A boy called Sam made the right call. When his group wanted to do something cruel, he said no, clearly, and he didn't back down. He's not sorry he did it. But it cost him: the group cooled on him, the easy belonging he used to have is gone, and now there are days he eats lunch on his own. He did the right thing — and the right thing turned out to be lonely. Nobody tells you this part. The stories about standing up to the crowd usually end with everyone admiring you. Sam's didn't. He's proud of his choice and lonely at the same time, and he's trying to work out whether it was worth it.