Jessa

By Monday morning, Ridgeville High felt like it was vibrating — not literally (though the HVAC made suspicious noises), but with gossip, with stares, with that awful buzzing energy that comes when the whole school thinks they’ve got front-row seats to your humiliation.

Most of the rumors weren’t even true.

Some said I was thrown into the pool.

Some said I passed out.

Some said Noah dragged me out like a lifeguard in a movie.

None of that happened.

What did happen ...