Chapter 18: Another Day, Another Blow
The following day, Yuqi walked into school with trepidation gnawing at her insides. Her parents had promised to handle the situation, but Yuqi wasn’t naive enough to think things would change overnight. As she approached her locker, her pulse quickened. The image of the graffiti inside her locker the day before was fresh in her mind, and she dreaded what she might find today.

When she reached her locker, everything on the outside looked untouched. For a fleeting moment, she allowed herself to hope that things would be normal for once. But when she opened the door, her heart sank.

Inside, taped to the wall, was a folded piece of paper. Yuqi’s hands trembled as she reached for it, her stomach twisting in knots. She unfolded the note, and her breath hitched as she read the words scrawled across it in jagged, angry handwriting:

"I will ruin you. Might as well kill yourself and get the torment over with."

The paper slipped from her hands, fluttering to the floor. Her vision blurred as her breathing grew shallow, panic swelling in her chest. The cruel words echoed in her mind, sharp and relentless.

She stumbled backward, clutching the edge of the locker for support. The hallway seemed to close in around her, the noise of students talking and laughing fading into an indistinct hum. Her legs felt weak, her body trembling.

“Yuqi?”

The voice cut through the haze, and she turned to see Elliot. His expression shifted from concern to alarm as he noticed the note on the ground.

“What the hell?” he muttered, picking it up and reading it. His hands tightened around the paper, his face darkening with anger. “Who wrote this?!”

“I—I don’t know,” Yuqi stammered, her voice barely audible.

Elliot’s outburst drew the attention of other students nearby, who began murmuring as they glanced at the scene. Before long, Kelly appeared, pushing through the small crowd that had formed.

“What’s going on?” she demanded, her gaze darting between Yuqi and Elliot.

Elliot handed her the note, his jaw clenched. Kelly’s eyes widened as she read the words, her face contorting with rage.

“Are you kidding me?” Kelly snapped, her voice rising. “This is beyond disgusting!”

She turned to the crowd of students, her eyes blazing. “Whoever did this is a coward and a psychopath. Do you seriously think this is okay?!”

Most of the students looked away, uncomfortable under Kelly’s glare. A few exchanged nervous glances, but no one spoke up.

“Yuqi,” Kelly said, turning back to her sister, her voice softer now. “We’re going to the office. Right now.”

“I don’t think it’ll help,” Yuqi whispered, tears streaming down her face. “The principal doesn’t care. He’ll just say it’s no big deal again.”

Kelly shook her head, her jaw tightening. “Then we go over his head. We tell Mom and Dad. We tell everyone. I’m not letting this slide.”

Elliot nodded, his face still dark with anger. “She’s right. This isn’t something we can ignore. This has gone way too far.”

Kelly wrapped an arm around Yuqi’s shoulders, guiding her toward the office. As they walked, Yuqi felt the weight of the note pressing down on her, its cruel message etched into her mind. She wanted to believe that things would get better, that someone would step in and put an end to it all, but the fear and despair were overwhelming.

Kelly pushed the office door open without knocking, the force of her entrance making everyone inside turn their heads. Yuqi followed closely behind her, clutching her backpack straps tightly, her face pale and tear-streaked. Their parents, already seated across from Principal Keller, stood up immediately.

“What’s going on?” their mom asked, concern etched across her face.

Wordlessly, Kelly thrust the note into her dad’s hand. He unfolded it, his brow furrowing deeply as his eyes scanned the hateful words. His jaw tightened, and his face darkened with barely contained fury.

“This was in her locker this morning,” Kelly said, her voice trembling with anger. “And it’s not the first time something’s happened. This is escalating, and it’s dangerous.”

Their mom snatched the note from her husband’s hand, her eyes widening as she read it. She looked at Yuqi, her expression shifting to one of heartbreak. “Yuqi… sweetheart…”

“Mr. Keller,” their dad began, his voice low and simmering with rage, “this is unacceptable. Look at what was in my daughter’s locker this morning. What are you going to do to fix this?”

Principal Keller, seated behind his desk with his hands folded, let out a sigh that only stoked the fire in their father’s eyes.

“Mr. Allen,” Keller began, his tone measured, “I understand you’re upset. This is a concerning note, of course. However, as of right now, we’ve reviewed the security footage, and no one but Yuqi has accessed her locker.”

Yuqi’s head shot up, her eyes widening in disbelief. “That’s not true! I didn’t put that in there!”

Keller raised a hand in a placating gesture. “Yuqi, I’m not accusing you, but we can’t rule out that this could be a misunderstanding… or possibly something you might have done for attention.”

“What?” Kelly exploded, her voice reverberating off the walls. “Are you seriously accusing her of doing this to herself? Have you lost your mind?”

“I’m simply saying,” Keller continued, his tone annoyingly calm, “that we can’t ignore all possibilities. I understand Yuqi was in the hospital for some time this summer. Perhaps she’s experiencing some lingering trauma and is acting out—”

“Enough!” their dad roared, slamming his hands down on Keller’s desk. The principal flinched, clearly startled by the outburst.

“How dare you suggest my daughter would do something like this to herself?” their dad growled, his face red with fury. “She has been humiliated, harassed, and threatened in your school, and instead of protecting her, you have the audacity to blame her?”

Their mom’s voice was no less sharp. “Our daughter is being targeted, Mr. Keller. Threatened. And you’re sitting here dismissing it as some kind of cry for attention? You’re failing at your job, and you’re failing her.”

Keller’s calm facade cracked slightly, and he shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “I understand your frustration, but as I’ve said, there’s no evidence of anyone else tampering with her locker. Without evidence, my hands are tied.”

Kelly’s voice was like ice. “You don’t need evidence to do your job, Keller. You need a spine.”

Their dad turned to Yuqi and Kelly, his voice softer but no less firm. “Girls, why don’t you head on to class while we finish this discussion with your principal?”

Kelly looked like she wanted to stay and keep arguing, but one glance at her father’s face told her this was not a request. She grabbed Yuqi’s hand and led her out of the office.

In the hallway, Kelly turned to Yuqi, her eyes still blazing with anger. “I swear, if that guy doesn’t do something, we’re going higher. Mom and Dad won’t let this slide.”

Yuqi nodded numbly, though her heart felt heavy. She knew her parents were fighting for her, but Keller’s words lingered in her mind. The implication that she could have done this to herself felt like another blow, a wound layered atop all the others.

Kelly squeezed her hand. “Hey, don’t let that idiot get in your head, okay? None of this is your fault. You didn’t deserve this.”

Yuqi sniffled, wiping at her eyes. “Thanks, Kelly.”

Kelly’s expression softened, and she nudged Yuqi lightly. “Come on. Let’s get to class. At least I’ll be there if anyone tries anything.”

Yuqi gave her sister a faint smile, grateful for her unwavering support. Even as her heart ached, she resolved to keep moving forward.

The day continued to unravel for Yuqi as she tried to make her way through the crowded hallways between classes. The press of bodies and the constant buzz of conversations made her feel small and vulnerable. She kept her head down, clutching her books tightly to her chest, hoping to make it to her next class unnoticed.

But that hope shattered in an instant.

As she passed a row of lockers, a sudden, brutal force slammed into her back, knocking her off balance. Her shoulder hit the cold metal of the lockers with a sharp thud, the impact reverberating through her body.

Yuqi gasped, stumbling to the ground. Her books slipped from her grasp, and her knees scraped against the hard tile floor. For a moment, the noise of the hallway seemed to fade as she tried to catch her breath, her heart pounding in her ears.

When she looked up, there was no one around who appeared to have done it. The students near her didn’t even stop, their eyes sliding over her as if she were invisible. Some stepped around her, their chatter uninterrupted, while others walked past without sparing her a glance.

Yuqi gritted her teeth, forcing herself to her feet. Her shoulder throbbed, and tears pricked the corners of her eyes, but she swallowed the lump in her throat and collected her books as quickly as she could. She didn’t want to give anyone the satisfaction of seeing her break down.

The following incident happened between her last two classes. Yuqi was walking carefully, trying to keep to the edges of the hallway to avoid drawing attention. She held her books tightly, her eyes fixed on the floor in front of her.

Then it happened again.

A foot shot out in front of her, and before she could react, she tripped and fell hard onto the floor. She gasped as the air was expelled from her lungs. Her books went flying, scattering in all directions. Pain radiated through her palms and knees where they had hit the ground, but worse than the physical pain was the humiliation that followed.

Laughter echoed around her, cruel and mocking.

“Oh my god, did you see her fall?”

“Classic!”

“She’s such a mess.”

Yuqi stayed on the ground for a moment, frozen in place. Her hands shook as she tried to gather her books, her vision blurred by tears. No one stopped to help her. The laughter continued, and the voices blurred together, each word slicing into her already fragile confidence.

“Hey, leave her alone!”

The familiar voice cut through the noise, sharp and angry. Yuqi looked up to see Kelly storming toward her, her eyes blazing with fury.

“What is wrong with you people?” Kelly snapped, glaring at the group of students laughing nearby. “Do you seriously think this is funny?”

The laughter died down, and the students quickly dispersed under Kelly’s glare. She crouched down beside Yuqi, her voice softening. “Are you okay?”

Yuqi nodded weakly, though her hands trembled as she reached for her books. Kelly helped her gather them, her anger still simmering just beneath the surface.

“Come on,” Kelly said, her tone firm but gentle. “Let’s get to class. And if anyone else tries something, I swear I’ll—”

“Don’t,” Yuqi interrupted quietly, her voice trembling. “It’ll just make things worse.”

Kelly looked like she wanted to argue, but she bit her tongue and nodded. “Fine. But I’m not going to let them keep treating you like this. You don’t deserve it.”

Yuqi managed a faint smile as they stood up together. Her body ached, and her heart felt heavy, but she was grateful for her sister’s unwavering support. Even in the darkest moments, Kelly was her anchor.