In one photo, Roger was leaning back against Samantha's chest, his face flushed as he grinned up at her. She gazed down at him, the picture of tenderness.
I glanced at it once, then noticed the empty fruit wine cans piled on the table behind them.
That much alcohol? Forget affecting their exam performance—some of them might not even wake up tomorrow.
Someone had posted a video. The crowd was chanting: "Kiss! Kiss!"
Samantha pressed herself against Roger, kissing him desperately, deeply—a thin string of saliva still connecting their lips when they finally pulled apart.
Disgust churned in my stomach. I closed the video.
The latest post was from Roger. Clearly set to only visible to me.
I opened it. Heavy, ragged breathing filled my ears.
I frowned at the two bodies tangled together on screen. I didn't need to look closely to know the other person was Samantha.
Roger's voice came through between gasps, dripping with mockery:
"Daryl, Samantha says she loves me best. Says she wants to have my baby as a birthday present. What makes a boring little bookworm like you think you can compete with me?"
Then he sent a photo of an exam admission ticket—torn to shreds.
"I made her choose between you and me. To prove her loyalty, she ripped up your ticket. Said this way she won't have to go to the same university as you. Gives her an excuse to finally dump you."
"Can't wait to see you fall apart tomorrow, haha. Consider this an early congratulations on repeating senior year. Enjoy being a super-senior! "
Even though I'd already braced myself for my ticket being destroyed, seeing those scattered pieces still made my breath catch. A dull ache spread through my chest.
Three years of sleepless nights. Three years of relentless effort.
Gone. Just like that. Destroyed on a whim.
The sound of a phone ringing drifted in from the living room.
I opened my door just as Dad answered, his face shifting to shock. "What? A Westbridge High student? A senior about to take the exam? Alcohol poisoning?" He grabbed his keys. "I'm on my way."
His face was pale, drenched in sweat.
When he looked up and saw me, he assumed I was worried about my classmates and rushed to reassure me.
"Don't be scared. It might not be anyone from your class. I'm heading over now—and even if it is them, I'll do everything I can to get them back on their feet. I won't let anything interfere with tomorrow's exam."