After class, Noah walked through the hallways to the canteen.
The rumours about him cheating were dead, killed off by both the principal's stern warning and Mark's very public humiliation. Word had spread fast—every last-year student knew the truth now. Noah wasn't someone you could easily provoke or spread lies about without consequences.
And with final exams just days away, most students weren't interested in stirring up trouble anymore.
Why risk anything now? They weren't as dumb or reckless as Mark. They had futures to think about, university applications to submit, and no one wanted to burn bridges for no reason.
It felt good, Noah admitted to himself. Not the fear or respect necessarily, but the simple fact that he could now focus on what mattered—his plans and beyond without worrying about pointless high school drama.
