It was over? They’d won?

“Thank you to both teams, and, Ermines—please see your coaches for who you’ll be playing next. In half an hour, the next round will commence. To knowledge!”

The room applauded.

Vi had won it for them.

And from the looks of her, she knew it, and she was not pleased.

“Team meeting. Now,” Vi hissed, as they headed toward Mr. Garcia.

He forced high fives on all of them and tried to perk them up for the next match. “My guess is that Tappan Middle School is going to be some real competition for us. Scholars, let’s not leave Vi hanging, alright? Let’s embody knowledge!”

As he said it, Marianne saw on his face that maybe he knew he wasn’t the best at giving inspirational talks.

“Can we huddle up somewhere around here?” Vi asked him, and he pointed them in the direction of an unused classroom toward the end of the hallway. He went to the administrators out front at the desk to receive their next room assignment.

As their parents came out to greet them, Vi snapped, “Be right back,” and cut off any conversation. Nina’s parents shoved a bag of almonds upon her as Vi led them off to the classroom.

As they walked down the hallway, Nina nearly cried to Marianne, “I messed up.” She repeated it again and again. “I’m messing it all up.”

“Shhh, it’s okay,” Marianne said, rubbing a hand on her back.

Vi ushered them in and shut the door. She kept the lights off.

A model skeleton and biology posters loomed all around them.

“Okay, Vi.” Dan leaned against a round table. “Let ’er rip. Let us have it.”

Nina sat, her head in her hands. “I know I messed up, Vi, I’m really sorry. Aah! I let everyone down!”

Marianne stood next to Vi, awaiting the brutal takedown she knew was coming. “We all messed up,” Marianne said, praying Vi wouldn’t single out Nina.

“Let’s go.” Dan motioned for Vi to speak, but Marianne noticed he was looking away.

Vi said something so quietly they couldn’t hear.

“Hmm?” Nina said from beneath her hands.

“It won’t help.” Vi took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes.

“Yeah, I know. We’re hopeless, right?” Dan mused.

“No, I won’t help,” she said. Her round cheeks reddened. “I don’t think it’ll make things better if I talk right now.” She took a breath. “I’m supposed to be the leader. And you all just think I’m going to yell at you. And that is what I was going to do!”

For the first time since Marianne had known Vi, she slumped forward, like a melting candle. She seemed to shrink by nearly half. At the table where Nina sat, Vi whipped out a chair, its feet screeching on the tiled floor, and fell into it, mirroring Nina with her head in her hands.

“Can I have an almond?” Dan asked.

Nina, keeping one hand on her face, threw the bag his way and it landed on the floor.