No one moved.
A screenshot of a group discussion with names visible and clean time stamps was displayed on the first slide.
All that was written in the heading was “Loser Watch.”
Behind me, I heard a parent gasp.Mason stated calmly, “This conversation has been going on for seven months. “The kids in it rank students, rate their appearances, and plan what they call ‘lessons.'”
He made a click. One more screenshot. Then one more.”Get him off the stage, please!”
Mason’s name caught my attention.
I noticed hurtful remarks about him that I had never heard before. My throat began to constrict.”Switch it off,” Brielle yelled. “This is confidential. We were hacked by him. “Call the police, please.”Calm as quiet water, Mason remarked, “I didn’t hack anything.” “I received these from someone in that chat. Someone who has finally grown weary of acting in this room.
As Brielle turned on her pals, her face flushed. “Which one of you did this to me?”Call the police, please.
Hannah lowered her gaze as she stood by Brielle’s elbow.Brielle turned and whispered, “What?” “Hannah? Did you do this?
Hannah remained silent.
Mason continued. Since October, Mr. Avery, our counselor, and I have been working on this. It was scheduled to be shown at the assembly the following week. I had no intention of using it tonight.
He inhaled slowly into the microphone. It was evident from what he said next that Mason had organized everything for that evening.I had no intention of using it tonight.Mason went on, “But then a friend told me that a popular girl was preparing something special for me at prom.”
Brielle’s face turned the color of paper.Mason jerked his thumb toward the projection screen, saying, “So I brought this with me.” “I was by myself at the table. I held out. since I was aware of it.
All around me, there were whispers that grew, died, and then grew again.
Over the murmurs, one voice emerged.
Brielle’s face turned the color of paper.Someone yelled from the back, sounding almost perplexed, “You agreed when she asked you to dance.” “Why?”Mason explained, “Because I wanted everyone to see who she really was.” “Not how she describes herself. Not the attractive variant. The actual one. And I needed her to say it aloud, in front of you all, without the option to retract it.”
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