His words only made Kayla cry harder. Steven pulled her into a hug, but his eyes, glaring at me over her shaved head, were cold. “Did Reese do this? I always said that kid was weird. This is assault, Mrs. Adams.”

Reese appeared in the doorway, a tiny, pajama-clad specter. “I cut off her hair so she couldn’t go to prom with you,” she announced, her voice ringing with conviction. “Because you’re mean to her.”

“Reese!” I snapped, but she was a freight train of purpose, barreling forward.

“You hurt my sister,” she continued, pointing a small finger at Steven. “I see the purple marks on her arms where you grab her too hard.”