Chapter 4

"He says he doesn't need to study, that he'll get a perfect score on the SATs!"

Mrs. Evans' voice was tight with a mix of worry and forced pride. I overheard her talking to another parent at a PTA meeting I was helping set up.

"He just knows things, you know? Like he can see the future."

The other parent looked skeptical.

I almost snorted. See the future? He was just replaying a script he barely remembered correctly.

Later that week, in AP English, we were discussing classic literature.

Our teacher, Ms. Davies, praised my analysis of "The Great Gatsby."

"Ashley, that's a very insightful connection to the theme of the American Dream."

From the back of the room, Mike scoffed loudly.

"Please. Anyone could see that. It's not like she's a genius or anything."

The class went quiet. Ms. Davies frowned.

"Michael, that was uncalled for."

"Just saying," he muttered, slumping in his chair. "Some people think they're so smart just 'cause they read a few books."

His eyes met mine, full of bitter resentment.

He couldn't stand that I was succeeding where he was failing, even with his supposed advantage.

His jealousy was so transparent.

It only made me more determined.

Then came the news that rippled through the school.

Mike and Jessica had disappeared.

Skipped school for three days.

Rumors flew. Elopement? A romantic getaway?

The truth was far less glamorous.

The police found them in a cheap, rundown motel on the outskirts of town.

Apparently, Jessica' s father, Mr. Bell, had tracked them down.

Mr. Bell was a notorious deadbeat, known for his gambling debts and short temper.

According to the school gossip mill, fueled by someone who knew someone who worked at the motel, Mr. Bell had caused a huge scene.

He' d dragged Jessica out by her hair, screaming about how Mike had "ruined" her.

Then he' d apparently cornered Mike and beaten him up before demanding money from him.

When Mike couldn't produce enough, Mr. Bell called Mrs. Evans.

The next day, Mrs. Evans looked ten years older. Pale, stressed, but still trying to put on a brave face.

She' d paid Mr. Bell off, a hefty sum, to make him go away.

The official school story was that Mike and Jessica had a "family emergency."

But everyone knew.

The romantic getaway turned into a sordid scandal.

Jessica was humiliated. Mike was sporting a black eye and a split lip, his arrogance significantly dented.

The other students whispered and pointed.

Some, unbelievably, still romanticized it.

"Wow, he must really love her to go through all that!" one girl sighed in the hallway.

"And her dad is so protective! It's like a movie!"

I just shook my head, put in my earbuds, and walked to the library.

Their drama was a distraction.

A pathetic, self-inflicted wound.

I had work to do.