Chapter 26
On Monday, when the alarm went off, I woke up confident instead of nervous about my math test for the first time ever.
I was sure that by the time I got to school, the nerves would kick in, but right now I was okay.
I picked out my favorite pair of ripped blue jeans and a yellow t-shirt, then I pulled on Chris’s hoodie, warm socks, and my Timberland boots to complete the look. It was going to be a chilly day.
Amy was down in the kitchen, still not speaking to me, casually drinking her smoothie at the kitchen table, and my mom greeted me as she handed me a smoothie of my own.
“Drink up, you need nutrients for your test today. I know you’re going to do great,” she said with a smile. This was more than she had ever spoken to me in the morning. Of course, it was because of an academic endeavor.
“Psh,” Amy scoffed from the table.
“That’s enough, Amy,” My mom defended, for the first time in my life. “Allie studied really hard for this. Ignore your sister, Allie,” she said, as she took the empty glass from me.
By the time I arrived at school, there were only a few cars that had beat me to the parking lot.
I needed to focus, so I was glad for the lack of any distractions.
I unzipped my backpack and pulled out my math book, then turned to the page for the unit that the test would be covering.
I quickly reviewed the problems that would likely be on the test one more time until I heard a knock on the window.
It was Isabelle. I looked at the clock, and it was time to start walking to class.
I leaned across my seat to put the book back into my backpack and zip it closed.
“Hey,” I said as I opened the door.
“Hey! How fun was Friday night?” she asked rhetorically as I stepped out of my Jeep with my backpack and field hockey backpack, then shut the door.
“It was amazing, for sure,” I said with a distracted smile.
“So… did you and Chris do it in the equipment shed?” she asked, with a suspicious look on her face. I kept a straight face, but I guess my face said we had done something.
“Tell me everything,” she said with a serious expression.
“Don’t tell anyone,” I begged. She held an imaginary key to her lips and then zipped her lips shut, and tossed the key away.
“Thanks,” I said, then I told her the details of our time together, and she swooned at what could be in her future.
As we walked arm and arm to the locker hall, I told her I was nervous about my test, but that I had studied as hard as I could.
Math was first period, and I was eager to get it over with.
When we entered the locker hall, Chris was waiting for me at my locker, and I looked around in surprise.
How had he beaten us down here? I didn’t see him up in the parking lot.
I guess I had been too distracted by studying.
“Hey!” I said, surprised to see him. “How did you get down here so fast?” I asked once I got closer.
“I saw you studying in your car and didn’t want to disturb you,” he said, as he leaned in to kiss me.
“Thanks, yeah, I’m really trying to do my best on this stupid test. I want to prove to my mom that I’m more than just a field hockey stick, plus I need to maintain my GPA for Wake Forest.”
“Well, good for you. I know you’re going to kill it!
Good luck, Superstar!” he said, then he headed out the door to his first class.
I was grateful for his quick departure. I wanted to keep the equations fresh in my mind.
I closed my locker and headed to first period so that I could get my favorite seat at the back of the room.
When I walked through the door, I was relieved that I was the first one there.
That meant I had the whole room to myself so that I could spend a few extra minutes reviewing everything one last time.
I headed to the back of the class to sit down and pulled out my books as the rest of the room filled with students, then the teacher walked in, and the bell rang.
“Books away, pencils and calculators out,” said Dr. Fallon.
Everyone did as they were told, and I slid my books into my bag and zipped it shut. Dr. Fallon walked around the room to make sure we were all obeying the honor code that Country Town Prep took so seriously. They had no tolerance for cheating.
“Once you receive your test, please keep it turned over, and I will let you know when you can begin. You will have 45 minutes to complete it. When you are finished, write the honor pledge, sign your name, then bring it to my desk and sit back down quietly until everyone has finished. As a reminder, eyes on your own paper.” And then Dr. Fallon passed out the tests, and I waited in anticipation to begin.
Once everyone had a test on their desk, he looked up at the clock, announced that we could begin, and I got to work.
My eyes moved to the first problem with a mix of anticipation and nerves.
Usually, at this moment, I would freeze, my eyes would go fuzzy, and I would melt into a puddle of anxiety, but as I worked through the equation with confidence, I took a deep breath and realized that I was properly prepared.
Throughout the test, I took my time, remembering the problems that I had worked through at the kitchen table with my mom.
I used the strategies that she showed me to avoid common mistakes, and by the time I got to the end of the test, I was sure that I had answered the questions to the best of my ability.
I took the time to check my work, then I wrote the honor pledge at the bottom of the test and signed my name.
We all knew it by heart because we had to write it on every test or project that we had completed since we were able to write.
I pledge, on my honor, as a Country Town Prep student, that I have neither given nor received help on this work.
Allie Wyatt
Once I was finished, I made my way to the front of the room to turn it in to Mr. Fallon, who was waiting at his desk, surely predicting an unfortunate grade.
I smiled at him as I handed him my paper and then turned to go sit back down.
As soon as the bell rang, I grabbed my backpack and walked out of the room, knowing that I had done my very best.
The rest of the day flew by until last period, which was study hall, but I had no homework that night, so I knew I would be bored to tears.
Most of us would use the period to pass notes or draw in our binders.
As soon as I walked through the door, Griffin trailed in the room and headed to the back of the class to sit down next to me.
His friend, Taylor, sat on the other side of him. Griffin leaned over to me.
“How was that Math test? I have to make it up this period because I had a meeting with the soccer coach about scholarships,” he said, looking towards the front of the room, as Mr. Fallon walked in to hand Griffin’s make-up test to our study hall proctor. It was Madame Holly, my French teacher.
“Fine, I actually studied for once, so I think I did okay,” I said, looking back at Griffin, who acknowledged my efforts with a nod.
As the period dragged on, I spent most of the time drawing Marvin the Martian in the back of my binder until, suddenly, something strange occurred to me out of the corner of my eye.
Griffin had his head held at an unusual angle for almost the entire period.
I looked over, and that’s when I noticed that he was looking at a sheet of paper on the floor and then looking back at the math test on his desk.
Occasionally, he would look towards the front of the room at the proctor and then back down at the floor.
I watched him, trying to be discreet, so I could get a clear view of what was on the floor.
That’s when I realized what it was. Taylor’s math test.
Taylor was in a different math class period than us. He was the best student in the class, and he had already gotten his graded test back. Suddenly, a rage built within me as I realized what Griffin was doing. Griffin was copying it. He was cheating.
Math was my downfall. I had suffered my way through this subject for as long as I could remember, and here was Griffin getting a free A.
I watched as Griffin wrote the pledge at the bottom of the test and then signed his name.
That sent me over the edge. I sat there, trying to rein in my emotions as I decided what to do about it.
I waited until the bell rang, and as soon as he turned his test in to the proctor and everyone left the room, I decided to turn him in for cheating.
“I need to tell you something, Madame Holly,” I said as I approached her desk at the front of the room. I saw something that violates the honor code that I want to report.”
“Of course, Allie, tell me. I appreciate your integrity.”
“Will this be confidential, I hope?”
“Yes, we take these kinds of reports seriously.”
“Okay. I witnessed Griffin cheating on the math test that he just handed in to you. I was sitting in the back of the room next to him, and I watched him looking at Taylor’s test on the floor,” I blurted out.
“You did the right thing. Thank you for letting me know. I’ll take care of it, Allie,” she said with a sincere smile.
As I left the room, I felt a sense of relief that I had gotten it off my chest, even though I was also nervous at the risk that I had just taken. If Griffin found out that it was me who turned him in, I may be subject to major social repercussions, but it was too late now. The damage was done.
That afternoon after school, as I left the locker hall, I saw Griffin outside the building talking to Mr. Fallon.
He was having a very stern conversation, and Griffin looked nervous.
It was evident that Madame Holly had shared the news of his treachery.
Mr. Fallon turned to look at me as I passed by, but I was thankful that he didn’t acknowledge me.
He turned back to Griffin and continued their conversation.
I didn’t know what would happen next, but I hoped Griffin would be reprimanded appropriately and that I would be protected by the honor code that the school held in such high regard. I made my way down to the gym, eager to hear what his punishment would be tomorrow.
After practice that night, still fuming from the situation, I decided to write about it in my journal. As I sat on my floor writing, Amy walked by my room and glanced in. She could tell I was angry.
“What’s your problem?” she asked nosily, as she glanced at the journal in my lap.
“Mind your business,” I snapped back. Amy scoffed as she stormed down the hall and slammed her door.
Once she was gone, I let out all of my anger onto the page, which was both therapeutic and made me feel crazy.
Dear Diary,
Griffin is a cheater! It just feels so unfair.
I don’t know why I care so much, but it really pisses me off.
I struggle with the grades I get, and even though I have a full ride to Wake Forest on my own accomplishments, here’s Griffin, cheating to get ahead, and he shouldn’t get to get away with it, so I turned him in, and I hope he gets in serious trouble. Ugh!
-Allie
I shoved the journal back between the mattress, left the room, and went to take a shower. As I stood under the running water, the heat helped me calm down, and I hoped the next day would bring some clarity to how the school would handle justice.