Chapter 57

Being sick had slowed Elise down considerably. A test she could once finish in under an hour had taken her an hour and a half.

She had already lost another half hour asleep. There were only thirty minutes left, and she hadn't touched a single long-answer question in biology or chemistry.

Her fingers tightened around the pen. The tip pressed into the pad of her thumb, leaving a crescent-shaped mark. The small sting pulled her back into focus.

Miles shoved his desk aside. Its legs scraped harshly across the floor. “Teacher, my sister's sick.”

The proctor saw that Elise was awake. She didn't scold Miles; her gaze fell on the large blank sections of his sister's test, and she shook her head. There was no way Elise could finish all that in half an hour.

A few students had turned to look. The proctor gave Miles a sharp look and tapped the watch on her wrist. “All right. Get back to your test.”

She didn't expect Elise to finish. Even healthy students found the combined science exam tight on time.

When the dismissal bell rang, everyone put down their pens. The proctor called for the papers. Elise handed in a test filled from top to bottom, and the woman stared at it in surprise.

She'd finished everything?

Elise didn't notice the proctor's expression. She left the room with her head still swimming, though she felt relieved.

Time had forced her to speed through the remaining questions. On a few multiple-choice problems, she hadn't even worked them out on scratch paper before marking her answers. Years of practice had made her fast enough to finish with five minutes to spare and even go back to check her work.

As soon as the exam ended, Nora and Claire hurried over, worried about her. When they heard Elise had been sick and slept for half an hour during the science test, they both sighed.

“Oh my God,” Nora said. “I didn't dare look away for even a minute. I was afraid I wouldn't finish, and I still had two long problems left blank. That exam was brutal. And you slept for half an hour?”

Elise held a cup of warm water and took a sip. It helped clear her head a little. “I couldn't help it. I was sick. I kept getting drowsy.”

“That's awful,” Claire said. “If you lose to Grace, we'll do the cleanup with you.”

“Yeah,” Nora added. “We won't leave you to do it alone.”

Elise frowned. She'd been ill and hadn't felt like herself, but she wasn't convinced that meant she'd lose to Grace.

“I finished everything,” she said earnestly. “Don't worry. We won't have to clean up.”

Nora and Claire exchanged a glance. They seemed to be having the same thought: Elise was so sure of herself. Should they tell her not to get her hopes up? No. She was their friend. Better not to discourage her.

They patted her shoulders and said in unison, “We believe you!”

Elise nearly laughed. Somehow, their faces didn't look as convinced as their words.

During morning study period, Grace and Owen left the classroom together, walking side by side through the sound of students reciting their lessons.

The teachers had graded the monthly tests in a single day, working late into the evening. The scores were ready, and the class representative had gathered a few subject reps to collect the exams and ranking sheets from the faculty offices.

Around Owen, Grace's manner softened. She seemed more like the model student she wanted people to see. She was usually among the class's top five, and her physics score had long held first place. Owen was second. In chemistry and biology, however, Owen outperformed her; he had ranked first in those subjects for years.

The others walking to the offices looked tense. They were about to see their results.

When the silence stretched on, Grace turned to Owen. “Do you think you'll get one of the spots for next year's early-admissions summer program at one of the country's most selective universities?”

There weren't many people at school she respected. Owen was one of them. She liked boys who took their studies seriously.

He thought for a moment. “I do.”

A few days before the monthly tests, the subject teachers had learned that the school would receive several additional places in the summer program. After a staff meeting, the administration decided to use the monthly exam results to determine eligibility: anyone who ranked in the top three schoolwide in a subject could apply.

For students hoping to attend one of the most selective universities, the program mattered. It would give them an early look at the school's selection process, including written tests and interviews. Outstanding students might even earn a meaningful advantage in the early-admissions process.

The teachers hadn't announced it to everyone yet. Only a handful of class representatives knew.

Grace had been excited for days. Her physics scores usually put her among the top two in the school. That was how she'd become the physics representative in the first place. Making the top three this time should be easy. She was certain she'd get to go.

She smiled at Owen. “Then we'll go together.”

He was quiet for a beat, then asked, unusually direct, “I heard you made a bet with Elise.”

Until Elise had joined their class, Owen had thought about little besides studying. He'd spent the summer preparing for the new school year, determined to improve. But ever since she arrived, he'd felt an unfamiliar pressure to keep up. After the way she'd handled a problem in physics class, he couldn't help thinking of her as a serious rival.

“That's right,” Grace said lightly. She didn't seem concerned.

Owen raised an eyebrow. “You're that confident you'll beat her?”

“Before, maybe not. But now? One hundred percent.”

Ever since she'd heard Elise had a fever, Grace had stopped taking her seriously. The doubts she'd once felt had vanished. Elise had been sick. How could she possibly outscore Grace?

The literature representative spoke up. “I heard Elise got sick during the science test. She slept through almost half of it.”

“And she'd already made that bet with you,” the English representative said. “Maybe you should call it off. Or at least give her a break. It feels unfair to hold her to it when she was ill.”

Grace's good mood disappeared. Her voice sharpened. “A promise is a promise. If I were the one who got sick, I wouldn't take back a bet.”

More than anything, she wanted the part of the wager that required Elise to admit she was inferior. That was what would make Grace feel best. Why would she let this chance go?

The others traded disapproving looks. Grace wasn't going to listen.

Owen lowered his eyes and gave a quiet, almost amused laugh. “I hope it works out the way you want.”

Even feeling ill, Elise hadn't missed a single test. She hadn't looked upset or defeated afterward.

Besides, Owen wanted Elise to win.

Just not at his expense.

In the faculty office, teachers were sorting the exams into stacks. Every desk was covered with piles of papers, the room a jumble of test booklets and printouts. Alongside the graded exams sat a stack of sheets that looked like ranking lists.

Ms. Parker spotted Grace and Owen. Her face lit up. “There you are.”

She shared an office with Mr. Lewis, the physics teacher. The other class representatives had gone to different offices; only Grace and Owen had come here.

Owen frowned. Ms. Parker didn't just look pleased; she looked delighted. Had everyone done well?

Mr. Lewis wasn't at his desk, and Grace was thinking the same thing. She decided to check the rankings while they had a chance.

“Good morning, Ms. Parker,” she said sweetly.

Ms. Parker nodded with satisfaction and pointed to a stack of papers. “Take the exams and ranking sheets back to class when we're done.”

Then she seemed to remember something. “You two did well this time. I'm proud of you. Keep it up.”

Grace's smile widened. “I will.”

Of course she'd done well. The test had been easy for her.

Owen relaxed a little too. If Ms. Parker said they had done well, he probably had. And judging by how pleased she seemed, their class had performed consistently.

As Ms. Parker straightened the tan paper covers on the exams, she gave an impressed whistle. “I can't believe we have a dark horse in our class.”

Grace and Owen looked up, puzzled.

Ms. Parker hadn't noticed. She was already talking to a teacher from the neighboring office, her voice full of pride. “One of my students made the schoolwide top ten. How about that?”

“Which student?” the other teacher asked. Their class was usually outscored by Ms. Parker's. “Not the one who fell asleep during the science exam, is it?”

When the teachers graded Elise's test, they had been struck by how many answers she'd gotten right and how neat her handwriting was. They passed the paper around. The proctor recognized it and told them Elise had been sick and slept for half an hour during the exam. The teachers had been stunned.

Elise had scored 285 on the 300-point science test.

That sick, and still a score like that? After sleeping half an hour?

What would she have done if she'd been healthy?

Ms. Parker felt foolish now. She'd assumed that because Elise was new to their class, her placement-test results might send her down to a lower-level class. But with scores like these, she might move up instead. Once the next placement exams came around, she'd probably end up in the top class. They might not be able to keep such a remarkable student.

The thought made Ms. Parker a little sad. She wanted Elise to stay with them.

Grace and Owen were sorting the exams, turning them over one at a time in search of their own. At Ms. Parker's words, both stopped. The student who had slept during the science test. Could that really be Elise?

Grace's expression stiffened. The bright mood drained out of her. She almost couldn't find her voice. “Ms. Parker, who made the schoolwide top ten?”

Ms. Parker was in too good a mood to notice Grace's reaction. “Elise, of course. Fifth in the school. What was her score again?” She pulled the class ranking from a stack of printouts. “Seven hundred and four.”

Grace stared at her. It felt as if everything she believed about the class had just shifted.

At the last final, she'd placed fifty-first in the school with a score in the six hundreds. But Elise had made the top ten?

What had she scored?

Had Grace misheard?

She snatched the ranking sheet from Ms. Parker and looked. It listed only the total scores; the subject-by-subject results hadn't been entered yet. It was still a draft. At the top of the class ranking, Elise's name sat beside a total of 704.

Owen was second, with 689.

Grace was third, with 668.

Her face went white. Before coming to the office, she'd told the other class reps that she hadn't considered Elise a rival. Now Elise had beaten her by almost forty points.

Grace's knees threatened to buckle.

Ms. Parker couldn't stop talking when she was excited. “Elise lifted the class average all by herself. I can't believe she's in my class.”

The teacher from the neighboring office shook her head, amused by Ms. Parker's pride. She was a little envious, too.

Owen touched Grace's arm. She realized she was still clutching the page; her fingernails had left deep marks in the white paper. She let go, and he gently took the sheet from her.

Her heart pounded. Everything had slipped out of her control. She had lost to Elise.

Her own words to the other representatives came back to her. What would they think when she returned to class and had to face them?

She took a deep breath. It was fine. They might tease her, or talk behind her back. She could handle that.

So what if Elise ranked fifth in the school? Grace didn't care to compete with her. Grace still had a chance at the summer program. If she could just beat Elise in physics, she might still qualify.

Mr. Lewis finally returned, a travel mug in hand. He glanced at Grace. “Here for your exams and the rankings?”

Her face was still pale, but she managed a nod.

Mr. Lewis was strict, unlike Ms. Parker. He rarely showed much emotion in front of students; most of the time, he wore a stern expression.

Grace had spent enough time around him as the physics representative to think she knew his moods. Today, though, he seemed less stern than usual.

He opened a drawer, took out a stack of subject rankings, and handed them to her. “Here. Your class made a lot of progress.”

The science exam combined three subjects, but the teachers also prepared separate rankings for each one.

Grace barely heard him. She was desperate to find her physics score. Her finger touched the page and slid down, then stopped at the top.

First place: Elise, with 108 out of 110.

Second: Grace, 104.

Third: Owen, 101.

Grace was stunned. For a moment, she wondered if she was seeing things. In physics, she'd always beaten Owen, placing first in the class and among the top two in the school.

Now Elise had scored higher than she had.

Mr. Lewis took a sip from his mug. He was surprised, too. He'd once given Elise a hard time in class. Now he understood why she had always seemed so capable when explaining the problems. She was that good at physics.

Even when Grace had held first place in the class, she'd never scored this high. Elise had missed a perfect score by only two points.

Grace couldn't keep her voice down. “Mr. Lewis, but Elise fell asleep during the science test. How could she possibly come in first?”

The loud question made every teacher in the office look up.

Ms. Parker's brow furrowed. Grace had always seemed like a well-behaved student, but she didn't sound happy. She sounded as if she suspected Elise's score was fake.

Her voice turned stern. “Two teachers proctored each room, and there are cameras. We reviewed the footage after Elise's scores came in. She couldn't have cheated.”

Grace flinched at Ms. Parker's sudden change in tone. Only then did she realize she'd said her thoughts aloud. “No, that's not what I meant...”

The teachers' looks toward her changed. She'd been such a good student. Why would she accuse a classmate of cheating? What a nasty thing to imply.

Mr. Lewis studied her over his travel mug. Grace had never been good at hiding what she thought.

He handed her the ranking sheet and the exams, then patted her shoulder. His voice dropped so only she could hear. “You need to stay humble. There's always someone better. Spend less time imagining what other people might be up to and more time working on your own scores.”

Grace looked up at him, stunned. She'd always been the class representative he trusted most. Why was he saying this to her?

He sighed when she didn't respond. “You still have work to do. Learn from Elise. If there's a problem you don't understand, ask her. She's good at explaining things.”

Learn from Elise?

Grace's face turned green.

She was the physics representative, and she'd lost to Elise. Now her teacher was telling her to learn from that same girl.

When Grace and Owen left the office, she was still dazed.

Owen wasn't faring much better. He'd placed second in the class on the previous final and had hoped to win this time. He had finally pulled ahead of the rival he'd wanted to beat, only for a new mountain to rise in front of him.

Ms. Parker had said he'd done well. Was that only because he'd gained a dozen points since the last final?

He was still behind Elise. He kept his face blank, but inside he wanted to cry.

He'd wanted Elise to beat Grace. He hadn't said he wanted her to beat him, too!

Was he going to be second forever?

Both looked shaken, but Grace was worse. She was so pale she seemed almost absent from herself.

They stopped just outside the office, neither ready to face the day.

Inside, once the students were gone, Mr. Lewis dropped the stern act. He shook his head, impressed. “Who would've guessed she'd be the dark horse? You really can't judge by appearances.”

Ms. Parker replied, “I told you she was bright. You didn't believe me then.”

“When did you say that? You told us not to make things hard for her in class, to be considerate because she was a struggling student.”

“And you didn't do that either. Don't pretend you did.”

“Do you think she wants to be a physics representative? Every teacher's going to want her now.”

“With scores like that, she could represent any subject. But you'd have to ask what she wants first.”

Grace heard them. Her face turned ashen. She was the physics representative! Elise had beaten her, and now Mr. Lewis was already thinking about asking Elise to take her place.

The two walked back to class without saying a word. As soon as the students saw their exams, the room went quiet. The results were in.

But the two didn't look happy. Grace especially seemed dazed, as if she might cry.

Logan called out, “How'd you do, Owen?”

“Why ask? He's either first or second,” someone said. “He's worked so hard this term. First place is probably his.”

“I think so, too.”

“But Owen doesn't look happy. Did he not get first?”

Grace was usually one of the most outgoing people in class. She should have joined in, but she didn't. Her eyes drifted over everyone's heads before settling on Elise.

Elise met her gaze. Grace looked like a puppet, her eyes blank except for a deep resentment. Elise paused, caught off guard.

Grace ignored the chatter and went straight to her seat without a smile.

Everyone sensed something was wrong. Their curious glances moved between Owen and Grace, trying to figure out what had happened.

Under all those stares, Owen had no choice. “I didn't get first.”

Then he went back to his desk, leaving everyone confused.

A moment later, Ms. Parker came into the classroom and tapped on the door. The room fell silent.

She was still in high spirits. “Haven't the rankings been handed out yet? All right, I'll read them. And I want to recognize a few students who made real progress and brought honor to our class.”

Someone asked who. Ms. Parker smiled mysteriously. “First in our class for the monthly exams: Elise, with 704 points. Fifth in the school.”

The room erupted. Every head turned toward Elise at the back of the fourth row group.

Elise rested her chin on one hand and lifted an eyebrow. The score was a little higher than she'd expected, but close to what Mr. Collins had estimated for her.

It was about what she'd anticipated.

Nora's eyes widened. For a moment, she couldn't speak. Elise had come first in their class?

She knew Elise was quick at solving problems. She'd suspected Elise was better than most people thought, but she hadn't imagined she could beat Grace, much less Owen.

And Elise had done it while sick, with a fever.

Nora hadn't seen that coming.

“Oh my God, this is the most shocking news I've heard all year. I was sure Elise had lost...”

“This is wild. No wonder Grace and Owen looked so miserable.”

“If you thought you'd scored high and then found out someone else did better, you'd look miserable too.”

Grace heard the murmurs around her. Her expression worsened. Tessa called her name softly several times, but Grace didn't respond. She could imagine how everyone was looking at her. The more triumphant she'd been before, the more ridiculous she must seem now.

She tugged at the cover of her book until it tore.

After reading out the top ten, Ms. Parker passed around the ranking sheets and exams. “Some of you may have heard: the school has more spots than usual for next year's early-admissions summer program. The applicants will be chosen now. Anyone in the top three schoolwide in a subject can apply.”

Another wave of chatter swept through the room. The program sounded impressive. Students would get to speak with faculty from elite universities, experience their campus, and possibly gain an advantage in admissions.

Grace's hand clenched. She was second in class for physics. If she could still place in the school's top three, then she might get a spot.