“I mean… I didn’t start it. I just said what everyone’s already thinking.

Eli came in, all puffed-up like always, acting like he’s better than us ‘cause his dad “knows science.” Well, my dad works at the bottling plant, and he says that man—Eli’s dad—is ruining everything. Says we’re this close to losing our jobs, all because some guy wants to test water instead of fix it.

So yeah, I called his dad what my dad calls him: a traitor. ‘Cause he is! He’s turning the whole town against itself. One minute people are excited about the Springs, the next minute they’re scared to drink outta the tap. My mom threw out all our spa samples. Said they could give us cancer or something.

All I did was say what everybody’s saying. And Eli lost it. Shoved me. Said he was gonna “break my teeth.” He went full crazy.

Yeah, I fought back. I mean—what was I supposed to do? Let him just hit me because he’s got a hard-on for his dad?

Look, I didn’t want to hurt him. But I’m not gonna sit there and take it while he acts like he’s the only one with a brain. If his dad’s gonna call the town “sick,” then he’s gotta live with what comes next.”