Cover

Title Page

The
Cheat

amy GoLDmaN koss

speak

An Imprint of Penguin Group (USA) Inc

Dedication

To Mr. Hoodie and Ms. Loo

Friday

Sarah

When it all began

I had no idea

anything was beginning.

I just thought it was sweet that a guy I barely knew brought me the midterm answers out of the blue.

Thanks to his gallantry, I wouldn’t have to spend time cramming for the geography exam. Less time memorizing geographic factoids left more time for me to

cure AIDS,

and discover a triple-acting defense

against poverty,

terrorism,

and pizza breath.

Well,

actually,

less time studying

just meant

more time

not studying.

But the gift of free time is nothing to sneeze at. It sure beat flowers, or sickly scented bath salts or other

Gooney

Gifts

Guys

Give

Girls.

Nonetheless, having not the least interest in this boy, I didn’t give his generosity much thought at the time. If anyone had told me that his delivering a piece of paper to me would be the start of anything even the tiniest bit significant in my life,

I would’ve said, “right,”

meaning wrong.

I would have said, “la,”

meaning nah.

Or

I wouldn’t have

bothered

to

grunt.

Katie

Mr. White gave me a squinty look when he handed out the geography exams. Now I feel his eyeballs rolling up and down my neck. Cold, clammy, suspicious eyeballs.

But even if he WERE watching me (which he’s not), all he’d see is a nervous eighth grader getting ready to take her midterm. Nothing peculiar about that, right?

Even if he saw a GUILTY-looking eighth grader (with arrows beaming down at her and the word CHEATER flashing in lights over her head), it STILL wouldn’t prove anything.

And even if he could read my mind (which he can’t), all he’d see would be a list of letters: A, A, C, B, C…

Maybe he’d hear my song: to the tune of “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” (sort of).

Animal, animal, cat, boy, cat,

Cat, cat, boy, cat, animal.

Cat, cat, animal, cat, boy, cat,

Animal, animal, boy.

Mr. White the mind-reader would find it pretty suspicious if the same song were running through Sarah’s brain. Good thing she decided not to set hers to music. She said she remembers poems easier than songs.

I don’t know who else she gave the answers to. But even if she handed them out to every kid in class, they can’t ALL be using “Row, Row, Row Your Boat.” Probably “Twinkle, Twinkle” is more popular…or “Three Blind Mice.”

Just sitting here staring at the test is NOT doing me any good. I have got to pick up the pencil and have at it.

Okay, Katie. Let’s go. Mark the first A. (Animal. Animal. Cat. Boy. Cat.)

I cannot believe what a chicken I am.