Fragments of what never was

I woke up a little before my alarm. I made my bed, took a shower, and got ready for today's events. I didn't stop thinking about what I should do for even a second: don't defend Jack. Losing a tool like him was frustrating, but I couldn't contact him, after all, we weren't exactly allies.

The situation was simple: Jack had the information that Steven had led a discussion that was a failure in the eyes of the idiots. Emily certainly couldn't deduce what really happened, but my classmate would quickly realize and have to take action.

I figured out they were working together when I saw Emily's accusations. My cousin, the manipulator? It's almost laughable, and it's oddly something that benefits Jack's plans. That guy never relied on a strategy of cutting the internet with a 0 or 100 outcome. No. He always aimed to gain something, and when I saw Bonnie's look in the middle of that chaos, I could conclude what my classmate wanted… He wanted to break her and make her dependent on Charlotte.

Anyway… From that moment on, what would Jack do? First, any contact between him and Steven should be impossible. They had opposing motivations, and if Steven sent anything to Jack, it could be used against him. No… He definitely has a plan, but I can't figure out what it is because I don't have the information about the accusation Steven will make. Jack also doesn't know that I have the information I do, but at this point, it would be useless to form an alliance with someone about to fall.

It's simple logic, really. Steven will accuse Jack while indirectly accusing me too. By proving Jack's guilt, he expects at least the boys to start thinking I might be what he says I am. Even if he loses some credibility for not proving the accusation against me, that will be overshadowed by his success in accusing Jack, and then he plans to slowly incriminate me later while already having a slight advantage in some people's minds from these events.

I tried contacting some people, but no one responded. Using Tina wasn't a good idea either, since she was a walking time bomb. Having signed the contract and told me about it, using her was too risky. Plus, everyone thought she could be the manipulator too, so if I mentioned the contract to anyone else, they'd quickly conclude Tina told me, and she'd be expelled. Steven had thought of everything. What would I do now?

For now, I'd lay low. I didn't have all the information, and staying pragmatic in this situation was the best approach. Even though Jack was in a tough spot, I was still in my safe zone… Damn it! This all feels like I'm being cornered…!

I packed my materials while reviewing some physics class content. "(V1∣α∣V2⟩+∣V3⟩)=α∗⟨V1∣V2⟩+∣V3⟩"… No… I mixed up the linearity principle with the complex conjugate… What am I doing? "⟨V1∣(α∣V2⟩+∣V3⟩)=α∗⟨V1∣V2⟩+⟨V1∣V3⟩" is correct, applying antilinearity to the first argument and keeping the rest linear. My reasoning is really being affected…

I put on my sneakers and left my dorm. I ran into Tina, who was alone this time. It seemed this walk would have just two participants.

"Hey, Larry… About yesterday…"

"We shouldn't talk about it here, Tina. If someone finds out you broke the contract…"

"Oh, right…"

It was cloudy, just like yesterday. We stayed silent for most of the walk, deeply reflecting on what would happen today. Something big, for sure. Steven had a major flaw in his plan, but I couldn't find any way to take advantage of it.

Suddenly, an idea hit me. If I somehow got Tina expelled after Steven made those accusations and failed, then… No. Obviously, that wasn't something he hadn't planned for. Damn it!

As I walked slowly in a state of tension, I saw Steven. He was calmly sipping juice through a straw while staring at a stapler. That bastard slowly looked at me and waved with a smile.

What…? Is he trying to provoke me…?

I waved back with a fake smile. I could act better than that, but I had to keep up appearances for Tina, who simply ignored him, as she always did.

Damn him… He was definitely trying to distract me. No matter the situation, I wouldn't take any irrational actions, especially since I already knew his plan. Still… Why was he so calm watching me walk with Tina…? Damn it…!

"Larry, what does that mean…?"

Oh, right… She was worried about being found out.

"Relax. A contract can only be enforced if there's proof. Now let's stop talking about this."

"Okay…"

Entrance, hallway, classroom… When we finally reached the classroom, the students were silent, sitting obediently in their respective seats. I approached my cousin, who was clearly nervous.

"Good morning, Carol. Everything okay?"

"Good morning, Larry. Yeah… And you?"

"Did something happen?"

"What…?"

"Tina was alone when she found me."

"… I'm sorry, Larry… I can't tell you."

Steven had even used Jack's plan against him. You could tell by Carol's fearful look.

"… It's okay."

I sat in my seat and discreetly tried to get a general sense of the classroom. I tried to see if there was any change in Bonnie's behavior, but she was quiet, like everyone else. Neither Steven nor Jack had arrived in the classroom yet.

What's going on…? Where is…?

Suddenly, Jack arrived. He didn't act abnormally and simply sat in his usual spot. I tried to find any trace of worry in his expression, but there was nothing…!

"Jack, do you know why everyone's so quiet?"

He was the only one not at dinner yesterday. If he confirmed at least that, I'd have the backing to logically conclude Steven was behind all this. At the same time, he couldn't be sure if I was his enemy or ally.

"Jack?"

Idiot…! Why are you ignoring me…?! I've helped you so far, so answer me, you jerk! You know what I'm talking about! Emily must have told you, so do…! Do something! Cooperate, or you'll be defeated! Quick! Quick, you idiot!

"…"

You're really going to act like I'm nothing, you emo piece of crap…?! Fine, then…! I wasn't planning to defend you anyway, so maybe it's better this way. I need to calm down…

I looked at the door, and there he was. Steven slowly entered the classroom, his expression cold and calm. He stared at me while smiling and approached slowly. I didn't know anything. I couldn't feel or identify any trace, any clue of what he was thinking or feeling. It was like this battle was already lost. Everyone watched, glancing at Steven out of the corner of their eyes. No one dared look at him directly, except for me, as he approached.

"Once again, good morning, Larry."

Once again…? Oh… Right, he had greeted me earlier…

Without me noticing, Steven quickly shook my hand firmly. His hands were cold. No… I had to take control.

"Steven, do you know why everyone's so…"

"That we may reach the truth."

After interrupting me, he turned and sat in his seat. The conversation was over. Everyone looked at me.

Insolent…! You really think you can act all high and mighty…?! Think that made you look "cool" or something?! You worm…!

No, I need to calm down. He's only doing this to rattle me… I mean, why am I talking so much? Of course… So it doesn't seem like Tina told me anything. Why am I forgetting things like this? Is this bastard really messing with me that much?

Calm down… Everything's under control. I acted exactly like Larry Winter, the one who's worried about the whole class being silent and obviously doesn't know Steven's plans… Yes, I got distracted, but if I focus on one point instead of letting my thoughts wander, I can win…

Sandra entered the classroom, puzzled by the silence that filled the room. But after looking at Steven, she seemed to conclude something and started teaching.

"Very well, dear vessels of power. Let's begin today's classes."

The classes were easy, fortunately. Despite everything going through my head, I managed to keep up and jot down additional reasoning in my notebook. But that was only because everything was slower than usual. The pressure I felt from Steven's presence would definitely have hindered me if the class conditions were the same as previous days.

I looked at Jack again, and nothing had changed. His performance was impeccable. I also looked at Bonnie, who was visibly apprehensive. If anyone was going to try something, now was the perfect moment to use her. Yes… Use her.

The reason Steven was doing all this… maybe it was simply to stop Jack's strategy? Everything fit if that was the case. Let's see… Tina expelled, Jack as the manipulator, and Steven's reputation tarnished… If I play it right, all this could happen at once. But I'm still not entirely sure… For Steven to act like this, it's definitely something he calculated beforehand.

Of course! After his strategy using Charlotte was thwarted and the need to use Tina arose, he predicted all this would happen. He definitely said I'd speak up and try to do all this if I were the manipulator… But I, Larry Winter, saw through your ridiculous plan!

I had thought before about getting Tina expelled as a pretext for the students to turn against Steven over an unjust expulsion, but not in the false scenario where Tina was the manipulator. He probably wanted me to panic and think of using her at the last minute, only realizing this at the end, but I was faster.

Suddenly, the class ended. I had to go into the confrontation mid-thought, with no time to pause. I couldn't think much at night, and now, in the morning, my thoughts were also clouded, especially because of the atmosphere Steven created… It was all perfectly planned by him. What I'd do now was simply secure myself. Play defensively.

Everyone stayed in their seats. I was the only one packing my materials, preparing to leave. Everyone's performance was part of Steven's contract.

"Are you all okay? You've been acting strange since this morning… You know the bell already rang, right?"

Steven stood up and walked to the board, positioning himself like a teacher. He rested his hands on the desk and looked at me seriously, with a slightly tense expression.

"Let's start the discussion now, as outlined in the contract!"

"Discussion? Contract? What are you talking about, Steven?" I feigned surprise, speaking with a slightly irritated tone.

He took a moment to respond, staring at the other students.

"Answer me, Steven… What's going on?!" My tone accidentally rose higher than intended, and in that moment of vulnerability, Steven's eyes locked onto mine. His irises were so dark his pupils weren't visible.

"I will conduct a series of judgments, and I will expose the manipulator in front of everyone. I believe you know what I'm talking about, Larry."

"No, I don't! I…"

"Let's begin!" His shout startled everyone. "The accused is…"

Jack.

"Larry Winter!"

…What…?

"Me…? But what did I…?"

"You're the first accused, Larry. Does anyone have evidence against Larry Winter, or any suspicions?"

"Steven, why are you accusing me? This makes no sense!" I tried to keep up my act, though confused.

"… I don't understand why you're confused, Larry."

With that sentence, I realized. I looked at my cousin, who was confused. Why wouldn't someone as perceptive as me realize this was Steven's method to slowly expose the manipulator, since I did something similar last night? My confusion was actually because he chose me, not Jack. Damn it…! Still, I still have excuses. Only the smartest ones are starting to suspect me now… Just suspicions.

"… I understand now. Go ahead, Steven."

Everyone stayed in their seats, not saying a word. They seemed confused too. What was this…?

"No accusations against him, then?" Steven seemed frustrated. "Let's continue. Next is Andrew. You've shown strange behavior, right? You've threatened students here multiple times, and you're friends with Mike, someone completely Machiavellian. It wouldn't be hard to imagine him displaying manipulative traits."

Andrew stood up, confused.

"Steven…!? What are you talking about? That's not what…!" Suddenly, Andrew fell silent, seeming to remember something.

What's this…? First me, then Andrew…? More importantly, Steven kept looking at the other students, seemingly picking the most tense ones.

I get it… He wants my reaction to change when he accuses Jack. Even if it's just a slight change in expression, he plans to accuse me based on that…? That's why he's making me nervous, too…! Now it all makes sense. But…

I looked at Steven calmly, quickly controlling all my emotions. I can contain them easily if I'm aware, after all. You underestimated me, Steven. I won't react differently, even under extreme circumstances!

"… It seems there are no accusations against Andrew either…" Again, he made his frustrated expression. Why? Want them to think you don't know I'm aware of the contract?

"Robert, you're next. Does anyone have any accusations…?"

No one said a word.

"Are you sure?" He looked at Yelena. His gaze remained calm, but for some reason, he hid one hand in his pocket while looking at her, and she turned her face away.

Is Steven angry…?

I glanced at Jack, who gave a slight smile and looked down.

Wait… What's going on…? Did Jack plan something?

"Listen… There will be a slight change of plans. Please understand."

When Steven said that, all the students lowered their heads and hid their faces. That was definitely so I couldn't read them. Once Steven said that phrase during a stalemate, they hid. That way, it's impossible for me to know if he's improvising or executing a pre-planned action. In other words, he gave them extra instructions. Maybe the contracts were different, or they signed more contracts than Tina? Of course he would do that…!

He took papers from his bag and calmly made envelopes, handing them to some students. Each paper seemed to contain some object and names. One thing was clear: Steven was desperate.

"Here's yours, Larry."

It was just a sound device. If I refused to listen, I'd look even more suspicious, as I'd theoretically be refusing to cooperate with Steven's plan.

…!

"It's okay. Yes, but just one. I'll tell you something: you need to go to the other world."

"The other world… You mean… die…?"

"Exactly. The universe's other plans differ depending on the time and cause of death, and that means if you don't kill yourself now, you'll never see your wife again."

"Does it… have to be… now…?"

"Yes. That's because you were late in calling. Don't worry, it's not the end. It's just the beginning of a permanent life with your wife by your side."

"And… I… don't have time to think…?"

"No. Come on, you need to die specifically by hanging. Tie the wires from the devices there and make a rope."

Damn him…! But why…? Why give me this right after panicking…? Do I have to do what he wants and accuse Jack…?! Yes, he obviously counted on me not defending him… Steven just wanted to eliminate Jack as quickly as possible and plant a seed of doubt regarding suspicions against me. Still… What's this disorganization?!

Jack would have to fall. It was the only way. Based on everyone's behavior so far, they don't know about this audio. Steven may have directed them, but he didn't teach them professional acting, which is why they're keeping their heads down!

It's a crude recorder, with no date log… The first thing I need to do is record another audio here… After that, I have to make a decision. Damn it, damn it…! If I had this audio at another time… Could it be…? No, Steven must have this recorded elsewhere…

I looked back and saw Jack staring at me with a slight smile. He nodded toward Yelena, and she suddenly stood up. Now I understood… It was his plan.

"Steven, how about we stop this theater you're putting on just to distract us from what happened with Charlotte?!"

Yes… Exactly what I thought.

"Change of plans!" Steven said, trying to keep his expression calm, hands in his pockets. "Yelena, you shouldn't speak now… Do you want to be expelled?"

"I'm willing to do that! Are you really going to expel me, Steven?! I don't think your plans to cover up what you did will work after what I reveal to everyone!"

"What are you—"

"Shut up, Steven! After everything you did to Charlotte… You were blackmailing her! Knowing she liked a certain boy, you tried to make her ignore all the boys who approached her! I noticed that, and when I told Jack, he tried to approach her, but she ignored him, as I had theorized… Then, you made that scene at dinner yesterday… You did that because you liked her and trapped her with a contract marked with invisible ink!"

I see… I see… Knowing Jack's plan, Steven tried to anticipate his moves, as he always does… But that's where he fell into his trap!

"We tested the validity of this information with Emily, who was even blackmailed by Steven to defame Carol and can confirm everything using her body language skills! Steven is a liar, and Charlotte was being controlled by him!"

Shrunken lips, raised shoulders, different and trembling tone… Yes, Jack must have instructed Yelena to say all this yesterday…

Suddenly, Emily appeared, opening the classroom door but staying outside, clearly confused. Seeing Jack make a subtle hand signal, she started speaking.

"Yes, that's true. Even now, Steven is trying to hide his irritation with his hands in his pockets, and his open posture is clearly unsteady."

Hahaha… Hahahaha… This was perfect. My most loyal pawn proved useful in my moment of weakness. Now I just need to voice my popular opinion about why that audio is fake, and everyone will surely go along. People are more emotional than logical, after all. I hope you make it up to me later, Jack…

He chose to reveal himself in the end, rising in the class as the seemingly quiet student who proved willing to help Charlotte, the "girl oppressed by Steven." Since the audio would put the spotlight on him, and he knew I was aware of him, it was plausible.

Steven made a desperate expression and quickly looked at me.

Hahaha, you thought with those bluffs I'd back down, didn't you?

I stood up and pointed at him.

"This is unfortunate, Steven. To think you'd be the 'manipulator'… This is truly unfortunate…"

Bonnie, though her head was down, was trembling. That gave me total certainty. Emily also seemed happy, and the same went for Jack. It's over, Steven. We had to team up to defeat you, but in the end…

"Larry…? You really…?" My cousin's trembling voice sent a chill down my spine. Looking around, everyone was staring at me.

What…?

"You were the manipulator…?"

No, no, no, no! No! How…?! How?? Jack was supposed to… Emily too… How did this happen…?

With a smile, Steven approached me.

"You should've accused Jack, Larry. Look, you really recorded another audio…" He said, calmly taking the device from my hands. Everyone looked at me in shock.

"How…? Jack… You…!"

Jack looked at me, smiling.

"I knew I'd be exposed either way the moment this discussion started. I made a mistake by calling my victim in the same place where Andrew, one of Steven's pawns, was. No… That was just a distraction, right? It wasn't him who recorded it."

Steven…! You had one of the students bound by a contract record Jack. You must have some connection to Mike too…! Still, how am I being accused…?!

"During our discussion in the classroom, the students called were Larry, Andrew, and then Robert, who was called twice. 'LARR.' I could deduce how Steven's plan would unfold after that. Yelena would be the one to reveal my plan in front of everyone and accuse Steven in a false scenario. Emily was called earlier by one of her friends here, probably, and with the hand signal, I confirmed I was the one contacting her privately."

"No… This…"

"Knowing you were manipulating me without my knowledge infuriated me, Larry. You were the biggest coward of all… That's why I chose to collaborate with Steven."

Liar…! You knew my reputation would take a bigger hit than yours, and that the focus of this day would become me, not you!

Emily was stunned, as were all the students around me. Steven had planned everything, down to the smallest details. The fact that I was tired, my focus scattered, and the reasoning of "not protecting Jack." That made me so confident that if I didn't protect him, I'd be safe. Damn you!!!!

"It seems Jack decided to be honest, at least in the end. And you, Larry? Why not admit it already?"

The sight of everyone watching me with disappointment and disgust made me nauseous. You bastard… You want my honesty, then?! YOU WANT MY HONESTY, YOU—

I lunged at Steven, grinding my teeth and sparing no effort. In those fleeting seconds as I ran, that calm expression kept staring at me, infuriating me even more.

"STEVEN…!!!!"

Larry fell to the ground, defeated. As he was about to strike Steven, Andrew appeared at an incredible speed, delivering an uppercut to his solar plexus.

"Argh…! Andrew, you…!"

While Larry couldn't move, Steven quickly regained focus.

"Larry… Would you like to apologize? Not just to me, but to the others you deceived?"

Everyone was stunned, focusing only on Larry. This allowed Jack to subtly walk out and leave with Emily, who was still trying to process everything that happened. After that, in a coordinated move, Steven played the audio that proved Jack was responsible for the internet outage and that Larry had supported him.

"How could you…?!" Carol said, crying as she was comforted by Charlotte and the other girls. They were clearly angry, but my friend seemed to be thinking about something else while hugging Larry's cousin.

No… It can't be…

"Never speak to me again…! You…!" Tina said with a trembling voice, while Larry made a disgusted expression.

"Steven, I should apologize too. I was angry because I saw Craig's image in you… And he had done something bad to me in the past. So when you called me to that place after dinner and asked me to sign that contract to help with your plan, guaranteeing I wouldn't be expelled no matter what, I attacked you. I took it out on you, agreeing to join your strategy but taking advantage of the apparent flaw in your contract. Look, man… I messed up. I'm not ashamed to say that in front of all my classmates."

"It's okay, Andrew. I also apologize for deceiving you with the fake contract restrictions. I had to use invisible ink because I knew all this would happen, and I made sure the conditions guaranteeing your non-expulsion were voided. It was just a safeguard to ensure you recorded Jack's audio."

Both Andrew and Steven took advantage of the focus on Larry to admit their wrongs without seeming too bad. No… What am I saying…? They only said this because the discussion was over… Yes… They couldn't say it before and just did so as soon as they could, right…? But why say Andrew recorded it when it was actually one of Mike's victims who recorded it?! No… Steven wouldn't use one like that…

After the fake meeting we had with Tina present, we held another meeting about half an hour later to discuss what we'd do today. All this was in the contract instructions, except for Tina's, obviously. Everything was perfectly orchestrated to catch Larry.

Larry and Jack were the "manipulators."

Or that's what almost everyone in the class thought.

"Want to know something?!" Larry shouted, surprising everyone except one person. "That's right! I'm the 'manipulator' Steven was looking for! But no, I didn't kill Craig!"

"Is that so, Larry?" Steven asked, calm as ever.

"Shut up! You think this is a normal school…?! It's only natural that we try to seize control! Because otherwise… we're the ones who end up at the bottom! There's no one here who truly practices what they think is right… We're selfish! Look at Steven… Does he seem normal to you?!"

No… No…

"Soon you'll all see that we can't trust anyone! I'll leave my proposal here… When Steven starts making the mess he's always wanted and you realize it, count on me. We'll have a common enemy."

Stop…

"You're listening, Bo—"

Carol suddenly slapped Larry's face.

"Larry… Were you really going to start trying to break Bonnie…?"

With a surprised look, he stared at Steven.

"That too… was planned, wasn't it?"

I ran out of the classroom, panting, and found myself under the rain. No one stopped me. There, I saw a stapler on a table.

Someone forgot… a stapler… I need to return it…!

I was still panting and nearly tripped. I managed to grab the stapler.

*There's something underneath…?

No… No… No… No… No…*

Memories from when I studied at my old school flooded back. Not just from school.

"Because Daddy loves you so much!"

"Calm down, Ethan!"

No…

I ran to my dorm, in tears. When I arrived, I locked the door and sat in a fetal position. The human mind is capable of absurd things, but not miracles. That's why I was starting to remember something I wanted to forget.

"You betrayed me! You're not what you were supposed to be!"

"Ethan…!"

"Shut up! You shouldn't have been born, Bonnie! You're a burden! A failure!"

"You're sorry?! You won't fool me anymore! You were my treasure! The only thing that…! But no…! You're trash! You're filth! You're dirty! You disgust me! You're…"

"… my… daughter."

No, he wasn't a criminal…! He wouldn't bribe…! He wouldn't do that…! He…!

"I've already woken up to reality! You won't fool me anymore!"

"Things will change from now on."

"You'll stop being spoiled."

"We'll invest in your true potential."

No…! No…!

"You'll go to the Power Shapers boarding school."

"No… Why…?"

Why did things have to be like that? Why couldn't anything be as it always was?

"Because you're like us, in the end."

…

…

…

No.

I'm not like that. And if the world is, then…!

Then I'll face it head-on, and I'll change it!

I don't want to live in an arena where people fight for power without any morals. Even if I'm the only one, I'll still believe. Because that's in me.

I'll find William.