Chapter 4

I hadn't expected that.

Usually, whenever Frances's people picked on me, the teachers blamed me for causing trouble.

I'd assumed it would be the same here.

Ms. Lane patted my shoulder and smiled. "Don't worry. From today on, nobody's coming into our class to stir things up."

She leaned closer and lowered her voice. "Between us, the boys in our class gave the one who started the gossip a real beating."

Something surged through the dead quiet in my chest, like a wave breaking over still water.

My head snapped up to look at her, and I ran straight into the ache in her eyes.

She said, "Your mother came looking for me. You've had it hard, Thelma."

"And even if you're only here for a month, you came into my class, so you're my student."

"If I can't protect you, then I'm useless."

I stepped back and bowed to her, deeply.

I said, solemn, "Thank you, Ms. Lane. I'll pay you back for this."

She smiled and teased, "You're so young. Where does all that stiff old-soul talk come from?"

"I don't want anything back. I just hope you can be happy in my class."

I looked at her, and for the first time since coming to this school, I smiled and meant it.

Back in the classroom, I found a cup of iced lemonade sitting on my desk.

I walked over, and my deskmate grinned. "That's for you. New place opened in town yesterday. Wasn't sure it'd be to your taste."

My face went warm, and even with that cold cup in my hand, something inside me felt warm too.

I said quietly, "Thank you."

She said, "Don't mention it. You showed up here, so we're meant to be friends. As for those people, don't give them a second thought."

The others nodded too.

Nobody said much of anything, and yet it felt like they'd said everything.

I stuck the straw into the cup and took a sip, sour and sweet, just like the way I felt right then.

I'd thought this place was only a stopover, that it would never leave any real mark on me.

But now, that had changed.

That night I went home, organized my notes, and printed them out.

The next day was the city-wide placement exam, and I stopped hiding what I could do.

When the scores came out, everyone was stunned.

I'd placed first in the school.

And first in the entire city.

My deskmate asked, disbelieving, "Is the teaching here really that far behind?"

Then she rushed to apologize. "Thelma, I don't mean to look down on you."

"It's just, I really never thought your ordinary grades in D.C. could take first in our city."

"But either way, you're amazing!"

I looked around the room and said softly, "The education here isn't behind at all."

"I was just holding back. That's all."

"If I did well, I'd never get to come back."

The Swanson family had no room for a plain biological daughter, but they'd hold on tight to a top-scoring prospect.

If my grades were good, then I'd be the Swansons' public face, their "pride."

No matter how much Frances threw fits, they'd never let me leave.

For the sake of my freedom, I'd hidden it for three years.

I'd meant to only show my real level on the day of the SATs, but now, I didn't want to hide anymore.

The heart the Swansons had packed hard as cement had finally, here, put out one small flower turned toward the sun.

The classroom went silent in an instant.

There was ache in the way every one of them looked at me.

My deskmate wrapped her arms around me and sobbed out loud.

The truth was, I knew Ms. Lane had held a class meeting behind my back.

She'd probably told them about my situation, which was why they all felt for me and looked out for me.

She hadn't let me know because she was protecting my pride.

I pretended not to know because I didn't want her blaming herself.

Pride matters so much when you're young. It can crush a person's spine.

But I didn't care.

The same way I didn't care whether the Swansons would still choose me.

I patted my deskmate's back helplessly, and just as I was about to comfort her, I suddenly saw Percival standing in the doorway.

Our eyes met, and my smile fell away.

I knew he'd heard.