She walked me back to class and asked Mrs. Haggard to tell her version of the situation. 

Mrs. Haggard's side seemed to be different from what the class had witnessed.

 Then something incredible happened.

 Some of my classmates began shouting protests from their desks in response to Mrs. Haggard's comments. "That's not true," they countered. "She never said that," they protested.

 

It was too much of a stretch for them to stand up and walk out with me that day, but I knew something had clicked inside of them. At least they finally spoke up.

 

Perhaps they felt that they owed me. 

Or they realized that we'd soon be at different high schools and I wouldn't be there to stick up for them anymore.

 I'd rather believe that when they spoke up that day, they had finally chosen to take control of their own destinies.

 

I can still hear their voices.