“Please, I’m begging you. You have to believe me. I shouldn’t be in here. I just want to go home.
” Those were the only words I could get out as the cell door clanged shut behind me. They actually think I killed Theo. It started with a missing exam. Will, one of my students, didn’t show up.
I knew the pressure from the trolls was getting to him, the same way it had gotten to me. Then I found out Summer had been taken in for questioning. They found Theo’s blood on her brooch. She said he grabbed her, that she ran, but they didn’t believe her.
I thought Tyrone could help. Summer swore he saw her leave the flat while Theo was still alive. But when Lisa asked him, he claimed he didn’t see anything. He lied.
I know he did. And now Summer’s been charged with murder because of his silence. I tried to talk to her afterward, but she was shaking. She said she couldn’t go to prison.
I told her I’d do everything I could, but I didn’t know how. The truth felt like it was slipping through my fingers. Everyone started turning on each other. Todd told the police about Summer being with Theo that night, and Will lost it.
He accused Todd of ruining her life. I tried to calm things down, but my own guilt was eating at me. I’d been so focused on my own problems, on hiding from the trolls, that I missed how close Will was to breaking. Then there was Gemma.
She was acting strange, buying drinks, being overly friendly. I thought she was being nice, but then she touched me in the café. I told her to back off, but she made it seem like I was the one who did something wrong. I was so confused.
I didn’t know who to trust. Later, Todd got a birthday surprise for Gemma, but it was a fake. He had the date wrong on purpose. I could tell he was playing a game, but I didn’t understand why.
When I asked him about it, he just warned me to stay away from her. He said she was trouble, unhinged. But he wouldn’t explain what he meant. David came up to me in the pub, acting all friendly.
He said he knew I wasn’t a troll, apologized for the whole mess. But there was something in his eyes, like he was testing me. Then he mentioned Jody, the woman I’d been talking to. He said she was trouble, that I should be careful.
I didn’t know if he was warning me or threatening me. I went to see Tyrone again. I begged him to tell the truth, to tell Lisa what he saw that night. He just stood there, looking at the ground.
I told him he was only making things worse, that Summer didn’t deserve this. He said he knew, but he still didn’t do anything. Later, I ran into Amy. She told me she was worried about Summer, that she didn’t know how she was holding up.
I said I’d try to talk to her again, but I felt helpless. The walls were closing in, and I couldn’t find a way out. When Lisa came to see me again, I hoped she had news. Instead, she told me the CPS had authorized charges.
Summer was being charged with murder. I heard her laugh—a hollow, broken sound—as they led her away. She kept saying it couldn’t happen to her, that she couldn’t go to prison. I stood there, watching her disappear, and I realized the truth wasn’t going to be enough.
Tyrone lied. David and Todd were playing their own games. And I had no idea who was telling the truth anymore.
