Page 29 of Mine To Hunt

“Stay off campus?” I repeat weakly.

My voice cracks for the first time. The numbness finally splinters under the rising panic. “But I didn’t do this.” I look between them desperately. “He did.” My throat tightens. “Please… you have to believe me.”

Ms. Rivera nods immediately, but the motion feels automatic. Procedural. “We do believe you, Iris.” Her voice remains calm. “But protocol requires caution.”

She taps the folder gently. “If you can provide evidence. Screenshots, message logs, anything that identifies the individual responsible, we’ll coordinate with the authorities.”

Authorities who already refused to listen.

“In the meantime,” she continues, “it would be best if you avoided campus for a few days while we review the situation.”

Her eyes soften slightly. “Stay off social media. Avoid confrontations. Let the investigation proceed. We’ll follow up with you soon.”

The meeting is clearly over, even though my life is still falling apart in the chair across from them.

I stand on autopilot, the room tilting as I mumble a “Thank you” that tastes like ash, and stumble out. The door clicks shut behind me like a quiet verdict.

Hollow. That’s all I feel. Scooped out, echoing with the void where trust used to be. No tears come. My body can’t muster them. Just this vast emptiness swallowing every step.

The corridor waits, stares heavier now, whispers louder.

"She out yet?"

"Bet she's expelled."

I keep my head down, but the weight crushes anyway, each glance a confirmation of my ruin.

Maddie waits outside the admin building, pacing with her phone in hand, and the second she spots me, she rushes over, arms wrapping around me before I can speak.

“Ree! What happened?” Her eyes search my face anxiously. “Did they say anything about the video?”

For a second I just stand there. Then I lean into her without thinking, pressing my forehead briefly against her shoulder. The contact feels like the only solid thing left in a world that’s suddenly gone thin and unreal beneath my feet.

But the moment passes quickly. I pull back. My voice comes out flat. “It’s out.”

Maddie blinks. “What do you mean…”

“They showed me a preview.” I say. The words feel mechanical, like I’m reading someone else’s script. “Blurry, but… it’s me.”

My throat tightens slightly. “In the shower.”

Maddie’s fingers tighten around my sleeves.

“They want me to stay off campus.” I say quietly. “Until they‘investigate.’” I let out a small, humorless breath. “Apparently it’s better for the school’s image.”

The words fall between us like something broken.

Inside my chest, emotions twist into a tangled knot I can’t begin to sort through. Shame burning low and steady. Fear spiking sharp and sudden. Betrayal layered over everything. From the stalker, from Ryan, from the system that seems perfectly willing to treat me like collateral damage.

For a moment Maddie just stares at me. Then her face crumples.

“They’re tellingyouto stay away?” She blurts. Horror flashes across her features as she grabs my hands. “For his crime?” Her voice rises. “That’s bullshit.”

A few students down the hall glance over.

“We’ll fight it.” She continues immediately. “Call the dean, my advisor. Anyone who’ll listen.” Her grip tightens, fierce and protective.

“People are assholes.” She mutters bitterly. “Vultures.” She shakes her head, already pulling me gently toward the exit.