Page 124 of What Goes Around

Just for a second.

A flicker of static crawled across the screen. Someone near the front laughed awkwardly, assuming it was a technical hiccup.

Then Apple’s voice came through the speakers.

“Oh my God, did you see what she wore today? She seriously thinks she looks good like that? She thinks she’s pretty now just because she lost a little weight.”

Confusion rippled through the room.

The slideshow vanished. In its place appeared screen recordings. Message threads. Apple’s name glowing at the top of each one.

Her voice continued, layered over the visuals.

“I don’t know why she even tries. Have you seen her legs? She should not wear anything above the knee. It’s embarrassing.”

Someone laughed nervously, still thinking it might be a joke.

Messages scrolled slowly upward, easy to read.

“She thinks she’s smart, but she only gets good grades because teachers pity her. Honestly, it’s sad.”

Someone near the front whispered, “Is that real?”

“She’s obsessed with me. Always copying. It’s creepy.”

“Turn it off,” Marissa hissed sharply, panic breaking through her composure. “Turn it off now.”

I looked at Apple.

Her face had drained of color. She stared at the screen like she was watching her own autopsy. Her mouth opened once, then closed. Her eyes darted from the screen to Marissa to the crowd, searching for something to hold onto.

Another recording played. This time Apple had a conversation with her friends.

“It just happened. I didn’t mean to sleep with Ian.”

“He came onto me. I was drunk.”

“She doesn’t need to know. Please don’t tell her.”

“He loves her.”

The girl who had sworn minutes earlier that she was protecting Apple sat frozen at her table, her spine rigid, her hands clenched in her lap. Her face had gone completely white. Several others from the friend group exchanged quick, guilty glances, the kind that revealed far more than they intended. Some of them had known all along. Some had helped her hide it. Some had simply stayed quiet.

More messages. More voice notes. More recorded calls.

Apple mocking her friends. Ranking bodies. Commenting on outfits. Sharing private screenshots. Starting rumors.

“And honestly, if she just disappeared, things would be so much easier for everyone.”

“That’s her voice,” someone whispered.

“Jesus…”

Another audio began.

“She pushed me down the stairs. I could’ve broken my neck. She’s been bullying me for years. I’m scared to even be at home with her.”

The screen changed and footage appeared. Our staircase.