“I’m… I’m sorry,” she stammered, addressing the boy directly this time. “I didn’t know. Thank you for what you did. You’re a hero.”

The boy shifted in his seat, feeling an unfamiliar weight of attention on him. He simply shrugged, mumbling, “I just did what I had to.”

The principal nodded approvingly, “Sometimes, doing the right thing means making sacrifices. Today, you made a big one. We’re very proud of you.”

Mrs. Collins walked over to the boy, resting a gentle hand on his shoulder. “If it weren’t for you, I don’t know what would have happened. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.”