CHAPTER 2: Public Execution

CHAPTER 2: Public Execution

POV: Ivy Bennett

The auditorium doors groaned as they were pushed open, and the heavy murmur of hundreds of students shifted into a loud roar the moment I walked down the center aisle toward the long table where the disciplinary board sat. Every single row was packed with people holding up their phones, and the bright screens flashed constantly as photos of me were uploaded to the school forum where captions and comments were already calling me a thief and a fraud.

"Look at her face, she doesn't even look sorry for what she did to the team," Marcus yelled from the third row, leaning over the balcony railing to glare at me while his friends banged their fists against the wooden seats to create a deafening rhythm.

"Order in this room immediately, or I will have the security guards clear the entire space before we begin," Principal Vance shouted into his microphone, his voice echoing off the high ceilings until the room finally settled into a tense quiet.

I took my place at the small podium in the center of the floor, and my hands shook as I gripped the edges of the wood while looking up at the board members who were already reviewing the printed documents in front of them.

"Ivy Bennett, you are here today because serious evidence has been presented regarding the theft and distribution of the senior examination papers," the head of the school board, a stern man named Mr. Harrington, stated as he adjusted his glasses and looked down at me over the rims. "The digital footprints lead directly to your devices, and we have also received anonymous tips that you were operating a paid ring to help certain students cheat."

"That is completely untrue, Mr. Harrington, because someone went into my locker and placed that laptop there, and I have never taken a single cent from anyone to cheat," I said, my voice projecting across the silent room as I looked directly at the board. "The IP address can be faked by anyone who has basic knowledge of our school network, and I believe someone deliberately did this to make me look guilty because they wanted to cover up their own tracks."

"And who exactly would do that, Miss Bennett, because you have been the sole custodian of the exam study guides for the past three terms," Mr. Harrington questioned, leaning back in his chair while shuffling through a stack of papers. "Do you have any proof or any names to support this claim that you are being framed by another student?"

"I don't have a name yet, but if the IT department looks into the login times of the main server, they will see that I was logged out during the time the breach occurred," I explained, turning around slightly to look at the crowd, hoping that someone might show a hint of guilt or nervousness.

"We have already reviewed the server logs, Ivy, and they show your credentials were used continuously throughout the night," Principal Vance interrupted, his tone flat and unyielding. "Furthermore, we have a witness who has come forward with direct knowledge of your actions, so we will now call Chloe Thompson to the stand."

My heart stopped as Chloe stood up from the front row and walked toward the second podium, her eyes avoiding mine completely as she adjusted her neat uniform skirt and cleared her throat into the microphone.

"Chloe, please tell the board what you observed on the night of the thirteenth," Mr. Harrington instructed, nodding encouragingly at her.

"I went to Ivy's dorm room around eleven to borrow a textbook, and when I walked in, she was sitting at her desk with a stack of printed chemistry papers that looked exactly like the official exams," Chloe said, her voice sounding small and innocent as she gripped the edges of the podium. "I asked her what they were, and she got really nervous and shoved them into her bag, and then she told me that if I kept my mouth shut, she would make sure I got the answers for the finals too."

"Chloe, how can you say that?" I gasped, taking a step toward her while the audience erupted into loud gasps and angry whispers. "You weren't even in my room that night, because you were at the pre-game party with the rest of the cheer squad, and you know very well that I was in the library until closing time."

"I am so sorry, Ivy, but I can't lie for you anymore because the hockey team worked too hard for this season, and it's not fair that everyone else has to suffer for your greed," Chloe cried, pulling out a tissue and dabbing at her dry eyes while the students behind her started cheering for her honesty.

"Thank you, Miss Thompson, you may be seated," Mr. Harrington said, turning his attention back to the panel before looking over at the student representative seat where Noah sat. "As the captain of the hockey team and the student body president, Noah Kingsley, the board values your input on this matter, so what is the athletic department's stance on the punishment?"

Noah stood up from his chair, his tall frame drawing the attention of every person in the room, and he didn't look at me once as he adjusted his microphone and stared straight ahead at the board members.

"The academy has strict rules regarding academic integrity, and since the evidence and the witness testimony clearly show that Ivy Bennett violated those rules, the athletic department supports immediate expulsion," Noah announced, his voice firm and completely devoid of any emotion as he delivered the final blow. "We cannot allow the actions of one person to destroy the reputation of this entire institution and the future of the players who earned their spots honestly."

The words hit me like a physical force, and I couldn't breathe as the board members nodded in agreement and began signing the official paperwork that would end my time at Kingsley Elite Academy.

"The decision is unanimous, and Ivy Bennett is hereby expelled from this academy effective immediately," Mr. Harrington declared, slamming his gavel down as the noise in the auditorium reached a fever pitch.

I turned around and walked down the aisle, keeping my eyes fixed on the exit doors while the students hurled insults at my back, but as I passed the front row where Noah was gathering his things, his deep voice cut through the loud din of the crowd.

"She destroyed everything we worked for.”