June 4, 2026 at 9:55 am

Music Student Reports Friend for Academic Dishonesty, Then Faces Backlash

by Benjamin Cottrell

student watching her music teacher draw on chalkboard

Pexels/Reddit

Staying quiet about a friend’s cheating takes patience, and this student ran out of it the moment her friend had the audacity to criticize someone else for doing the same thing.

One high school musician watched her friend bribe her way through three months of rhythm assignments, all while refusing help, refusing to ask the teacher, and complaining about being “too stupid to learn.”

So when the musician finally ratted her out, her friend decided it was time to start name calling instead of taking accountability.

You’ll want to keep reading for this one.

AITA for snitching on my friend?

Me and this friend are both seniors in high school in a music program.

Every month, we need to submit a recording of ourselves clapping a rhythm the teacher posts.

Her friend has a pretty big problem with this assignment.

Unfortunately for my friend, she doesn’t exactly know how to count, which is a major issue as it gets harder every month.

I’ve tried helping her multiple times and even suggested she go talk to the teacher for help.

But still, her friend decided to take the easy way out.

Instead, she decided to bribe one of her other friends to do the recording for her, and she’s been doing it for the past three months.

I ignored it at first because it wasn’t really my business.

This friend liked to make a habit of making excuses, but she wasn’t self aware enough to know just how big of a hypocrite she was being.

But she’s always complaining that she’s too stupid to learn how to count, or that it’s too hard, despite not even trying.

This month I finally had enough when she became a hypocrite and started criticizing another student for doing something similar to her.

So she decides to let the teacher know.

I ended up emailing my teacher about it, hoping that she would first actually learn how to count now that the teacher is aware of her inability to do so, and secondly, to stop her negative mindset about being “too stupid to learn.”

I told her I was the one who reported it since I felt guilty, and she called me a rude name.

AITA?

Maybe this will teach her friend a lesson about hard work — and honesty.

If you enjoyed this post, check out this story about a professor so determined to start class on time that he barged in on the lecture ahead of him when it ran long.

Redditors chime in with their thoughts.

This user seemed to think her friend deserved to get caught.

Screenshot 2026 06 01 at 5.15.58 PM Music Student Reports Friend for Academic Dishonesty, Then Faces Backlash

Shouldn’t the ability to clap your hands be the least of your worries?

Screenshot 2026 06 01 at 5.16.39 PM Music Student Reports Friend for Academic Dishonesty, Then Faces Backlash

Clapping and counting are two topics usually covered in grade school.

Screenshot 2026 06 01 at 5.17.18 PM Music Student Reports Friend for Academic Dishonesty, Then Faces Backlash

Her friend doesn’t deserve to ace an assignment she clearly doesn’t understand.

Screenshot 2026 06 01 at 5.18.28 PM Music Student Reports Friend for Academic Dishonesty, Then Faces Backlash

Based on this friend’s work ethic, it’s not surprising that she reacted this way when she finally got caught.

But this student just couldn’t stand idly by while her friend played it so fast and loose, all while being a total hypocrite.

Her friend may fault her now, but who knows — in the future, she could thank her.

After all, counting is a pretty important skill.

Benjamin Cottrell | Assistant Editor, Internet Culture

Benjamin Cottrell is an Assistant Editor and contributing writer at TwistedSifter, specializing in internet culture, viral social dynamics, and the moral complexities of online communities. He brings a highly analytical, editorial voice to his reporting on workplace conflicts, malicious compliance, and interpersonal drama, with a specific focus on nuanced stories that lack an obvious villain.

As a published author of rhetorical criticism, Benjamin leverages his academic background in human communication to dissect and elevate viral social media threads. Instead of simply summarizing events, he provides readers with balanced, deep-dive commentary into why the internet reacts the way it does. In addition to his cultural reporting, he is an experienced fine art photography essayist and video game reviewer.

When he isn’t analyzing the latest viral debates, Benjamin is usually chipping away at his extensive video game backlog, hunting down the best new restaurants, or out exploring the city with a camera in hand.

Connect with Benjamin on Instagram and read more of his essays on Substack.