**************
CHAPTER 37
~Jade's POV~
"That's ridiculous!" Silvie's voice cut through the silence. "You can't just disqualify me because she fell!"
Professor Aqua did not flinch. She stood with the microphone still in her hand, her ocean-blue eyes as unyielding as her stance. "I did not disqualify you because she fell," she replied rather calmly. "I disqualified you because you interfered. Twice."
Silvie let out a weird laugh. Since knowing her, I had never seen her act that way… uncomposed. "That's a lie. This is a setup. You're all just biased because she's—"
"Careful," Professor Aqua warned quietly. "Your next words will decide whether this stays a disciplinary issue or becomes something more."
Silvie stepped forward anyway, her face twisted with fury. "You think I'm scared of you? Of this stupid school and its stupid rules? She should've stayed on the ground where she fell. If she can't keep up, that's her problem."
