Chapter 3

Malcolm’s heart was racing as he walked down the hallway of his high school. He could feel the stares and whispers directed towards him and he couldn’t help but feel embarrassed and self-conscious. The list had spread like wildfire, making its way through every classroom and group chat.

As he tried to make his way to his locker, Malcolm could hear the snickers and jeers from his classmates. He tried to ignore them, keeping his head down and focusing on getting through the day.

But it seemed like fate had other plans.

As he turned a corner, he suddenly felt himself being pushed against a wall. Before he could even register what was happening, a strong forearm was pressed against his neck, cutting off his air supply.

The person holding him was Joe, the brother of the girl who had given Malcolm the zoo excuse. Joe was a member of the football team and therefore a lot taller and stronger than Malcolm.

“Stay away from my sister, you little creep!” Joe growled, tightening his grip on Malcolm’s neck.

“I ... I didn’t do anything,” Malcolm stuttered, struggling to breathe.

“You’d better,” Joe sneered. “Let me make this clear - she wants nothing to do with you. Don’t even look at her. Got it?”

Malcolm was only able to give a weak nod.

Classes were a torture for Malcolm. Boys who just yesterday talked to him, today ignored him. Girls who yesterday ignored him, today looked at him with hatred. At lunchtime he ate in the corridor, because he wasn’t allowed to sit at any table.

Malcolm felt completely alone and isolated. He had no one to turn to and no one seemed to care about what he was going through. He tried to focus on his studies and ignore the constant stares and whispers, but it was becoming increasingly difficult.

He had always been a shy and introverted person, but now he felt even more vulnerable. He couldn’t understand why everyone was treating him like a pariah when he had done nothing wrong.

Even his teachers seemed to have heard about the infamous list and were watching him closely, as if expecting him to do something horrible at any moment.

As if things couldn’t get any worse, Joe continued to harass Malcolm whenever he saw him in the hallways or during gym class. Joe’s friends would often join in, making sure that Malcolm knew how much they despised him.

Even worse, by the end of the day, the photo had become viral. Now he was infamous not only at his school or city, but in the whole country. Two million views just in the last few hours. Even worse, his social media was flooded with thousands of hate posts. He used his smartphone to lock all his accounts, but he knew it would be only a stopgap.

He decided to toughen it up. But it was not to be.

“Malcolm O’Brien, to the principal’s office.” The PA system announced.

He felt a sinking feeling in his stomach upon hearing this. He knew that whatever it was, it couldn’t be good.

Mrs. Gant, the principal, glared at him as he entered the office. “Do you know why you’re here, Mr. O’Brien?” she asked sternly.

Malcolm shook his head, too afraid to speak.

“Some news have reached my ears,” Mrs. Gant continued. “Apparently, you’ve been making inappropriate comments and gestures towards your female classmates.”

Malcolm felt his heart stop. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He had never insinuated himself with any of the girls in his class. That was one of the reasons he had never had a girlfriend in the first place.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he stammered, trying to defend himself.

Mrs. Gant raised an eyebrow at him. “Do you know what constitutes as sexual harassment, Mr. O’Brien?”

Malcolm shook his head again, feeling like a complete failure.

“It is unwanted and unwarranted behavior of a sexual nature towards someone,” Mrs. Gant explained sternly. “It is not acceptable under any circumstances and could result in severe consequences.”

Malcolm felt sick to his stomach as Mrs. Gant continued to lecture him about the seriousness of his actions and how they could affect both him and the victim.

“What actions?” Malcolm thought, but kept silent, knowing that anything he said would make things worse.

After what felt like hours, Mrs. Gant finally dismissed Malcolm from her office with a warning that if there were any further incidents of this nature, there would be serious consequences.

Malcolm felt numb as he walked back to class. How could things have gone so far? Carla’s thoughtlessness was going to cost him dearly.

When the final bell rang signaling the end of school for the day, Malcolm couldn’t bring himself to face the world. He stayed behind in the empty classroom, trying to wrap his head on everything.

Carla didn’t know what to do. After Malcolm had been called to the principal’s office, she expected to be called in afterwards. But the call never came. She had not yet grasped the seriousness of the situation, mainly because her smartphone had been confiscated by her mother, ironically isolating her from the storm her thoughtlessness had caused. They didn’t share the same lunchtime or classes, so she didn’t see him being practically expelled from the cafeteria.

It was only when she turned on her PC upon arriving home that she realized how out of control things had gone. Horrified, she saw the meme and the millions of views. Even worse, she saw that some people had already doxxed her brother.

Malcolm arrived home later that afternoon. He knew that the photo had gone viral and had to walk home because he didn’t dare to ride the school bus. Feeling defeated and miserable, he went directly to his room, having lost his appetite.

As he laid down on his bed, he felt like crying. He couldn’t believe how quickly things had escalated and how isolated and alone he now felt. He simply had wanted a girlfriend, and now his whole world had imploded. He wondered what his mother would say when she arrived home from work later that day.

Meanwhile, Carla was in her room, feeling guilty and worried about her brother’s well-being. She couldn’t believe that her careless mistake had caused so much harm to him.

She wanted to talk to him, but she was afraid of making things worse. They hadn’t been very close lately since they were both dealing with their own teenage struggles. But now, Carla regretted not spending more time with Malcolm and being there for him when he needed her.

She decided to take a risk and knocked on Malcolm’s door. Unfortunately, it was the worst time possible for her to do it.

She stood there in the doorway, her heart heavy as stone.

“Malcolm, can we talk?” she asked. He didn’t even look at her.

“Malcolm please, I’m sorry!” she pleaded.

He kept his eyes closed. “I can’t forgive you,” he said icily. “You’ve ruined everything, Carla. You’ve ruined my life.”

Tears welled up in her eyes, threatening to spill over. She had never seen her brother so angry and hurt. She had betrayed his trust and destroyed their sibling bond, all for some laughs.

“I’m sorry, Malcolm,” she said, her voice trembling. “I know I can never make it right, but please, can’t we try to move past this?”

Malcolm opened his eyes and turned to her. He shook his head, his face hard and unforgiving. “No, we can’t,” he said. “We’re not siblings anymore, not after what you’ve done. We may live under the same roof, but that’s all we have in common now. Get out of my room.”

With that, he turned and looked at the wall, leaving Carla alone with her remorse and regret. She had lost her brother, and she knew she would never be able to get him back. She could only hope that one day, he would find it in his heart to forgive her.

Carla sat nervously on her bed, waiting for her mom to come home from work. She knew that she would be in trouble when she knew about the principal’s call.When Malcolm arrived home, his mom was waiting for him with a worried look on her face.

“Malcolm, what’s going on?” she asked as soon as he walked through the door.

Malcolm hesitated before telling her about what happened with Mrs. Gant and how he was being accused of sexual harassment.

His mom’s face turned pale and she looked at him in shock. “What? That’s not possible,” she exclaimed.

Malcolm explained how the consequences of Carla’s action had all spiraled out of control. His mom listened attentively, her worry for her son growing by the minute.