“Listen, our names weren’t anywhere near it. We’re not stupid.”

“You’re not stupid?” Dad let out a thunderclap of a laugh. “You’re gonna stand here and tell me you’re not stupid?”

“Come on, Marty,” Nora said, laughing sweetly. “We have a sold-out fundraiser in a matter of days, an unrestricted diversity campaign. We will recover and then some! And I’ll come up with—”

“Nope. No. I’m not playing nice anymore. It was one thing to cover for you two because I care about you and I care about this school and—guess what? I care about Stephen too. He’s a good guy who doesn’t deserve this. But you’re not just cheaters now. You’re burglars. You’ve stolen from this school and I’m not going to stand here and watch you get away with it. You go to the board or I do. It’s your choice.”

“It won’t survive the scandal.” Even through the vent, I could hear the spit coming out of Bill’s mouth as he whispered. “It’ll be the end of this place.”

I’d never registered so much emotion in Bill Rustig’s voice before. It was jarring—like he’d been possessed.

“It’ll be just fine,” Dad said, his own voice flat. “Better after you tender your resignations.”

Bill snorted. “It’ll tick along, maybe. Maybe you’ll even be able to keep this campus. But it won’t be a school full of Oscars. It’ll be Rubys.”

My hand flew to my mouth.

“Is that what you really—hey!”

A scuffle, a grunt, Nora shrieking. My body jolted back to life, and instinctively, I flew down the hall, grappled for the door handle, and burst inside.

Dad’s hands were locked around Bill’s shoulders, Bill shoving him off, but Dad didn’t look like he was attacking. He looked like he was struggling for air.

Nora’s eyes flashed in my direction, and in the space of less than a second, I saw every version of her I’d ever known—caring, caught, calculating, vulnerable, terrified.

“Ah,” Dad said, staggering like he’d been pepper-sprayed.

“Dad?” I ran to him. He barely seemed to see me.

He pressed his hand to his chest and scrunched his eyes shut. “Ah!”

Nora’s lips went white. She scrabbled in her pockets, then waved, frantic.

Her eyes locked on mine and this time there was only one emotion in them—panic. “Ruby. Phone. 911.”

39.

i pulled my cell from my bag and Nora snatched it away to dial while I tried to hoist my father up. It was a losing battle—he crumpled quickly, slumping into the too-small Empire-style chair, the closest place for me to aim him.

“Yes, we’re at 15 Lincoln Center Plaza, the Amberley School, Room 501, Administrative Building. I’m with Martin Chertok and he’s having a heart attack. I’ll stay on the line.”