Our literature teacher, Mrs. Hawthorne, thrived on fear and humiliation. One day, she crossed a line—snatching a diary off Addison’s desk and reading it aloud to the class. Addison sat frozen, mortified. Then, unexpectedly, Nolan—quiet, shy Nolan—stood up and calmly said, “That’s enough.” He told her she had no right to read Addison’s private thoughts.
The class was stunned. Mrs. Hawthorne, caught off guard, returned the diary. Nolan’s quiet courage went viral in our school. But Mrs. Hawthorne retaliated—targeting him with unfair treatment.