The students fell dead silent, stepping back against the lockers to give the two authority figures a wide berth.
Trent turned to see them coming, and whatever fight he had left in him instantly evaporated. His knees actually buckled slightly, and he had to lean against the lockers to stay upright.
Coach Harris stopped three feet away from Trent. He didn't yell. He didn't scream. When he spoke, his voice was terrifyingly quiet.
"Is it true?" the coach asked.
Trent swallowed hard, tears finally welling up in his eyes. The tough, untouchable bully was gone, replaced by a terrified teenager facing the absolute ruin of his carefully constructed life. "Coach, please. I can explain. It was just one class—"
"Is it true, Trent?" Principal Sterling interrupted, his tone laced with ice. "Did you attempt to digitally alter your transcript? And did Blue Ridge rescind your scholarship?"
Trent looked around wildly, hoping someone—anyone—would jump to his defense. But the hallway was a wall of stony faces. Even Brody had taken two steps back, distancing himself.
"Yes," Trent whispered, his voice cracking. He looked down at the floor. "Yes, sir."
Coach Harris closed his eyes for a brief second, shaking his head. "Take off the jacket, Lawson."
Trent’s head snapped up. "What? Coach, please, the championship is on Friday—"
"You are academically ineligible to play on this team, and you have violated the athletic code of conduct," the coach said, his voice booming down the hallway. "You're done. Take off the letterman jacket. Now."
With trembling hands, Trent unbuttoned the blue and white jacket. He slipped it off his shoulders, the heavy fabric pooling in his hands. He held it out, and Coach Harris snatched it away without a word.
"My office. Five minutes," Principal Sterling ordered. "We need to discuss your immediate suspension pending an expulsion hearing for academic fraud."
The Principal and the Coach turned and began walking back down the hall.
Trent stood shivering in his thin white undershirt. He looked utterly broken. His status, his future, his armor—all of it had been stripped away in less than five minutes.