The rumor started on a Tuesday.Maya knew this because Tuesdays were the days she sat by the lockers near the science wing, sketching in her notebook while waiting for Ava. It was quiet there—quiet enough to hear whispers before they became storms.She didn’t look up when she heard her name.“…I heard Maya told on him.”Maya’s pencil paused.“Told on who?” another voice asked.“Jordan. About the test answers.”Her stomach tightened.By lunchtime, the whisper had legs. By the end of the day, it had a face—people staring a little too long, conversations stopping when she walked by.Ava finally found her near the bus loop.“Did you do it?” Ava asked, not accusing—just scared.“No,” Maya said, her voice steady even though her hands weren’t. “I didn’t tell anyone anything.”Ava nodded, but doubt flickered for half a second. Half a second was all it took.That night, Maya opened her notebook again. Instead of drawing, she wrote one sentence:The worst part about rumors is that the truth doesn’t matter until someone chooses to listen.She didn’t know it yet, but this was the week everything would change.