Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It was a wonderful day in Elwood City. Birds were chirping and the sun was shining, and over at the Sugar Bowl, Carl was getting ready for a good day of business. He made sure his ice cream machines were churning the soft serve appropriately, then he made sure he had plenty of bananas, chocolate sauce, and whipped cream. Today was a banana split kind of day, and he just knew teens were going to come in looking to share the delectable treat.

He flipped his sign to say OPEN and cleaned the counters, eagerly watching the sidewalk for incoming customers. His eyes landed on Sue Ellen Armstrong approaching with her shiny purple notebook and a small kitten-shaped purse. A smile fell on his lips as he conjured up what he knew about the girl. She was dating the aardvark boy, Arthur, but he didn't know what she saw in him. He was a fire cracker now that Francine was done with him, but that was a different story. He decided to focus on this one, and he smiled as Sue Ellen entered the shop and sat down at a back booth, nodding to him as she passed. She was here for a date, he just knew it.

Carl moved to wiping the bowls with his dishrag, not that any were wet yet. These were stacked from last night, meaning they'd had all night to dry. They didn't need the wiping, but he had to keep himself busy. And the area where the bowls were gave him full view of the sidewalk and the small parking lot outside of his business. This allowed him to see—wait, were his old eyes failing him? No! Buster Baxter came strolling up, leaving his bike on the stand without a lock.

Buster ambled in, nodding to Carl as he moved towards the back booth, the one with Sue Ellen in it.

“I can't believe it!” Carl thought, shaking his head. How could Sue Ellen do such a thing? And with his best friend!

Buster pulled out a menu for a moment then waved Carl over. Carl pulled a pen out of a jar by the register and walked over. Buster ordered a single banana split...and two spoons. Carl nearly fell over, but he knew to do what he was told. He put two dollaps of vanilla ice cream down, then three chocolates, then two strawberry on top. Next he pulled out two bananas and laid them out, then he drizzled on chocolate sauce, squirted on the whipped cream, and added two cherries. He put in two spoons and the dish was done. He delivered it to the teens then sulked into the kitchen.

Carl watched through the dish return spot as the two looked over a book between bites. Sue Ellen looked up at Buster and smiled every few minutes, an obvious sign of love. Well, false love. She was in a relationship with Arthur. She shouldn't have been with Buster, not at all, and it made Carl very angry. He had to tell someone, but he wasn't really sure how to do it...until he remembered his nephew.

Ever since his sister divorced her husband, Carl had been spending more time with his nephew. The boy was an eight-year-old terror, enough to put the monsters in horror movies out of business, but lately he'd been occupied by a cellphone he insisted his mother get him. She resisted for months, but now that the boy was going between houses and going to stay with his uncle too, he needed it...and the apps and games that went with it. Carl hated it, but he liked one of the apps for this occasion.

Cheaters loaded easily onto his phone, and after filling out a profile with alternate information, Carl posted a picture of the couple with this caption:

OMG, u won't believe this!! Look @ whose on a date. OMG, such a cheater! Sue Ellen, how could u?

He knew it fit how a teen would talk, and he hoped plenty of people would see it and listen. Sue Ellen Armstrong was a cheater and everyone had to know.

Sue Ellen entered her room and put down her books. She booted up her computer to begin working on a report for history when the tone sounded for her email...several times. She wasn't expecting anything, but when she opened her email, she found almost a dozen new messages, four of which were from her boyfriend.

“What in the world? Why are people being so mean?” Sue Ellen asked, scrolling through the subjects. When she landed on Arthur's message with RE: HOW COULD U?!, she knew something was up. She opened Arthur's email to find him ranting to her, then breaking up with her for being such a skank.

She didn't understand it. How was she a skank? What did she even do to get such a thing said about her?

As she sat there confused, a new email came in, this time from her best friend, Fern. It was labeled RE: Head's up. Sue Ellen opened it and found a link to the app's online counterpart, cheaters.com. Sue Ellen saw the photo and read the caption, then she made an account in an attempt to defend herself:

Hey, this is Sue Ellen. I was NOT on a date with Buster! We shared a banana split as we talked about a group project. Another person was supposed to be there but he never showed. Honest. Ask Binky Barnes for proof.

She posted it, then to her surprise, people started attacking her from all different directions. She eventually just closed the window and disconnected from the internet. How could people be so mean over something so stupid?

She decided to call Arthur, but he refused to answer. He was done with her, all over a banana split lunch meeting with a group partner. Sue Ellen texted Buster and let him know what was going on. Double standards were clear as he responded “Oh really? Didn't notice.”

Sue Ellen cried, then she started her history report anyway despite her ill mood.

Binky was walking out of a bookstore carrying a new purchase when Muffy Crosswire stopped directly in his path and held her phone in his face. Binky shifted his bag in his hand and peered around Muffy's phone to look her in the eye:

“What are you doing?”

“Look!” Muffy demanded. “Why weren't you at your meeting with your group? Now everyone is calling Sue Ellen a monster!”

Binky cursed himself. How could he forget such an important meeting? He pulled out his phone and looked through his messages, then looked up to Muffy confused, “We weren't meeting today, it's tomorrow. What are you even talking about?”

Muffy scoffed, “Really? You're just going to play dumb as TWO relationships crumble?”

“Yeah, you've really lost me now. Could you just explain what's going on instead of assuming I know everything,” Binky requested, scratching his head in confusion as his bag swung in his hand.

“Sue Ellen is dating Arthur, and Buster is dating me. Someone posted this to the Cheaters app,” Muffy said angrily, tapping her smartphone's case with her fake nails, “and now everything thinks they were on a date. I know they weren't on a date, and Sue Ellen responded to the post saying it was a group meeting, which it was because Buster told me. Why weren't you there?”

“Here's my phone,” Binky exclaimed, “just take it and do what you want! No one sent me anything.”

Muffy did as he asked, and she quickly realized he was right. She shifted and handed back his phone, “So they're lying about the group meeting?”

“I don't know. What does it matter anyway? They're eating a banana split while doing homework. We did that all the time as kids,” Binky shrugged, walking away.

“Well it was cheating then too,” Muffy pouted, pulling up Buster's number. He didn't answer, but Muffy decided that didn't matter. She'd just go over to his condo and confront him.

Sue Ellen was upset, too upset to properly do her paper. She just couldn't believe what was going on, and she was even more upset that no one online believed her. She had to do something about this, and since Arthur wasn't talking to her, she decided the next best thing would be to go to Buster and make sure she wasn't many any cues. It was his idea to share the banana split, and it was his idea to get such an early jump on their group assignment.

As she got to the condo, she noticed a familiar car pull into the lot, Muffy's. Sue Ellen sighed heavily, knowing exactly what was about to happen. Word was spreading fast, and she knew that in Muffy's eyes, she was the enemy.

But she had to do this. Despite what she knew was coming, Sue Ellen kept walking into the complex, right into the danger zone.

Chapter Text

“What are YOU doing here?”

Muffy was just as angry as Sue Ellen expected. She had plenty of time to think of a speech as she walked over to the door. Unfortunately her brain erased this memory, so she had to improvise on the spot, “I can explain!”

“There's nothing to explain, you hussy!” Muffy shrieked. “I talked to Binky and he showed me his phone! You two weren't planning on meeting with him! You were going on a DATE!” Muffy screamed.

All the yelling got Buster out of his house. For whatever reason he decided to leave the comfort of his room and dive right into this fiasco. He opened his door and stepped out onto the stoop only to land right in the middle of the two girls. Sue Ellen looked like a petrified deer. Muffy looked like a pissed off dragon.

“I can explain! Why won't you just let me talk?!” Sue Ellen yelled back to Muffy, all be it weakly and with a shaking voice.

Muffy laughed and shook her head, “There's nothing to explain!” she repeated.

“Yes there is,” Buster said firmly, stepping between them. “We did contact Binky. He didn't give us his number, but he gave us his email. I can take you upstairs and show you the emails leaving my account, honest. He was supposed to be there. We emailed him last night, early even. What time do you think it was, Sue Ellen?”

“Seven, maybe even six-thirty,” Sue Ellen replied, nodding firmly, “He had plenty of time to make plans and he didn't bother showing up. If this was a video not a picture, you'd see us discussing something before ordering the banana split.”

“Yeah,” Buster nodded, “I asked if she'd seen Binky. She said no, but I was already late which meant he probably wasn't coming. If he showed up, whatever, but we were hungry and both wanted something sweet. We were both a little full from an earlier lunch.”

“I had leftover curry, he had a few hotdogs from his mom's barbecue last night,” Sue Ellen added.

Muffy shook her head, “I was there! I know what he had for dinner last night.”

“And you'd know we took home containers of extras, and we weren't even the only ones. Anyway,” Buster continued, “we just wanted something sweet and had a craving for banana splits. We agreed to split one because they're too big. We just wanted a taste. We didn't even finish it.”

“You couldn't get two junior banana split shakes?” Muffy argued.

“No,” Sue Ellen replied, “because it's not Steak 'n' Shake. Carl doesn't have that, and we didn't want to bother him so early into his hours. They had just opened and he looked bothered by something.”

“Was anyone else even there or was he the only one?” Muffy asked with a haughty smirk.

She expected them to say Francine or someone else, but instead they exchanged glances and shook their heads. No one else was there, and neither of them took the picture. Muffy suggested it was someone in the bathroom, but they were there for a while and no one else showed up or came from any hiding places.

“So you were alone in the Sugar Bowl, but this goes viral?” Muffy asked, holding up her phone. “I'm not buying this. Something is up, but...I believe you. Now, go call Binky and let him know how awful he is for not showing up. I'll be back for my phone in a few minutes,” Muffy said, getting into her car.

Buster took his girlfriend's phone and did as he was told. Muffy? She left the parking lot, burning rubber as she went.

Arthur kicked his beanbag chair. How could they? Sue Ellen was his girlfriend and Buster his best friend, and here they were going behind his back at the Sugar Bowl of all places. Even if they were just having lunch together, why not tell him? Arthur was hungry. He could've gone for a burger or something, maybe a whole banana split for himself.

It was too late now though, the damage was done. His best friend was now his ex-best friend, and his girlfriend was now his ex-girlfriend. He was done with both of them, done for good.

He turned off his phone and started playing a violent video game to release his frustration.

Muffy burst into the Sugar Bowl and looked over the crowd. People stared as she stomped to the counter, “You and me, kitchen, NOW,” Muffy demanded, backing up and walking to the back.

Carl's memory clicked and he smirked. Sue Ellen was cheating on Arthur, and if Muffy was here, that meant Buster was cheating too. He couldn't believe his luck as he joined the angry teen girl in the kitchen.

“How dare you make false allegations!” Muffy snapped, hurling a plate towards his head that thankfully missed and shattered over the grill. “Why?! Why would you do such a thing?!” she screamed.

“What are you talking about?” Carl asked meekly.

Muffy laughed, “You know what, you liar! Admit it! Admit you faked the post!”

“Why should I?” Carl asked with a cocky tone. Muffy hurled another plate, intentionally hitting the wall over his head. Broken glass rained over him.

“Does that persuade you? Take it down or I'll make sure this place never opens its doors again,” Muffy threatened.

Carl threw his phone onto the counter, “You do it. I wouldn't know how. I'm surprised it posted in the first place.”

Muffy went into the Cheaters app, but after several attempts, the post was still there. Muffy pulled out her phone and called Bailey to bring her laptop in. After a few minutes, Muffy booted it up and demanded he log in to his account. Carl did, then she tried again to delete the post.

“Why won't it go away?!” Muffy hissed.

“Have you read the Terms and Conditions?” Brain called through the dish return, holding up his ticket and a twenty-dollar bill. “Keep the change, Carl.”

“Thanks Alan,” Carl smiled, looking back to Muffy, who had the Terms pulled up, “Well?”

“It's permanent. You better fix this or you're DONE.”

“I'll add a comment to it, move over,” Carl said, pulling up the post. Muffy raised a skeptical eyebrow—this man was better with technology than he let on. Carl took seconds to post, then let Muffy see:

OMG I am SO sorry. I totally liedXDXD They were doing a group project and a guy didn't show. Whoops! Staup calling my gurl a skank.

Muffy shook his head, “You're the biggest liar in all of Elwood City. This better work out or my offer still stands. You could be getting a job at McDonald's if you aren't careful.”

Carl took her word for it and watched her leave, knowing his post would do nothing. The original was getting so much traffic that it was hard to keep up with. People were even coming in to ask about the couple, but Carl decided enough was enough. He closed early and went home, full of regret.

“Hey man, can we talk?” Buster asked.

Jane let him in, but it was clear that Arthur wanted to be left alone. Buster let himself into his room anyway, fully prepared to get the crap beat out of him.

“I don't want to see you. Get out,” Arthur said weakly.

“Look, it was a group project meeting. Binky texted me and said he'd call you about it. He was supposed to be there but dropped the ball. Sue Ellen and I split dessert because it was cheaper and we both wanted one. It's that simple,” Buster explained.

Arthur shrugged, “I've had my phone off. I really don't care either, I'm done. Both of you can just stay out of my life. It would be so much better that way.”

“How? Besides, you've done worse. You actually cheated on Francine,” Buster reminded him.

“No I didn't!” Arthur yelled. “Why does everyone keep saying that?! It's that stupid app!”

“Yeah, it's a real buzz kill. Arthur, you see how this is similar. You weren't cheating on Francine, I wasn't cheating on Muffy, and Sue Ellen wasn't cheating on you. It's all a misunderstanding. Besides, a meal together isn't cheating, just like sitting together at the movies--”

“Okay, I get it! I should man up and apologize, whatever,” Arthur groaned. “That app needs to go down.”

“No, the guy who keeps posting this needs to go down. I looked closer at your post before I came over here. Same style. It's the same person, Arthur. Someone is using this app to destroy us and we have to figure out who it is,” Buster said.

Arthur sighed, “We should, but I've got to call Sue Ellen. Better yet, I'll go over. Bye,” Arthur said.

The boys left the Read house together but went their separate ways outside. Buster returned home, where he found Muffy waiting. She showed him the post's update letting people know it was fake. As they snuggled over a TV movie, Arthur made an account and posted that he was standing with Sue Ellen.

The movement was over, but that didn't change the facts: the Cheaters app was ruining people's relationships all over town.

Chapter Text

--Flashback: Arthur and Francine's breakup--
Arthur liked going to the movies on Friday nights. He used to go with Francine, but when basketball season started, she had games every Friday, something Arthur absolutely hated going to, namely because it was always too loud for his tastes. Francine understood, so she let him go out with Buster and have a good time. Because it was the movies, she knew they couldn't text, and usually both had their phones off.

About a month into this routine, Arthur and Buster started inviting others along. Most of them were guys, but soon they noticed that Fern was coming more and more often. About the time they noticed this, they realized there were movie reviews in the school paper, movie reviews written by Fern. Because so many people were reading reviews and going out to the movies, people decided it would be cool to cash in on the hype, well, Buster thought it'd be cool.

As they waited in yet another long Friday night line, Buster told Arthur his plan, “I think we should make Fern sit with us. Then, we should say different things to her to try to get quoted in her reviews. Wouldn't that be awesome?”

Arthur shook his head, “She'd probably find us to be distracting. You eat really loud, and getting nachos every time doesn't help.”

“Then I'll get a large popcorn instead, but I think this'll work,” Buster smiled, the two of them finally reaching the counter. Sure enough, Buster chose a large popcorn and Coke to go with his movie. Arthur went with a small popcorn and drink instead, then he followed Buster over to the seasoning salt stand. Fern was nearby with another guy from the paper.

“Don't interrupt them while they talk,” Arthur warned Buster.

“I won't. See, look, there he goes. Hey Fern!” Buster called out. Fern eagerly approached them, her notebook in hand. Buster grinned, “Hey, your reviews are getting a lot of attention. Care to watch the new Bionic Series action movie?”

“That's what my ticket is for, but I usually sit up in the booth where it's quiet,” Fern replied, holding up a special pass. “I think they're working up there tonight. Save me a seat and I'll let you know before it starts if I can join you.”

“Will do,” Buster saluted, elbowing Arthur, “See, piece of cake. Come on, let's get those seats.”

The back row was full, so they ended up in three seats towards the bottom of the balcony. Arthur and Buster put their jackets in a seat between them and waited for Fern's news. As the previews started, she entered the room and sat between them.

“They're painting up there tonight,” Fern whispered. “It's okay. I think it'll be fine down here. Is the popcorn good tonight?”

Buster stopped shoveling in handfuls of popcorn just long enough to nod. Arthur shook his head as he tossed one piece into his mouth. Fern tapped his shoulder and pointed to his bag. Arthur passed it over and she took out a few pieces.

“I like popcorn, but he adds too much of those seasoning things. I like mine buttered, that's it,” Fern said, clicking her pen and testing its strength. “I've been looking forward to this installment ever since that Bionic Academy show came out last year. I never thought Bionic Bunny would become such an inclusive universe. I love it now.”

“And you didn't before?” Buster asked in a loud voice, causing someone nearby to shush him.

Fern shook her head, “No, I wasn't fond of any comic really. I'm still not.”

As the movie started, they stopped talking. Every now and then Fern would ask Arthur for some popcorn, and about halfway through the movie, he just passed the rest of his bag to her. She eagerly accepted it and ate as she watched the movie. When it was over, she asked them to stay while she wrote up some notes.

Buster tried hard to say anything he could about the movie, but Fern drowned him out. As the lights came up, only a few other people were left in the room besides the three of them, one of them being Brain. He saw them and came to them, phone out.

“Hello,” Brain nodded. “I'm getting pictures for my scrapbook.”

Buster laughed, “What, really? Do you get out that little?”

“No, it's a project for my art class. My mother wanted me to take a lighter elective this term, and my art class asked for photographs from our daily lives. The project is due in a few days, so here I am,” Brain shrugged. “May I take a photo?”

Fern ignored them as Brain took the picture. Buster made a goofy smile, but Arthur smiled normally. As soon as he was gone, he stood up and announced he was leaving to call Francine. Buster decided to join him, meaning Arthur had to wait until he got back to his car to call Francine.

By then, Francine was livid, screaming mad at him, and Arthur had no clue why. All he could do was hang up and sit in his car wondering what was going on.
--End Flashback--
Arthur sat back in bed thinking about the day his relationship ended with Francine, rather the night. After the movies, he went home and hopped online for a while, or so he thought. He got several emails, then he pieced everything together. A picture of him and Fern was posted onto the Cheaters app. He had no idea who did it until later, when he remembered Brain taking his picture, but the poindexter denied doing anything harmful with the picture.

“I used it for my art class, I promise!” he swore when Arthur confronted him, but Arthur didn't really believe him. Someone took that picture, and since he had one and Arthur remembered their expressions, it had to be him. Arthur suggested hacking, but Brain swore no one could get into his phone. He'd upgraded it himself to be unbreachable, even if someone had the actual phone. He even showed Arthur his security, then his app list to show how he didn't have a version of it available.

It was hard to think Brain would do something like that anyway. He and Brain weren't really friends, but they'd always been nice to each other. Why would he ruin the relationship Arthur had with Francine?

It was good riddance, Arthur thought, because now he had Sue Ellen, even if Sue Ellen was seen as a cheater by someone. He didn't think Carl would harm his customers like that, but someone did and no one else was there. Arthur trusted the investigation, and he trusted his girlfriend and his friend not to go behind people's backs.

Arthur sighed. All of this was so wrong, and it all led back to that stupid app. He hoped whoever invented it would rot somewhere.

Muffy sat up in bed with her mouth open. She had been trying to sleep for ages now and couldn't, but now the answer was clear. She remembered back when Francine told her about Arthur's cheating. Muffy swore it didn't happen, but Francine had wanted to break up with Arthur for a while, so it was the perfect excuse.

But she always wanted to know the truth, and now Muffy had an answer. Brain was at the Sugar Bowl when they confronted Carl, and according to Arthur, Fern, and Buster, Brain was the one who took that picture at the movies.

Muffy grabbed her phone from its charging station and called Brain. She knew it was late, but she also knew he'd probably be up working on something. Sure enough he answered with an irritated tone instead of a tired groan.

“Muffy, what do you want from me at one in the morning?” Brain demanded.

Muffy laughed, “I think you know what, Alan Powers. You were at the Sugar Bowl today when we went to confront Carl about the picture, and I just remembered that you were the one who took the picture of Arthur and Fern that ruined Arthur's relationship with Francine! Just admit you were behind all of this!” she yelled.

“No, you've got it all wrong. Arthur and I talked about this, and I showed him the evidence. The photo was still on my phone, and no one could've had access to it. Since I didn't turn in my art project until the following week, no one else should've seen the picture until then,” Brain argued.

“Then how did a picture you took end up on the app?” Muffy countered.

“I have thought of this several times over. I feel guilty for what happened between them even if their breakup was inevitable. I've decided the most plausible solution lies in the others at the theatre that night,” Brain replied. “I used some memory techniques to make a list of possible suspects. I'm currently working, so if you'd like, I'll give you the list tomorrow afternoon. Bring Buster or someone else with you,” Brain warned.

Muffy agreed, hoping someone's name would be on that list that made sense. She also knew bringing someone else along was the best choice considering all that was happening. She couldn't risk being called a cheater too.

Muffy did one better. She called Buster about her meeting with Brain, and Buster told her that Arthur and Sue Ellen already wanted to meet with him too. So together they went to his mother's ice cream shop. The blinds were closed and all but the chairs they needed were put up from the night before.

Brain wasted no time, “Here's the list of other people I remember from the movies that night, specifically the five people left when the movie was over and the lights came up, which is when I took the picture. I circled the two I felt were the most likely suspects.”

“Molly and Jenna? I thought Jenna was on the team with Francine,” Muffy said, showing the list to the others.

Brain nodded, “She was until two weeks before. I asked her and she said she couldn't handle having so many Friday nights away. She has to work on the weekends and was too tired, plus the team wanted her to take off to have Sunday practices. She decided that quitting the team would be her best option.”

“Okay, but what about Molly?” Buster asked. “She's been with Binky for a few years now. Why isn't he on the list?”

“He wasn't there that night,” Arthur whispered. “I don't know if they were off at the moment or if Molly just really wanted to see the movie, but he wasn't with her. I think she left when we did but she walked. I remember seeing her.”

Sue Ellen shook her head, “This doesn't make any sense to me. Jenna is the nicest person in the whole school, plus I doubt she'd take pictures without sheepishly asking for permission. And Molly has better things to do than post fake things on a stupid app for cheaters.”

“I thought so too,” Brain agreed, “so I did a little more research. Arthur, you're not the only one hit multiple times by the app. Molly and Binky are on there too, and while they pretended to ignore it, this post here predates the movie incident by three days. If Binky wasn't there, this may be why, and Molly may think you're to blame.”

“But did she take the photo of Buster and me?” Sue Ellen asked.

Brain shrugged, “I'm not sure, but it certainly wasn't me.”

“We believe you,” Muffy nodded, “but I want to have a talk with Molly. Does anyone have her number?” she asked. They thumbed through their phones to see, except Arthur. He sat there for a moment in silence before finally admitting to having the number.

Sue Ellen raised an eyebrow, “You don't seem too happy about having it, or am I missing something?”

“You're not, well, I didn't tell you we were partnered up for a project last term. We exchanged numbers and got together often. That's the problem. The post you looked up? I was the one the photo was with, and people swore we were together. It was only a project, just like you two,” Arthur said, shaking his head. “I was too stunned to deny it at the time because I did have a crush on her, a long time ago, but I did. I'm sorry I didn't tell you.”

Sue Ellen scoffed, “I'm not worried. Just call her and say she needs to come meet us here where it's private. Is that okay, Brain?” she asked. Brain nodded and Arthur made the call. Molly answered right away and agreed to come, but only if Binky could come too. Arthur didn't mind, and soon they all sipped small milkshakes, compliments of Brain's mom, while they waited.

Chapter Text

[meeting at ice cream shop]
Molly and Binky entered the ice cream shop a few minutes later. Brain offered them both a milkshake but they refused. Both of them were ready to get this all over with, and that meant trying to figure out what they were trying to sort through.

“So, why did you want both of us to show up here?” Molly asked. “I got the feeling this had more to do with me than with Binky. Am I wrong?”

“No, you're right, but it seems we're having a little problem with something,” Brain said, passing Molly his phone. She winced and he nodded, “A lot of people are being targeted by this app. Arthur has been hit multiple times, and for his first time with Francine, you were there that night. I deduced you're one of the two people who could've taken the picture.”

“It wasn't me, but I was having a similar problem that night,” Molly murmured.

Binky nodded, “We broke up a few weeks before that because someone put up a picture with Molly and Alex of all kids. She swore she didn't even know him, that she didn't even know his name until I told her. It took a long time to clear up, but we've been fine ever since, namely because we decided that app could shove it.”

“Alex and I were just standing next to each other in the hallway waiting for a teacher with a cart to get by and someone snapped the picture. Rattles stepped in for us and got the security tapes. So many people were on their phones, but only a few happened to have them angled right to get a picture,” Molly said, passing a diary across the table to Brain, “I made a list of the names. Muffy I ruled out almost immediately.”

“Me? Why me?” Muffy asked.

“You were just in the hallway is all, nothing more,” Arthur sighed. “I was too and Rattles confronted me after school. Francine and I were let off after we talked.”

Binky nodded, “Rattles and I went after some of the guys, but none of them even cared. It had to be one of the girls, but we decided Muffy just wouldn't have enough in it for her. Fern? She might. We only ruled her out when her picture went out with Arthur.”

“Do you think Fern could be doing this to get attention or a story?” Sue Ellen asked with an angry tone.

Brain shook his head, “No, the journalism teachers wouldn't allow a student to bring personal matters to light like that. This app is out of the administration's hands. Even if they banned the app, there are some students over the age threshold. Anyone over the age of eighteen would be excluded because they're adults. This could be argued seeing that we are in a school and therefore we count as children who need to follow the rules no matter what age we are, but if you were to sue, the adult part would outweigh the student part.”

Sue Ellen nodded, “Just like a teenager going to college. They're treated like an adult.”

“Exactly,” Brain agreed.

“So, who made this app? That's where we need to look to get to the bottom of this,” Buster said firmly.

“We looked into that once we got back together. Binky does some coding in his spare time and decided to look on their website. On Chrome you can look at a site's source code, so he decided to look at them closely,” Molly said, turning to him with a smile, “He told me he recognized some of the language.”

“Could you explain that to those of us who don't code?” Arthur asked.

Binky nodded, “Yes. Coding is an art, kind of like writing. Every writer has their own style, and so does every coder. Coders can even leave notes behind. In fact, this is encouraged so people know what a line of code does. Without the notes, the next guy might delete or edit something that could mess up the whole thing. It's important to get to know each coder that you work with because of this. Some of the notes get tricky to translate if people go minimal, and this guy does. I recognized their work right away from my class.”

“He asked the teacher about it, but it's out of her hands,” Molly added. “What students do on their own time is their business. They did look on the computer the person uses, but there was no evidence they were working on anything other than their assignments.”

“That they noticed,” Muffy argued. “Teachers stick up for favored students. How do you know they're not higher on the totem pole than you?”

“He doesn't,” Molly agreed with a sigh, “and I pointed that out to him. Binky agreed that our top suspects are Miss Langley and Maria.”

“Maria?” Sue Ellen asked with a confused tone, “She's a loner mute that hasn't spoken since middle school.”

“But that doesn't mean she hasn't been paying attention,” Buster reminded her. “Believe me, she's smarter than all of us. Her stutter and now her silence just keep her below the radar, too low for anyone to notice. My dad explained that to me one of the summers I flew around with him. Depending on where you are, all you have to do is fly low and no one will see you.”

Arthur nodded, “And who would suspect the loner of ruining everyone's social lives? It makes no sense, but I like it. Miss Langley would have no interest in it unless she was studying something. Maria could be getting revenge.”

Binky agreed, “I've seen people be really mean to her. We always had a little chat with them later, but the bullying likely continued. The Tough Customers couldn't do much in middle school. If that's when she went silent, that's when she started planning out this revenge. All of us were just collateral damage unless we were mean to her.”

Arthur sat up straighter with wide eyes, “Francine used to talk bad about her all the time in middle school. I could only sit there and listen, but it made me sick hearing her talk like that.”

“Did you ever tell Maria?” Sue Ellen asked.

Arthur shook his head, “I never got the chance. I haven't had a class with her since sixth grade. She was in honors everything.”

“She was,” Brain said, looking through his phone, “and judging by some of the copyright notes on this app, she's been planning it since then. The app only came about because of technology, otherwise it would just be a simple website. See?” he asked, showing them the dates.

Molly exhaled, “This is pretty deep. What do you all want to do about this?”

“Pay her to take it down,” Muffy offered. “I think money should persuade her.”

Sue Ellen scoffed, “Sorry to ruin your idea, but I've met her parents several times at some of my father's events. We were there because of his position. She was there because of her parent's money. No offense, but you just think your family is rich.”

“What? How could she be richer than me? She's so plain!” Molly gasped.

“Her family has likely had their money longer,” Brain suggested. “It's very common in people with wealthy backgrounds. I once met a man at a museum who looked like a hobo riding the rails. There was grease under his fingers and he smelled stale. My father found him at the steam engine exhibit and started talking to him. It turns out he's a millionaire who works with steam engine vehicles. He has a multi-million-dollar collection. He's got more money than soap though, I can tell you that.”

Muffy shook her head, “We'll have to get brutal then. I say we confront her or put her on the app. She's somehow been doing this to us all these times. I bet she was in the theatre that night with Arthur and Fern and at the Sugar Bowl with Sue Ellen and Buster, but she's always been too quiet to notice.”

After some silence, Brain and Molly both realized Maria had been on their lists, but they just assumed she was just there at the location. Only Binky seemed to know thanks to his coding background, but even that was minimal evidence that didn't make any difference until it was combined with the others.

Time was running short now that the shop's opening hours were nearing. They agreed to confront Maria, publicly. They just needed a way to do it and time to gather ideas. But they would be bringing her down, and if she truly was the one responsible, she would deserve it one hundred percent.

Chapter Text

The plan was simple yet complicated, so complicated that Binky had to get Miss Langley involved to help. He told the computer teacher everything, and she agreed to host a fake award ceremony to get Maria to the event. Binky then did his part, turning to Muffy, who would invite everyone who had been affected by the app to the event. To fulfill her plan, she brought in Brain, who hacked the Cheaters website and sent private messages to every user letting them know about the event.

Miss Langley reserved the school's gym, which could seat over five hundred people, almost a thousand if they put chairs on the gym floor. Knowing people would flood the event, she requested just that. The clueless principal never thought anything of it and allowed this to happen, even agreeing to come to the event to watch.

The night everything was scheduled for, everyone dressed their best. Arthur drove Sue Ellen, Buster, Muffy, Molly, and Binky to the event in his mother's minivan. It was his first time driving so many people at once, but everyone was too quiet to be talkative.

Once at the school, they realized just how big things were. They managed to find seats high above the gym floor, but it was clear the place was going to be packed. The principal was onstage laughing with a vice-principal and Miss Langley. Maria was in the front row with her parents, the only other parents in the room.

Muffy shook her head, “This is about to get insane.”

Buster nodded, “Look, there's Francine over there. She looks furious, but things should correct themselves.”

“Too bad the man she lost is mine now,” Sue Ellen grinned.

“That's right,” Arthur nodded. “We were never meant for each other and this just proved it. At least now I'll clear my name.”

The gym doors were soon barred with a few lines of yellow tape. The fire department had come, forcing any new comers outside. The principal was warned and asked a janitor to put some sound equipment outside. Brain peeked out and saw hundreds of people gathered around the speakers they put out, all of them waiting for things to go down.

Finally the ceremony started. Music played, silencing the crowd. Miss Langley took the stage and followed the script of your standard high school award ceremony. She thanked everyone for coming then led into a long spiel about the award, rather the creation of a life-changing app. The only exception? This spiel just got darker and darker:

“I wanted to recognize you for your achievements as a female coder. As a woman myself, I know how difficult it is to be taken seriously. I always tell my students that despite this hardship of sorts, I never resorted to any behavior unbecoming of a gentleman. I wanted my fellow coders to see me as an equal, not a delicate flower or a vindictive person. I never wanted to use someone else's hardships as my step up to success...but it's been brought to my attention that you did just that.

“Maria created a website from scratch before ever reaching my class. I put her on advanced projects, specifically an app creation project that led the way for her personal project to do the same. As she worked for on an app to make buying tickets for school events easier and accessible across multiple devices, she improved on her own project, making it bigger and more menacing.

“I knew from certain events that you were the one behind this app, but I did not know until these recent days how far-spread your impact was. I must commend you on your ability to effect so many people in so little time, but now I feel you must apologize for your actions. Please, come up to the stage to issue your apology to the people of this school, of this community.”

Miss Langley stood to the side of the podium, but Maria remained glued to her seat. Her mother, furious, stood and stomped up the stage. She wasn't allowed to get to the microphone, but her screams were picked up anyway, “How dare you say such things about my daughter! She's never done a bad thing in her entire life, and implying she's a vindictive bitch in front of a room full of people is bullying!”

“If she really did create that app, she should have to apologize,” the principal argued. “I've heard enough to know that's what this is about. Do you know how many sobbing teenagers I've had in my counseling office in recent months? Some of them were on the brink of suicide because of that app! A few even needed to be admitted for their own welfare!” the principal exclaimed.

The microphone was forgotten as Miss Langley jumped back in, “Your daughter's intelligence isn't under attack here, only what she's done. She knew exactly what she was doing when she created that website and app, and I know for a FACT that she meant to destroy lives. I'm aware that some of these kids are no angels, but what your daughter did was cold-hearted. It was also wrong, and when I was approached, I knew I had to act.”

“Attacking her character in public is a criminal offense!” Maria's mother countered. “She's just a teen girl!”

“One who knew what she was doing,” Maria said into the microphone. The crowd watched her approach the stage but remained attentive to the dramatic show going on before them. Maria managed to silence the adults and any other murmurs in the room, “I did do this on purpose. So many of you made fun of my stutter. You ruined my life! I never went to dances, I never had any real friends. I did when I was young, then you took them from me!” Maria cried, shaking her head, “So I had to take action.

“You're all obsessed with your relationships, like who you're with makes you who you are. I wanted to ruin that as innocently as possible. The Cheaters app just encouraged you to make things public. You're the ones who took it too far. Having dinner or a meeting with a person who matches your preferences doesn't make you a cheater! I ran the numbers. Only five percent of the posts on the app and website were real cheating offenses. Everything else? Innocent.

“You're punishing me for what you did to yourselves! My mom's right. If you do anything to me, I'll sue this school. I'll ruin everyone's lives even more, and none of you will have a clue. Just look how long it took for you to confront me!” Maria exclaimed, a devious smirk on her lips.

“She's right,” Brain whispered.

Muffy nodded, “And she's rich enough to follow through with it. I can't believe I didn't realize before.”

The principal took back control, “No one will be punished, but I think it's fair that the app be destroyed.”

Maria refused, “The app did nothing wrong! You're all the ones who misused it.”

“Destroy it,” Miss Langley said barely loud enough for the microphone to pick up. “You know it'll just keep getting misused. You can keep the website, but the mobile version needs fixes. Improve it so that posts can be reported for misconduct or lies, then you can put it up again.”

“Miss Langley!” the principal cried.

Miss Langley shook her head, “You have to admit it's an impressive creation for a teenager, plus it does have some benefits. The students just took it too far, and judging by the turnout tonight, they know now to use the app more wisely. With Maria's improvements, they'll be able to report the pieces that are obvious fakes. Maybe there should even be tags for joke posts. I'll guide her through the process and make sure everything goes smoothly.”

The principal knew he had to agree. If he didn't, Maria and her family would sue the school system into the ground, and he knew they had the means to do such a thing.

As the ceremony ended, the gym slowly cleared out of people. Muffy and Buster left first to get dinner, but Arthur and Sue Ellen decided to let the crowd die down before leaving. Molly and Binky waited a moment too before heading outside for fresh air, leaving Arthur and Sue Ellen alone.

After a few minutes, a shadow fell over Arthur. He looked up to see Francine standing with her arms crossed, “I guess I should apologize for taking that app so seriously. It's nice being rid of you though.”

“Same,” Arthur nodded. “I wish we would've known sooner.”

“Same,” Francine said, looking to Sue Ellen, “I never believed that post. Why would you want to date Buster?”

Sue Ellen laughed, “Exactly. I don't know how Muffy puts up with him.”

Francine shrugged, “She's always liked him. I gotta go. I'm single right now, but I like it that way. Thanks for putting up with me before I realized that.”

Arthur merely nodded and watched her leave. When she was gone, the couple realized they were the only ones left in the bleachers. They took each other's hand and left, sitting in the parking lot a while to watch the last few people leave. Maria was one of them, walking with her head held high. She'd finally been noticed, plus she'd stuck it to her bullies. Arthur was still angry about what happened, but he couldn't help but be proud of her. She managed something no one else had, and it was so good that people didn't catch on for a long time. Now she'd have her app, plus people could get their lives back. That made it a good night.
~End