sweat. She shuffles through the pile of papers and moves mine to the top. Even from where I am sitting, the huge circled letter “D” is glaring. D ? That couldn’t possibly be right. But still, I couldn’t have done better if I’d planned it. I can’t help the smile that sweeps across my face.
Mrs Taylor glares at me over her glasses. “Obviously, you didn’t have help,” she remarks, her sarcasm stinging like a wet slap. “And this is no laughing matter, young lady. May I remind you that if you fail my class, you will have to take it again in summer school?”
I almost laugh out loud. I definitely won’t be around by summer. I compose myself. “I’m sorry, Mrs Taylor. I will try to do better.” I’m about to rise when I realize that Mrs Taylor hasn’t quite finished with me.
“The thing that confuses me, Riven, is that your transcripts from previous schools are more than satisfactory, and you also seem to have an excellent grasp of the material during class-time and in discussion group, both of which suggest to me that you either weren’t prepared for the quiz or, more likely, that you deliberately answered incorrectly.”
I’m at a loss for words. “I wasn’t prepared,” I begin but the look on her face freezes any more lies from leaving my lips. My ploy, it seems, has drawn more attention than if I’d aced the test. Squirming inside at my gauche stupidity, I wait for her to continue.
“I also see from your transcripts from your last five schools that you have moved around quite a bit, more than usual for a girl your age.”
“My father’s job requires him to travel.”
“Seems excessive. What field, if I may ask?” Mrs. Taylor’s mild expression suggests that she is merely curious, but I take nothing for granted, especially if it is something that can compromise my safety. Or Caden’s.
Trust no one. They were the last words that Cale said to me.
I shrug and smile. “Sales. He doesn’t really talk about it.” My smile turns calculating. “Kind of like the mob.” But Mrs Taylor doesn’t take the bait, and instead regards me with an unreadable smile of her own. Something uncomfortable slides along my spine; apart from June, she’s the first person to make me uneasy the whole time I’ve been looking for Caden, and I don’t like the feeling at all. “Can I go now?” I say, more testily than I’d intended.
“In a minute. I want to ask you about one more thing. Your discussion group’s project is the law of universal gravitation, correct?”
“Yes.” The uncomfortable feeling digging into my spine spreads its fingers along my ribs and across my chest. It’s Boston all over again. I can see it in Mrs Taylor’s slightly fixated expression.
“Mr Perkins… Philip,” she amends at my blank face, “your group partner, mentioned the other day that you had an interesting contention regarding the laws of gravity.”
My mind is racing now, trying to recall every bit of the offhand discussion I’d had with Philip. Bored out of my mind during one of the group sessions, I’d wanted to have a little fun, poking holes into Philip’s vast amount of book knowledge and his theories. What’s to say that this scenario couldn’t exist? Or what about this principle? Have you ever thought about if this could happen? And the killer, what about sub-quantum gravitational distortion ? Little did I know that he would have gone back to Mrs Taylor. I grit my teeth to keep from kicking myself.
Stupid, stupid, stupid!
I paste a vacuous look on my face and twirl a strand of hair around my finger just as I’d seen Sadie doing earlier. It makes me sick to my stomach to be imitating someone that vapid, but I grit my teeth and twirl as if my life depends on it.
“Philip,” I repeat in what I hope is a dreamy voice. “I think he really likes me. I was only trying to impress him, Mrs Taylor. The thing is, I don’t know the first thing about gravity except what they say on that television
Mrs Taylor glares at me over her glasses. “Obviously, you didn’t have help,” she remarks, her sarcasm stinging like a wet slap. “And this is no laughing matter, young lady. May I remind you that if you fail my class, you will have to take it again in summer school?”
I almost laugh out loud. I definitely won’t be around by summer. I compose myself. “I’m sorry, Mrs Taylor. I will try to do better.” I’m about to rise when I realize that Mrs Taylor hasn’t quite finished with me.
“The thing that confuses me, Riven, is that your transcripts from previous schools are more than satisfactory, and you also seem to have an excellent grasp of the material during class-time and in discussion group, both of which suggest to me that you either weren’t prepared for the quiz or, more likely, that you deliberately answered incorrectly.”
I’m at a loss for words. “I wasn’t prepared,” I begin but the look on her face freezes any more lies from leaving my lips. My ploy, it seems, has drawn more attention than if I’d aced the test. Squirming inside at my gauche stupidity, I wait for her to continue.
“I also see from your transcripts from your last five schools that you have moved around quite a bit, more than usual for a girl your age.”
“My father’s job requires him to travel.”
“Seems excessive. What field, if I may ask?” Mrs. Taylor’s mild expression suggests that she is merely curious, but I take nothing for granted, especially if it is something that can compromise my safety. Or Caden’s.
Trust no one. They were the last words that Cale said to me.
I shrug and smile. “Sales. He doesn’t really talk about it.” My smile turns calculating. “Kind of like the mob.” But Mrs Taylor doesn’t take the bait, and instead regards me with an unreadable smile of her own. Something uncomfortable slides along my spine; apart from June, she’s the first person to make me uneasy the whole time I’ve been looking for Caden, and I don’t like the feeling at all. “Can I go now?” I say, more testily than I’d intended.
“In a minute. I want to ask you about one more thing. Your discussion group’s project is the law of universal gravitation, correct?”
“Yes.” The uncomfortable feeling digging into my spine spreads its fingers along my ribs and across my chest. It’s Boston all over again. I can see it in Mrs Taylor’s slightly fixated expression.
“Mr Perkins… Philip,” she amends at my blank face, “your group partner, mentioned the other day that you had an interesting contention regarding the laws of gravity.”
My mind is racing now, trying to recall every bit of the offhand discussion I’d had with Philip. Bored out of my mind during one of the group sessions, I’d wanted to have a little fun, poking holes into Philip’s vast amount of book knowledge and his theories. What’s to say that this scenario couldn’t exist? Or what about this principle? Have you ever thought about if this could happen? And the killer, what about sub-quantum gravitational distortion ? Little did I know that he would have gone back to Mrs Taylor. I grit my teeth to keep from kicking myself.
Stupid, stupid, stupid!
I paste a vacuous look on my face and twirl a strand of hair around my finger just as I’d seen Sadie doing earlier. It makes me sick to my stomach to be imitating someone that vapid, but I grit my teeth and twirl as if my life depends on it.
“Philip,” I repeat in what I hope is a dreamy voice. “I think he really likes me. I was only trying to impress him, Mrs Taylor. The thing is, I don’t know the first thing about gravity except what they say on that television
Similar Books
