Telling an adult that a friend is in danger can feel like betrayal. It’s the opposite. It’s the most loyal move you’ve got.

Keeping a secret feels like the loyal choice, because loyalty usually does mean not telling. The loyalty is to the person, though, not to the secret, and when a friend is in real danger those two come apart. Bringing in somebody who can actually help means choosing your friend over their comfort and over your own fear of being resented. Resentment is survivable; the alternative may not be.

Tell an adult who can do something, plainly, with what you have seen and heard. You do not have to be certain, and you do not have to carry this alone.