The Popular Girl Manipulated Our Applications I Went To Stanford Chapter 06
The tension in the police department interview room was suffocating.
Tiffany sat in a chair, her hair a mess, her makeup completely ruined from crying.
She no longer looked like the confident, popular girl from the chat. She was curled into a ball.
Chad, Lindsay, and a few other students stood across from her, glaring at her like they wanted to tear her apart.
“Tiffany, tell me the truth,” Chad asked, his voice hoarse. “That hacker. You made him up?”
Tiffany flinched. Tears streamed down her face like a broken necklace.
“Chad, let me explain. I was just so scared. My scores were so bad. I didn’t want to go that far away alone.”
“I saw the password spreadsheet on Mr. Kowalski’s laptop. I just acted without thinking.”
“You acted without thinking and ruined over thirty people’s futures?” Chad lunged forward but was blocked by an officer.
“Stay back. This is a police station.”
Lindsay pushed forward and spat at Tiffany’s face.
“You liar. I thought you were my best friend. And you took everyone’s money. What did you spend it on?”
Tiffany covered her face and sobbed.
“I didn’t waste it. I just wanted to use the money to make things easier for us at the technical college. We’d all still be together. That’s good, right?”
“Good?” Marcus was shaking with rage. “Who wants to go to a technical college with you? I could have gotten into any UC.”
Leonard sat in a corner like an empty shell.
The state board had already called. Because he had improperly collected and stored student passwords, leading to a major incident, he had been removed from his position and was under investigation.
I stood at the door and watched the circus.
In my past life, they were in this same room, giving false testimony together, crucifying me for calling the police.
This time, without me interfering, they got to taste the consequences of their own choices.
Tiffany suddenly looked up and saw me at the door.
She scrambled over on her hands and knees.
“Jennifer. Class president. Please help me.”
“You’re the valedictorian. Your voice matters. Tell the police this was just a class prank.”
“Plead with them for me. I don’t want to go to jail.”
I stepped back to avoid her hands.
“Tiffany, did you forget? You changed my application too.”
Tiffany froze for a second, then a nasty look flashed in her eyes.
“That’s right. You’re going to the technical college too, Jennifer. We’re in the same boat now. If you don’t help me, you’ll rot in the middle of nowhere too.”
Chad and Lindsay turned to look at me, a bitter satisfaction on their faces.
“Yeah, Jennifer,” Chad said bitterly. “You think you’re so great, but you ended up just like the rest of us.”
I pulled out my phone and showed the official confirmation text from the state board.
“My account was locked down with two-factor authentication and biometric ID hours ago. No one could change it.”
“So you all can go herd sheep without me. I’m going to Stanford.”