They Sacrificed Me to Avoid Favoritism novel · Chapter 17 of 24
Chapter 17: The Smear
On Tuesday night we watched the six o'clock news on my grandmother's old television, all five of us in a row on the couch.
"Brightwater Academy is facing new questions tonight," the anchor said, "about a student at the center of a viral video."
There was my school photo on the screen, from the fall, with my braid over one shoulder.
"Oh, I look great," I said. "Good lighting."
"Shh," said Noemi.
A doctor in a white coat sat in a studio chair. A caption under her said PEDIATRIC SPECIALIST.
"Severe oxygen loss can affect memory," she said. "A young patient may fill in gaps with a story that feels completely true."
"She's never met me," I said.
"Sources close to the school say the student has a history of seeking attention," the anchor went on.
"A counselor's note from the eighth grade describes her as, quote, dramatic."
My grandmother made a noise.
"I saw the counselor one time," I said. "About a group project. Her note says I wanted a different partner."
"That's a private record," my mother said. She had gone very still. "Only the principal's office can open it."
The screen cut to my father outside the school in his good navy suit.
"My daughter is a bright, sensitive girl who has been through a terrible ordeal," he said. "I won't say more. I only ask for compassion for my family."
He had never once said the word compassion at our dinner table.
The anchor thanked him. The segment ended and a car commercial began.
For a minute nobody said a thing.
"Hypoxic," Lindsey said slowly. "That's the word they used on the school website too. Last night. I thought it was a typo."
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