ng, I had develope

e every five minutes for messa

across the classroom, trying to determine w

avoiding Dam

the first two were

e it his personal mission

eteria when I went to buy breakfast. He was even standing beside my locker on

veral feet a

ov

t the locker

ning to y

we were exchangi

d by how you manage to sound ang

w you manage to be irrita

uth tw

act

ped forward, expe

did

mie

eli

ov

nic

red a

ared

d, I considered hitting

on would make me ineligible for

a slow

I forget that I'm

e with an exagg

that so

ed my

t meal gives you

ble thing to wi

giving me

oks and slammed

with an expression that made my

" I de

thi

op looki

ing inte

ed my

sed

ould give him the satisfact

, I heard

ted

really h

was what I kept

-

t came during m

hand and a folder in the other. She was a tall woman with sharp eyes and the ki

twentieth anniversary of the Sterling Acad

all q

integrity. The recipient will receive full financial support for university educ

ppled throu

htened i

was

had been working

yes con

c records, two students have been short

y knew t

n them sin

d in front of the entire sch

t and Damie

filled

udents

at Damien was going to win bec

ored

ted for the no

itten examination, and a public academic debate. The candi

surge of

ounced on Friday. Until then, both candidates

ifted towa

head, his posture relaxed,

eel my stare, he

es met

ed one

away im

o let him d

rship was t

what I needed. She never complained when she had to postpone buying som

give her som

at hard work could s

to let Damien Blackw

this

-

rganized a brief meeting for

arrying my notebook, three pens, and a folder containi

ved two min

cou

to the chair

ook pr

a

s? That's

come to scho

can work w

have the luxury

ression

hether he had heard the ac

leaned

believe I'

erstand what it means to

out before I

ettled be

s jaw t

be surp

entered with Mr. Lawson and two m

before we begin. The Sterling Scholarship is not simply a reward for intellige

y gaze to m

egr

become compli

ompetition, including the research submissi

us a document outlinin

ources and preparation time. Neither stu

nced at th

erst

odd

s looked

u to treat each o

e, ma'am,

me, Damien sai

hanged

is throat, apparentl

didn't lo

ust there will be no

ll," Damie

led t

om me,

ed mine benea

cked

't even

k the universe had a pe

-

challenge arriv

etending to be interested in the food on my tr

He was easygoing, charming, and one of the few people who c

into the se

great academic war h

ece of chicken

on't call

e Battle of the Brilliant?

one of tho

n gr

going

ked a

d very co

dy. You practicall

laughed

ed to

, however, I couldn't stop thinking about Damien's warning, Serena's

iced my e

What's

thi

eli

igh

just a

s the table and

n't let Blackwood ge

standing near the vending machi

d in our

to Ethan's hand r

anged in his

ick, but

oked

xplain, I felt an absurd

ely hated mysel

ollowed

he said

ed tow

wh

thi

owed m

ing that t

t th

u know something an

mile

ou should be careful abou

red a

advice or

ce wen

cafeteria doors opened, and D

look

ckwo

ol

greeting that suggested the

tention shi

. A w

N

ebrows

ven said wha

answer remai

ed back in

d to tell her, yo

looked

't aski

t asking yo

tween them

he situation cou

hat do y

red toward t

vate

sita

me not to go anywh

an letting him think

d up my

thing ridiculou

d almost

in humanity

has a negative

ad and walked t

oll

-

ide the cafeteria

e a row of lockers a

?" I

for a moment b

ed any strange m

mach d

xpression to

nd of me

ymous

red a

hy

e sent me a mes

s phone and show

sage wa

ING, OR SHE'LL LEARN WHA

ers wen

seconds, I c

ooked up

sen

wouldn't be having

you didn't se

ession h

ious

ied to me

n me a chance to t

you dis

choed down

went

y pulse poundi

ew what everyone thought about Daniel, and you left without s

oked

spoke, his voi

ore than

tell

can

hed bi

rse you

, but not close e

s something about the scandal. They want us fri

U

s,

red a

hen are

cided we're both

r seemed to

night before. The fear in his eyes. The

h the oak tree, looking as though she w

o had returned to Westbridge c

ndered whether we were f

't ready t

t

expect me to

care

t's

fronting peop

ded m

use

be. But whoever is behind this is watching

t his advic

that he seemed g

ou care?"

oked

e sarcasm disapp

n everyone decides you're guilty befor

e walk

ers, holding my phone so t

dge determined to def

ct that someone else was det

-

school day, the

of Damien and me standing in the

aptio

ARE GETTING

been shared across seve

king whether Damien and

ts were h

ee percen

id I was using him to

who thought Damien was manipulating me and peo

the screen i

d hobbies,"

ned over m

, w

ed my

on

t say an

ere ab

sat

t, neither

be you should stop

ed tow

hy

le are starti

hem no

, I'm s

am

an expression I coul

e chan

row

oes tha

dn't let anyone distract you. Now everything seem

sting of

the scandal n

ooked

kno

yo

dn't a

bag over my should

s trusting Seren

felt like a test I di

-

e front steps when so

eli

urn

the school gates, holding

now?"

ked to

this in m

ded it

ept for a single senten

ONLY THING YOU'LL LOSE IF

ed up

t this in y

es

he

afte

he messa

ng settled i

the same person w

d

paper and h

ld repor

wh

eadtea

s threatening us because we're investigating a

sita

d a p

, at least there

t. "But until we know who we're dealing with

udie

hough you've do

ion became

e I h

ther question, a voice

eli

arrying his backpac

ed between D

thing

I said

him a humo

ere just discussing

oked unc

ig

rned

u ready

odd

lanced a

with an expressio

thought he mig

he step

th the schola

ted m

more luck t

ile re

ll s

trying to ignore the str

en remained at

I had the uncomfortable feeling that le

-

rrounded by research notes, textb

that I would concentra

list of tasks and arr

y attention drifted to t

ni

mi

re

ted by a night no o

d the ima

ced something I h

stood near the e

, almost entirely hidd

hing familiar about

er bra

that brac

on

ds of

began t

new exactly

wasn't

nt in my life long before Damien

lping me prepare for th

sed to stand by me no

an

ne vib

e from the ano

E BEGINNI

message

ORST OF IT, YOU HAVE NO IDEA WH

erfectl

med to shrin

ha

ni

any of

from Ethan. I wanted to march into school the next morni

nd confusion, another

rmin

d the messages ha

hat threatening me

d given me a rea

graph and opened m

holarship was s

s still mine

ien Bla

didn't t

und him in

o win every argu

ssages, I realized something that fri

I had spent two years hating might be the only

uth, I would make certain he re

I wasn't b

t

ev

olarship was on

etition had a

o make sure I lost before I