A timely psychological thriller about school bullying and its deadly consequences.
Terry, 13, loves his iPhone X, Fortnite, and... Jennifer.
Jennifer loves Instagram, herself, and Vincent.
Vincent despises Terry and he is his worst nightmare.
Terry...
(Take a look at yourself) Take a look in the mirror and cry (and cry)
Lord, what you're doing to me (yeah yeah)
I have spent all my years in believing you
But I just can't get no relief, Lord!
Somebody (somebody) ooh somebody (somebody)
Can anybody find me somebody to love?
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Wednesday, october 9th
The bell rings: finally, that horrible math class is over. I actually like math, but the feeling isn't mutual. It's morning break, the boys are restless and shove their way out, while Mr. Arnault, inaudible and embarrassed, tries to maintain some semblance of order. A lost cause. Lucie sticks close to me as I watch Vincent run through the cold white and turquoise hallways. The shouts of my classmates bother me after this tough class session. The silver lining: I can finally sneak out my smartphone and check my Insta notifications. Cool, I'm up to 3800 followers. Unfortunately, Vincent still isn't one of them...
With my friends, we settle under one of the big orange and green blocks that overlook the courtyard. We make the most of it: the heatwave is a distant memory now, but it's not too cold and the sun is shining. A little further away, a group of boys noisily play football in utter chaos. Lucie talks to me about the math test she's dreading, but I'm not really interested. I'm managing my Insta community, I have numerous private messages to catch up on, and I've launched a story share that I need to honor. Being a star isn't always easy...
A new bell rings, signaling the end of the break. I hide my smartphone in my pants – I wouldn't want it to be confiscated – and we head back to English class. In front of me, Terry, the eternal loner, glued to his phone, walks through the doors. I always feel a bit sad when I look at him. We enter just as we hear a loud "watch out!": we barely have time to move aside as Vincent, Raphael, Leo, and Enzo run past. They charge at Terry just as he turns his head. I see the scene as if in slow motion: his eyes widen in surprise, he clutches his iPhone X to his heart and braces for the impact. Vincent shoves him, Enzo grabs his backpack so hard that he tears off the left strap. Raphael completes the scene by jumping on him: the impact is so violent that Terry falls and slides for a few meters. His bag bursts open on the ground, the zipper gives way and his books, his pencil case, everything spills out to the right and left.
Unknowingly, I let out a small cry and cover my mouth. It all happened so quickly. Before disappearing, Vincent mimics a rifle shot at Terry and taunts:
— One of these days, we'll have a hunt for the redhead!
Around us, no adults. Most of the middle schoolers are indifferent. Some snicker, and I'm confused, feeling sadness for Terry while admiring Vincent. Without really thinking, I approach my classmate. He's still on the ground, in the fetal position, his eyes closed and his iPhone X clutched against his heart. I kneel down and ask if he's okay. His eyes open, bewildered, and he turns bright red. He mumbles and checks his precious phone, which is intact. He sighs in relief and tucks it away in his pocket.
