The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the courtyard at Liberty High, where the usual hum of students heading to their last classes lingered in the air. But in the center of the courtyard, Jessica Davis stood motionless, her fists clenched by her sides. She stared across the school grounds, her mind buzzing with a mixture of rage and unease. The memories of everything that had happened were still fresh—too fresh—and the weight of it all felt like it was pressing down on her chest.

Bryce Walker. Even the name sent a shiver through her. He was back. Despite everything that had happened, everything that they had fought so hard to uncover and hold him accountable for, Bryce was back at school. His confident smirk, his unearned swagger—it made her sick.

The lyrics to Taylor Swift's "Look What You Made Me Do" had been playing in her head ever since she heard the news: "I don't trust nobody, and nobody trusts me..." The line echoed through her mind as she stood there, trying to figure out what her next move was.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket, and she pulled it out to see a message from Clay Jensen:

Clay: "Where are you? We need to meet. Bryce is up to something. I can feel it."

Jessica's jaw tightened. She texted back quickly:

Jessica: "On my way."


At Monet's, the coffee shop that had seen more than its fair share of secrets and confrontations, Clay, Alex Standall, Tony Padilla, and Justin Foley sat in a tense silence. The atmosphere was thick with unspoken tension, the kind that had been brewing for months now.

Clay was the first to break the silence, his voice low and urgent. "We have to do something. Bryce can't just walk around like he's untouchable. After everything he's done... it's like he's mocking us."

Alex ran a hand through his hair, his expression dark. "I know, but what can we do? The school board let him back in. They don't care. They never did."

Tony leaned forward, his intense gaze locking on Clay. "This isn't just about Bryce being back. It's about what he's planning. I've heard rumors. He's trying to bury the past—again. And he'll do whatever it takes."

Justin, who had been quiet until now, finally spoke, his voice shaky. "He'll come after all of us. He's not going to let what we did slide. We made him look weak, and Bryce Walker doesn't forget that."

Jessica walked in just then, her face set in stone. She threw her bag on the table and sat down, not bothering with pleasantries. "So, what's the plan?"

Clay looked at her, his eyes filled with the same kind of anger that she was feeling. "We don't let him get away with it. Not again."


That night, Jessica sat in her room, staring at her reflection in the mirror. The person looking back at her felt different—hardened, colder. Bryce had taken so much from her, stolen parts of her that she could never get back. But this wasn't about revenge anymore; it was about survival. It was about making sure he didn't hurt anyone else.

Her phone buzzed again, this time a message from Bryce himself:

Bryce: "You really think you can beat me, Jess? You couldn't before, and you sure as hell can't now."

Jessica's heart pounded in her chest. Her fingers trembled as she read the message, but then something inside her snapped. She wasn't going to let him scare her anymore. She wasn't going to play his game.

Jessica: "Look what you made me do."


The next day at school, the group gathered in the library, away from prying eyes. Clay had that familiar look of determination on his face, the one that meant he had a plan—even if it was reckless.

"We need to expose him again," Clay said, his voice low but fierce. "We get proof that he's still the same person, still dangerous. We have to make the whole world see who he really is."

Alex shifted in his seat, uneasy. "How? We already went through all of this once. What's going to be different this time?"

"We're different," Jessica said, her voice steady. "We're smarter now. And we know what Bryce is capable of."

Tony nodded, crossing his arms. "Clay's right. We can't just sit back and do nothing. Bryce will come after us, and when he does, we need to be ready."

Justin leaned forward, his voice barely above a whisper. "He's going to hurt someone. He always does."

Jessica clenched her jaw. "Not if we stop him first."


That night, as the group gathered at the park near Bryce's house, the tension was palpable. The plan was simple—catch Bryce doing something illegal, something that would finally put an end to his reign of terror. Clay had heard rumors of another party Bryce was planning, one where things were bound to get out of control. They just needed to get the evidence.

Jessica stood with her arms crossed, her eyes on the mansion in the distance. The lights were on, and the sound of music drifted across the park. It was almost too perfect. Bryce was arrogant enough to think he was invincible. And maybe that was their advantage.

Clay checked his phone one last time. "We go in, we get what we need, and we get out. No one does anything stupid."

Tony smirked. "No promises."

They moved quietly through the shadows, slipping past the gates of Bryce's mansion. The party was in full swing, and no one noticed as they entered through the side door. Jessica's heart raced as they made their way through the crowd. She could feel Bryce's presence before she even saw him, like a dark cloud hanging over everything.

And then there he was—standing in the middle of the room, laughing, his arm slung around some girl who looked uncomfortable. Jessica's blood boiled. He hadn't changed. He never would.

Clay nodded at her, and they split up, each one moving through the house to find what they needed. It wasn't long before Jessica found it—a room upstairs, full of expensive liquor and drugs. Bryce's stash. She took out her phone, snapping pictures as quickly as she could.

But as she turned to leave, she heard a voice behind her.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?"

Jessica froze. Bryce stood in the doorway, blocking her exit, a cruel smile on his face. "You just can't stay away, can you, Jess?"

She squared her shoulders, refusing to back down. "I'm not afraid of you anymore, Bryce."

His smile faltered for a moment, but then he stepped closer, his voice low and menacing. "You should be. Because this time, no one's going to save you."


Downstairs, Clay and Tony were making their way through the crowd when they saw Bryce's friends closing in on them. "We need to get out of here. Now," Tony muttered, grabbing Clay's arm.

Clay's eyes scanned the room, panic rising in his chest. "Where's Jessica?"


Upstairs, Jessica was still staring down Bryce, her heart pounding in her ears. But she wasn't going to let him win. Not this time.

"You think you can scare me?" she said, her voice stronger than she felt. "Look at you. You're pathetic."

Bryce's face twisted with anger. "You're the pathetic one, Jess. You and your little friends—always thinking you can bring me down. But you can't. No one can."

Jessica's hand tightened around her phone, her pulse racing. "We already did, Bryce. And this time, we're finishing it."

Bryce lunged at her, but before he could reach her, the door flew open and Clay, Tony, and Justin rushed in. They grabbed Bryce, pulling him away from Jessica.

"You're done, Bryce," Clay said, his voice steady but full of fury. "Look what you made us do."


The next day, Liberty High was buzzing with whispers. Word had spread about what happened at Bryce's party. The pictures Jessica had taken, the recordings Clay had made—it was all out in the open now. Bryce's empire was crumbling, and this time, there was no coming back.

As Jessica walked through the halls, her head held high, she felt a weight lift off her shoulders. She had taken back control. Bryce was finally facing the consequences of his actions. And while things weren't perfect—while the scars of the past still lingered—she knew they had done the right thing.

Clay caught up to her, a small smile on his face. "You okay?"

Jessica nodded. "Yeah. I think I am."

They stood in silence for a moment, watching as Bryce walked down the hall, his head down, his reputation in tatters.

"Look what he made us do," Clay said softly.

Jessica smirked. "He didn't make us do anything. We did this. And we won."