.

Trevor immediately tried to play it off, shrugging. "Nothing. Just a misunderstanding."

Ms. Martin folded her arms. "A misunderstanding, huh? Looks to me like you stole something that wasn't yours."

"It was just a joke," Trevor muttered, shifting uncomfortably.

Ms. Martin wasn't having it. "Principal's office. Now."

Trevor groaned. "Seriously? Over brownies?"

"NOW."

He scowled but didn't argue. As he stalked away, he shot me a glare, but I didn't care anymore.

Ms. Martin turned to me, her expression softening. "Emily, are you okay?"

I nodded, though my throat felt tight. "He—he took my brownies. I made them for my class."

Her eyes flashed with sympathy. "That was really thoughtful of you. I'm sorry that happened." She glanced around. "Did he eat all of them?"

I shook my head, my hands trembling as I lifted the container. A few were still inside, though some were crumbled and smushed from Trevor's rough handling.

Ms. Martin sighed. "I'll talk to the cafeteria staff. Maybe we can find a way to replace what you lost."

I swallowed hard. "Okay... Thanks."

Jasmine and Mia were still at my side, glaring at Trevor's retreating back.

Jasmine bumped my shoulder gently. "Hey. Don't let that jerk ruin your birthday. You still have some brownies left, and you still have us."

Mia nodded. "Yeah. We'll still make today a good day, okay?"

A small smile tugged at my lips despite everything. "Okay."

The bell rang, signaling the start of the day, and I took a deep breath. Maybe it hadn't started perfectly, but it wasn't over yet.

I wouldn't let Trevor take that away from me.

As we walked into the classroom, the groans started immediately.

A test.

I hadn't even known we had one today. From the looks on my classmates' faces, I wasn't the only one caught off guard.

Jasmine slumped into her chair. "You've got to be kidding me."

Mia sighed as she grabbed a pencil from her bag. "Happy birthday, Emily. Here's a pop quiz as a gift."

I let out a small laugh, shaking my head. "Yeah, real great timing."

Before I could even sit down, the door swung open, and Trevor walked in, dragging his feet. He still had chocolate smudged on his fingers, and he looked irritated. Probably because Ms. Martin had made him go to the office.

Our teacher, Mr. Dawson, glanced up from his desk. "Trevor, nice of you to finally join us. Take your seat."

Trevor slumped into his chair at the back of the room, not even trying to look interested.

Mr. Dawson stood and clapped his hands together. "Alright, everyone. I hope you studied because today's quiz is not multiple choice."

More groans filled the room. I sighed and pulled out my pencil.

"Eyes on your own paper," Mr. Dawson said as he started passing out the tests. "And remember—no talking, no leaving your seat, and absolutely no bathroom breaks during the test."

I focused on my paper, scanning the first question. It didn't seem too bad, but I still wasn't thrilled about having a test on my birthday.

A few minutes passed in silence. The only sounds were the scratch of pencils and the occasional sigh of frustration.

Then, out of nowhere, Trevor groaned loudly. "Ughhh."

Mr. Dawson looked up sharply. "Trevor. Quiet."

Trevor shifted in his seat, looking uncomfortable. "I need to go to the bathroom."

A few students snickered, but Mr. Dawson's expression didn't change. "You know the rule. No leaving during a test."

Trevor gritted his teeth. "But I really gotta go."

Mr. Dawson folded his arms. "Then maybe you should have gone before class started."

Trevor fidgeted, his leg bouncing under the desk. His face was starting to turn red.

Jasmine leaned over and whispered, "This is karma."

Mia smirked. "Instant justice."

Trevor clenched his jaw, shifting in his seat again. "Come on, Mr. Dawson, I really have to—"

"No." Mr. Dawson's voice was firm. "If you leave, you fail the test."

A few students gasped quietly. Trevor looked torn between arguing and suffering in silence.

I bit my lip, watching as he squirmed.

For the first time ever, Trevor actually looked nervous.

And honestly? It was kind of satisfying.

The test was getting harder. My pencil hovered over the next question, but my brain just wasn't cooperating. I let out a quiet sigh.

This stunk.

Oh wait... that wasn't the test.

Something actually stunk.

A foul, awful, nose-wrinkling stench was creeping through the air, and it was coming from Trevor's direction.

A few students gagged.

"Oh my gosh," Jasmine muttered, covering her nose.

Mia's eyes widened in horror. "No. No way."

Then it hit me.

Trevor had really needed to go to the bathroom.

And Mr. Dawson hadn't let him.

"Oh... oh no," I whispered, eyes going wide.

The realization spread like wildfire across the classroom. One by one, heads turned toward Trevor, who sat frozen in his seat, his face a deep shade of red.

A low, horrified murmur rippled through the students.

"Did he...?"

"No way."

"Dude, what is that smell?"

Trevor ducked his head, refusing to make eye contact with anyone. His usual cocky smirk was gone. He looked absolutely mortified.

Mr. Dawson, still oblivious to the growing horror in the room, sighed. "Alright, settle down and—"

Then he smelled it.

His nose scrunched, and his expression flickered with confusion, then concern. "What in the world—?"

A kid in the front gagged. "Oh gross."

Trevor suddenly shoved his chair back, grabbing his backpack with shaking hands. "I—I need to go."

Mr. Dawson, finally piecing it together, sighed heavily. "Trevor..."

"I need to go." Trevor's voice was barely above a whisper, his face completely red now. He didn't wait for permission—he just bolted for the door, practically tripping over his own feet in his desperation to escape.

The second he was gone, the classroom erupted.

Laughter. Gagging. People dramatically fanning the air.

"Oh man, I knew karma was real," Jasmine wheezed.

Mia had her face buried in her sleeve, trying not to laugh. "I can't—this is the best day ever."

Even I couldn't help it. After everything he had done—stealing my brownies, ruining my morning—this was justice.

It was disgusting justice, but still.

And just like that, my birthday suddenly didn't seem so bad.

Mr. Dawson sighed heavily and marched over to the nearest window, shoving it open as fast as possible. A gust of fresh air rushed in, but it wasn't enough to clear the disaster that Trevor had left behind.

"Alright, everyone—quiet down!" he said, though the strain in his voice made it clear he was just as horrified as the rest of us. "Focus on your test!"

But there was no focusing now.

Jasmine had her head buried in her arms, shaking with silent laughter. Mia had completely turned her chair around, refusing to breathe in the same direction as Trevor's desk. Other students were openly gagging or whispering, their faces twisted in disgust.

"I can still smell it," someone groaned.

Another window creaked open as Mr. Dawson rushed to let in more air. He pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath—through his mouth, obviously. "This test is still happening, people. I don't care if—"

He stopped mid-sentence when Trevor's backpack, forgotten in his panic, fell over and hit the floor with a thud.

Silence.

Everyone stared at it, as if the bag itself had committed a crime.

Jasmine whispered, "If it starts leaking, I'm dropping out."

Mia slapped a hand over her mouth, shaking with laughter.

Mr. Dawson exhaled through gritted teeth. "Alright. Everyone, let's refocus. We're moving on. Now."

Easier said than done.

It took another five minutes, two more open windows, and an entire bottle of air freshener from the supply closet before things finally settled down.

And as for Trevor?

He didn't come back.

When lunch finally came, I had the surprise of my life.

I walked into the cafeteria, still buzzing from the incident in class. Word had spread fast, and by now, nearly the whole school knew what had happened to Trevor. I couldn't go five steps without hearing someone whisper about it.

But that wasn't the surprise.

No, the real surprise came when I got to my usual lunch table and found something sitting there.

A brand-new container of brownies.

I froze, blinking at it like I was seeing things.

Jasmine and Mia walked up beside me, their trays in hand.

"Uh... what's this?" Mia asked, eyeing the container.

I reached out cautiously, lifting the lid. The smell of warm, fudgy chocolate filled the air. These weren't store-bought. They were homemade.

There was a sticky note on top.

Sorry about earlier. Happy Birthday. – Ms. Martin

My heart swelled.

"She made me brownies?" I whispered.

Jasmine grinned. "Wow. That's actually kinda sweet."

Mia nudged me. "Looks like today's turning around, huh?"

I smiled, warmth spreading in my chest. Ms. Martin hadn't had to do this. She didn't owe me anything. But she did it anyway.

I sat down, the day's stress melting away just a little.

Maybe my birthday hadn't been perfect.

But sitting there, surrounded by friends, with fresh brownies in front of me...

It still felt pretty special.

We never saw Trevor the rest of the day. Not even during gym class.

That was when I knew something was up.

Trevor never missed gym. He lived for it—showing off, acting like he was better than everyone else, pushing people around when the teachers weren't looking. But today? Nowhere to be found.

Jasmine leaned in as we stretched before warm-ups. "Do you think he went home?"

Mia smirked. "Probably. Would you stick around after what happened?"

I thought about it. If I had done something that humiliating, I'd probably have asked my mom to move us to another state. Maybe even another country.

"Maybe he's hiding in the bathroom," I muttered. "Trying to figure out how to show his face again."

Jasmine snorted. "Or maybe he can't show his face again. His parents probably picked him up."

Mia nodded. "Yeah, he might be grounded for, like, a year."

That made sense. Teachers didn't love Trevor, but his parents? They had to be mortified. I wouldn't be surprised if they came storming into the school, demanding to take him home before anyone else could talk about what happened.

Whatever the case, Trevor was gone.

And honestly?

It was the best birthday gift I could've asked for.

As the final bell rang, I grabbed my things and headed outside with Jasmine and Mia, feeling lighter than I had in days. Today had started out rough, but it had turned around. No Trevor. Good brownies. And I got to spend my birthday with my friends.

But the second I spotted Mom's car in the pickup line, something felt off.

Mom wasn't just waiting in the usual way—she was leaning out of the driver's seat, scanning the crowd with wide, frantic eyes. The moment she saw me, she threw open the car door and waved me over so fast it nearly smacked Sam in the face.

"Emily! Come here!"

Sam, Lily, and I exchanged glances before jogging over. The second I reached the car, Mom grabbed my arms, looking me over like she expected me to be sick or something.

"Uh... Mom?" I frowned. "What's wrong?"

She didn't answer right away. Instead, she asked—no, demanded:

"Did you eat any brownies at school today?"

I blinked, thrown off by the intensity in her voice. "Uh... yeah? The ones Ms. Martin gave me."

Mom's face paled. "Not the ones you made?"

I shook my head slowly. "No... Trevor stole those."

Mom let out a sharp breath and pressed a hand to her chest. "Oh thank goodness."

Lily perked up from her seat in the back, looking far too amused. "Why? What was wrong with them?"

Mom ran a hand through her hair, looking deeply stressed. "Emily, where did you get the chocolate for those brownies?"

I hesitated. "Uh... I found some bars in the cupboard."

Mom groaned, squeezing her eyes shut. "Those weren't regular chocolate bars, sweetheart. Those were chocolate laxatives!"

The world seemed to stop for a second.

I just stared at her.

Sam choked on air. Lily howled with laughter.

I opened my mouth. Shut it. Opened it again. Nothing came out.

Mom gave me a look. "Tell me you did not eat one."

I shook my head quickly. "N-no! I just ate the ones Ms. Martin made, I swear!"

Mom visibly relaxed, slumping back in her seat. "Oh, thank God."

Lily, still laughing, clutched her stomach dramatically. "OH MY GOSH— I HEARD TREVOR ATE, LIKE, ALMOST ALL OF THEM!"

That set Sam off. He wheezed, gripping the edge of the car door for support. "No wonder he disappeared!"

I just sat there, staring at my hands, my entire life flashing before my eyes.

I had unknowingly baked laxative brownies. And Trevor—who had stolen them—had eaten them.

That explained everything.

"Oh. My. Gosh," I whispered. "I poisoned Trevor."

Sam doubled over laughing. "Not poisoned! Just... very inconveniently sick."

Mom pinched the bridge of her nose. "I knew I should've labeled that chocolate. This is why I can't have nice things."

Lily wiped tears from her eyes. "This is officially the best birthday ever."

I just sank into my seat, staring at the dashboard in stunned silence.

I had accidentally gotten revenge without even trying.

Best. Birthday. Ever.