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Authors: Nicole O'Dell
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could be right, but shook her head in denial. “I’m sorry, but you’re dead wrong. But whatever. I can’t convince you. I’ll leave you to your books. Call me when you figure things out.” She jumped out of the car and shut the door with more force than necessary, then hurried into the house without even a backward glance—she didn’t want Brittany to see her tears.
Stomping up the stairs, muttering to herself the whole way, Amber couldn’t get to her room fast enough. She flung herself on her bed and let the tears flow. How had everything gotten so messed up? How could Brittany have accused her like that? What if she were right? But how could she be so cold and mean about it? Besides, Brittany sure hadn’t taken a break from studying since the contest started, either.
She wants to win just as much as I do
.
Amber sat straight up on her bed and grabbed her phone. Before she could change her mind, she dialed Kyle’s phone number.
It rang three times before he answered. “Yo.”
“Kyle? It’s Amber.”
“Hey, Cousin A. What’s up?”
“Well, I’m calling because I want … well … could you …”
“Spit it out. I don’t have all day,” Kyle said in his typical teasing manner. “What do you want?”
Amber took a deep breath and said the three magic words that could change her life.
“Hook me up.”
Chapter 8
FINAL, FINAL, FINAL
“You’re sure, now?” Kyle held up three papers he’d printed from the office computers. He reached up and waved them back and forth above Amber’s head. One answer key for each of her three major final exams—the scary ones anyway. Calculus. History. English Literature.
She crossed her arms on her chest, refusing to reach for them. “Would you please stop being so immature?” She looked around the schoolyard teeming with students to make sure no one could hear them. “Besides, how do I know we won’t get caught?”
“I can’t explain all the technical computer stuff I did to fix the access dates on the file and erase the printing record—you’d never understand it all anyway. Funny
you’re
the one getting a scholarship.”
Amber rolled her eyes. “A little homework goes a long way.”
“Eh. No time for homework. Anyway, you’re going to have to trust me.” Kyle smiled. “I’ll be honest with you. They could have the hard drive examined by a professional, and
could
“—he wiggled his fingers in the air—”find the information. But they’d have to know what they were looking for, they still wouldn’t know for sure I did it, and it would cost them a couple of thousand dollars per hard drive—ain’t gonna happen.”
Amber exhaled the air she’d been holding and reached for the papers. Hesitating one more time, she considered her options. Once she held those papers in her hands, there would be no turning back. But she still had time to go the other way. She’d studied hard, after all—might not even need to do this and still win the car. Even if she didn’t, the car wasn’t the most important thing in life. Right?
The car
. She had to win that car. Besides, Brittany had pretty much accused her of ruthlessly going after it. Might as well go all-out since Brittany assumed the worst of her anyway. Cheating sure wouldn’t help Amber find the way back to God, though.
Nope, don’t go there—not now
. Before she could change her mind, she shut off the good voice and grabbed the papers. “Thanks, Kyle. I’ve got to go.” Amber turned and jogged off.
“Brittany’s here for you,” Mom called up the stairs toward Amber’s bedroom. “I’m sending her up.”
What could Brittany want? Amber jumped off her bed and scurried to hide the answer keys she’d been studying. She lifted her mattress and slipped the papers under it, trapping them between the mattress and box springs with only seconds to spare before the knock sounded at the door.
“Come in.” Amber sat at the desk with an open schoolbook in front of her. She tried to calm
Stomping up the stairs, muttering to herself the whole way, Amber couldn’t get to her room fast enough. She flung herself on her bed and let the tears flow. How had everything gotten so messed up? How could Brittany have accused her like that? What if she were right? But how could she be so cold and mean about it? Besides, Brittany sure hadn’t taken a break from studying since the contest started, either.
She wants to win just as much as I do
.
Amber sat straight up on her bed and grabbed her phone. Before she could change her mind, she dialed Kyle’s phone number.
It rang three times before he answered. “Yo.”
“Kyle? It’s Amber.”
“Hey, Cousin A. What’s up?”
“Well, I’m calling because I want … well … could you …”
“Spit it out. I don’t have all day,” Kyle said in his typical teasing manner. “What do you want?”
Amber took a deep breath and said the three magic words that could change her life.
“Hook me up.”
Chapter 8
FINAL, FINAL, FINAL
“You’re sure, now?” Kyle held up three papers he’d printed from the office computers. He reached up and waved them back and forth above Amber’s head. One answer key for each of her three major final exams—the scary ones anyway. Calculus. History. English Literature.
She crossed her arms on her chest, refusing to reach for them. “Would you please stop being so immature?” She looked around the schoolyard teeming with students to make sure no one could hear them. “Besides, how do I know we won’t get caught?”
“I can’t explain all the technical computer stuff I did to fix the access dates on the file and erase the printing record—you’d never understand it all anyway. Funny
you’re
the one getting a scholarship.”
Amber rolled her eyes. “A little homework goes a long way.”
“Eh. No time for homework. Anyway, you’re going to have to trust me.” Kyle smiled. “I’ll be honest with you. They could have the hard drive examined by a professional, and
could
“—he wiggled his fingers in the air—”find the information. But they’d have to know what they were looking for, they still wouldn’t know for sure I did it, and it would cost them a couple of thousand dollars per hard drive—ain’t gonna happen.”
Amber exhaled the air she’d been holding and reached for the papers. Hesitating one more time, she considered her options. Once she held those papers in her hands, there would be no turning back. But she still had time to go the other way. She’d studied hard, after all—might not even need to do this and still win the car. Even if she didn’t, the car wasn’t the most important thing in life. Right?
The car
. She had to win that car. Besides, Brittany had pretty much accused her of ruthlessly going after it. Might as well go all-out since Brittany assumed the worst of her anyway. Cheating sure wouldn’t help Amber find the way back to God, though.
Nope, don’t go there—not now
. Before she could change her mind, she shut off the good voice and grabbed the papers. “Thanks, Kyle. I’ve got to go.” Amber turned and jogged off.
“Brittany’s here for you,” Mom called up the stairs toward Amber’s bedroom. “I’m sending her up.”
What could Brittany want? Amber jumped off her bed and scurried to hide the answer keys she’d been studying. She lifted her mattress and slipped the papers under it, trapping them between the mattress and box springs with only seconds to spare before the knock sounded at the door.
“Come in.” Amber sat at the desk with an open schoolbook in front of her. She tried to calm
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