“I am not going to ask why YOU weren’t called down,” Sarah said in the meanest little voice.

Huh? I was flabbergasted. I didn’t want to go into it in front of her mum, so I whispered, “I chickened out. I got scared and didn’t use Animal, Animal.”

Still not looking at me, Sarah, in a voice that was nothing but sarcastic, said, “I suppose Mr. Teacher noticed all by himself that THREE needle-thin tests out of the whole haystack of midterms had the same wrong answers? And he figured that out in less than TWO hours?”

“Well, duh, Sarah!” I said. “He MUST have!”

She finally faced me, but with a sneer, and added, “Isn’t that AMAZING, Katie?”

Then her mum said, “Let’s go, Sarah.”

And they left me standing in the hall with my mouth open.

Rob

Temporary stay of execution. Mr. Chen can’t find my parents.

Dan’s mom comes. Tells Mr. Chen he has no right to be mean to her baby boy. Mr. Chen puffs out his mustache, glares through his bifocals. Can tell he thinks Dan’s mom is a case. But keeps cool, doesn’t raise his voice.

Mr. Chen thinks we bought last year’s test answers. Says he doesn’t want us seeking revenge on the person who sold us the test. Wants to handle it his own self. Fine by me.

Never occurred to me that whoever gave Sarah the test coulda fed her the wrong one on purpose. That reeks. Can see the temptation to pulverize the creep who’d do that to her.

Mr. Chen asks again how we came to possess the test. Threatens to suspend us. And Dan rats Sarah out without a flinch. “Ask her!” he says, pointing. “She gave me the test.”

And Sarah doesn’t miss a beat, says, “Dan’s right. And I gave it to Rob, too.”

Brave, confessing like that. I don’t think I could’ve taken the rap alone. She got me and Dan pretty much off the hook. We’re suspended for today only. Mr. Chen tells us to write an essay about cheating, due Monday. And says there’s no makeup midterm, the flunking test grade stands.

Sounds fine to me. Essay? Gladly write a novel. Flunking test grade? Fair enough. Just leave my parents out of this.

I don’t say that, though. Don’t say a thing.

Sarah’s mom comes next. An older, twitchier Sarah. Maybe it’s this scene making her jumpy, but she seems like the nervous type anyway. Looks ready to faint when Mr. Chen says that Sarah is suspended until she tells how she got last year’s midterm.

“Maybe Sarah just needs a little time,” her mom says.

Sarah gives her a look, grabs her stuff, and leaves. Her mom scurries to keep up. Mr. Chen goes back to his office.

I have the bench to myself.