Lipstick, Lies & Lockdown

12:01 PM – Ridgewood High – Main Hallway

The bell screamed through Ridgewood's freshly painted hallways, but no one moved. Not even the freshman darting to dodge the chaos of upperclassmen.

That was the power of fear—and Bee Rivera had become its queen.

Her blood still roared from what she had just done. The Red Queen mask was off, but the aftershock of her declaration still echoed down the halls. People didn't need proof when they had a villain to worship—or to blame.

"Bee—"

She turned. Zuri. Wide-eyed, winded, gripping her phone like it was the only thing keeping her upright. "You need to see this."

Zuri flipped the screen around.

Anonymous Drop: NEW Footage – Harrow, Hailey & the Ridgewood Board.

The same ominous red 'U' watermark hovered in the corner.

"Oh my God," Bee whispered.

12:15 PM – Girls' Bathroom – West Wing

"They're calling it 'The Lipstick Leak,'" Serena announced, practically panting as she burst into the bathroom where Bee, Zuri, and Logan were crammed into the stalls like it was some kind of HQ.

Kai stood guard outside.

On the cracked mirror above the sink, Bee could still see a smear of red lipstick someone had angrily written with:

'Ridgewood is Rotten.'

Serena pulled out her laptop. "They got everything. Harrow admitting he covered up the locker hazing videos. The board discussing Hailey like she was disposable."

Bee's stomach twisted.

"But here's the real kicker," Serena said, eyes glinting. "There's audio of Harrow offering someone hush money. And guess who's voice they modulated out?"

"Mine," Bee whispered.

Logan looked at her, face stone-cold. "You were their scapegoat. And they still want to make you the monster."

Bee straightened, the war paint invisible but alive beneath her skin. "Then let's give them a monster they'll never forget."

12:35 PM – Ridgewood Library – Lower Level Study Room

Kai slammed the file on the table. "There's one more piece of the puzzle. And it's encrypted."

Bee glanced at the USB. The one that had shown up at her doorstep two nights ago with nothing but a sticky note:

'You want the truth? Decrypt it. But know it comes with blood.'

She'd waited. Until now.

Zuri plugged it in. Kai began typing. Firewalls. Layers. A program called REM.

"This isn't just code," Kai muttered. "This is a digital confession booth."

Click. A file opened. A video.

Bee's breath hitched. It was a younger Hailey. Pale. Nervous. Speaking directly to the camera.

"They made me delete it… but I saved one copy. If you're watching this, then I didn't make it."

The air sucked out of the room.

"They think they can hide it all. That the 'accidents' were just that. But it's more. We're just pawns in their game. But I won't be silent anymore."

The footage glitched, then cut.

For a long moment, no one spoke.

"We need to release it," Zuri whispered.

"No," Bee said. "Not yet. We don't drop the bomb until the board meeting. I want them all in the room when it plays."

1:07 PM – Ridgewood Cafeteria – Lunchtime Lockdown

The overhead speakers crackled.

"This is Principal Harrow. Due to ongoing investigations, Ridgewood is now under lockdown. Students must remain in designated areas."

Serena scoffed. "Classic panic mode."

But Bee's mind was already racing. If they were locking them in, it meant one thing:

They were trying to trap her.

"Where's Logan?" she asked.

"Science wing," Kai said. "He went to distract the security detail."

Bee turned to Zuri. "Get the video loaded into RidgewoodTV's master stream. Serena, prep the TikTok leak thread. Kai, I need access to the school board's private Zoom link."

Zuri blinked. "You're not thinking—"

"I'm not thinking," Bee cut her off. "I'm acting."

1:20 PM – School Board Private Conference Room (via Hijacked Zoom Stream)

The camera flicked on. The Ridgewood School Board sat prim, smug, unaware.

Until Bee's face appeared onscreen.

"This is your Red Queen speaking," she said calmly. "And I believe you've all got something to answer for."

Gasps. Yells. Scrambling. But the feed was locked.

Bee uploaded the Hailey file. It began playing.

The board members went pale.

But Bee wasn't watching them. She was watching Principal Harrow.

His face went red, then white.

The lie was collapsing. The truth bleeding out for all to see.

1:35 PM – Cafeteria – Phone Buzz Frenzy

Every phone at Ridgewood lit up.

"OMG Bee exposed the board!!"

"Red Queen LIVE?!?"

"Did y'all SEE that video???"

"Hailey deserved better."

The war was no longer Bee's alone.

Now the students were rising.

1:50 PM – Ridgewood Rooftop – Emergency Exit

Bee stood at the ledge again, just like she had on that first night when she thought war meant isolation.

But this time, her army wasn't silent.

"Bee!" Zuri called from behind her. "It worked. The board's suspended. Harrow's being investigated. You did it."

"No," Bee said. "We did."

She reached into her pocket and pulled out her lipstick—Hailey's favorite shade.

She wrote a single word on the rooftop door:

REVOLT.

Then she smiled.

Because this time, Ridgewood wasn't just watching.

It was listening.