"I'm going to the bathroom," my partner said, standing from the table. "Be back in a minute."
As they headed up the basement stairs, leaving our friends and I behind, I glanced beside me at their phone sitting on the wooden tabletop. With a grin, I picked it up and unlocked it.
I was never the type to take selfies, but they took them all the time and nothing made me happier than seeing their face. Maybe, I thought, I could send a few cute ones to my own phone.
"Let's watch Netflix," MK suggested to those of us who were still at the table. Everyone stood and began pushing their chairs in and heading towards the couch, leaving our long forgotten board game behind. I ignored them as my partner's camera roll appeared on the small screen.
I was confused for a moment when only a handful of screenshots loaded, but then I remembered: They used Google Photos, not the default camera.
I tried to switch apps, but I stopped with my finger hovering above the home button. My Instagram profile picture on one of the screenshots caught my eye.
Wondering what I could have said that was important enough to screenshot, I clicked on it.
My eyes widened in horror at what I saw.
LizzieRa17: "Your so stupid and worthless and you should just go kill yourself"
"Hey Lizzie, where are you going?" someone called behind me as I rushed towards the stairs.
"Uh, just give me a minute. I'll be back," I sputtered.
Standing in the hallway outside the bathroom door, I bounced back and forth breathlessly, unable to stand still. I couldn't get the words, "kill yourself" out of my head. I hadn't sent that, and yet it was right there.
The sound of the sink running stopped and the door swung open. My partner looked confused when they saw me.
"What-"
"I don't remember sending you this and I don't know why I would, but I'm so so sorry." The words fell from my mouth in a jumbled mess and tears began to form at the edges of my eyes. "It's so awful. I'm so sorry."
Realization flashed across their face for a moment.
"It's ok. I know you didn't mean it," they reassured me.
"No it's not ok. There's nothing ok about that. I'm sorry," I repeated once more.
"No really, just forget about it. It's fine."
YOU ARE READING
Look What You Made Me Do
Non-Fiction"Don't tell anybody about this." "If you just ignore it, it'll stop." "There's nothing I can do to help you." And so I did everything I was told. I shut up. I put on a brave face. I followed all the rules. But that was the past and it's not who I am...
