9:55 PM
Students filed out of the auditorium in clusters, their voices still buzzing with shock and excitement. Parents hugged their children, some crying, some laughing, some just shaking their heads in disbelief. The principal and his team huddled near the stage, their faces pale, their voices low, already planning the investigation that would begin tomorrow.
Karl and Bella stood near the back of the auditorium, away from the crowd, away from the noise. Karl's hands were shoved into his pockets, his white shirt now wrinkled, his dark hair still slightly damp from sweat. He was grinning, wide and satisfied, his dark eyes sparkling with triumph.
"Thank God Krystal was exposed," he said. "I thought she was going to talk her way out of it. For a moment, when she started crying, I actually thought people might believe her again."
Bella nodded, smiling.
"People did believe her," she said. "For a minute but then the evidence came out."
