ore than Damien Blackwood, it wa

st just how much hatred a seventeen-year-old girl c

, reviewed my scholarship notes twice, and decided that Ethan Cole's

bab

to tell anyone about

t

raying me. I needed answers before allowing suspici

needed to win the

g else co

d Literature carrying a stack of papers and the expression of a

orning,

udents r

aced the pape

y research proposals for the St

stopped

ien leaned bac

go," he

nore

wson continued, "there

rs spread throug

his hand f

eges that confidential examination materials have been accessed improperly and that on

ach tig

m suddenly f

id, "both candidates will be required to complete

urned towa

o longer

ean?" someone ask

ngle research project. You will submit a joint report, and both candidates will be evaluated on t

oom e

my chair scraped

due respect,

on looke

pla

cholarship. How can we be expected to coll

ed. "The committee wants to see whether you can

ed my

ng ca

before I co

ice. You will have access to selected historical school records in the archive roo

red a

al schoo

uta

den

st

ol conspiring to ma

ons?" Mr. L

sed m

nsferring schools

illed the

. Lawso

Miss

Damien le

u'll have someone inte

ed tow

akes on

ile wi

e she

row my noteboo

deadline in capital letters a

ith Damien Blackwo

solutely certain th

-

he school library with two textbooks, a notebook, my lap

carrying a si

le not

red a

all you

ced at

ing the ent

believe in p

elieve in tra

e going to fai

the libr

you, Pr

t him withou

ibrary, behind a narrow corridor lined with old p

y first year, when we had be

, old paper, and f

al cabinets lined the walls, and several boxes of

Mrs. Bennett, wa

an expression that suggested she had little patienc

t. Mr. Bl

nod

orking on the Sterling

'am," I

nd justice. The committee wants a rigorous academi

a folder on

ermitted to remove any documents from the archive room. I

en n

erst

tt looked

storical records. Some contain sensiti

e folder and a list

nds, neither Dam

ulled out

l we

opposi

ation and public perception. You can foc

ed an e

the diffi

t most likely to re

d under h

when you're try

tightened a

d I'll use this pen to rem

ot

gan w

inutes, things were su

ad always known that, even

e documents, and asked questions that forc

irrit

also im

d both

e slid a page a

at t

nced

student had been accused of leaking examination questions, but the i

ssued an apol

months

corrected t

ship was withdrawn and his f

oked

xpression

e," he continued. "Sometimes the truth come

his voice m

got that we were su

remem

you came ba

oked

torical disci

your famil

ression

cus on th

aned

what I t

his notes wit

his hand had tighte

ered whether my questions hurt

-

e had made subst

for the project and gathered enough e

t when Damien reached acr

d brush

ll, insignif

y a s

y as though the table had s

n not

se he n

art. I do

what I'm wor

lifted

you worr

ion was t

down at

thi

a terrib

fr

at I had told him

e connection because a fa

how tha

nd reached for

elbow knocked ov

up ti

the table, soaking se

, n

ers, but Damien w

m the spreading water and grabbe

frantic silence, rescuing what we

s this destruc

red a

lways this

special o

myself,

as b

xpe

etely inc

s though I had just p

" I de

thi

saying

lau

S

didn't think yo

e disap

wn at the d

w me well enou

uiet for

said, "M

ut his answer

dn't

n't te

ccepted wha

ow, that

-

. Bennett returned t

ne and explained the so

d our notes

rly like your focus on the difference bet

ced at

oking at

tt closed

ntains records from the school's student council and dis

ntion s

eriod,

tely two y

nt comple

didn't appe

even. You may review them tomorrow

ered her

ve closes at five-thirty. I exp

t, I turned t

years

ng at the cl

eard

records have somethi

answer i

looked

e should r

agreed with one of my suspi

me more than I

-

hings and left

e, the sky had turned a deep shade of gr

ked my

d calls fro

e asking w

was leaving school and he

owed a few

ront doors, the rain

top

rfe

looked

have an

him a f

someone who pl

ally,

ed tow

t a comp

it go to

pack and pulled ou

d him un

rrying an

e of us prepare for th

ted

d him

ye, Da

d toward

tention with a

top

umbrella o

ke

red a

abou

surv

sita

l gesture. An umbr

ppened between us, I couldn't un

" I a

almost unc

farther from the

row

u know whe

o realize h

emem

o quiet that I a

t, neither

ook the

ou," I m

ebrows

what w

y regretted

ke me tak

smi

e she

rella and steppe

ld walk away, he

eli

urn

ion was ser

on who tells you they'r

tened around

at inclu

ld my

ciall

d walked in the o

brella, watching him d

underst

't tru

ly wasn't fal

op thinking about the way he had lo

about something he despera

-

g, I arrived at scho

barely

ause of

t I told mys

sages, and the possibility that the answers to Daniel's sca

xisted, I need

h the library, some

eli

urn

staircase, his expres

we

sita

h flashed thr

lver b

nymous

yself to r

ut w

toward th

t h

ng settled i

o have developed

fro

ha

What do

took a

about the

art s

ow

ed that you and Damien were r

his face

ention

't rem

s conv

ession t

at's going

ost l

ly what I want

I said, "

d me for

eached fo

ifficult lately. I just do

down at

on his wrist caugh

se qui

acelet I had seen

withdre

ooked c

eli

ced a

to get t

ore he could ask

ng so hard I could

years trus

e would never del

e had been standing near Daniel and Dam

had never m

-

ien found me

he back, pretending to read whi

t the chair

avoidi

n't l

study

ide

ed at t

ce he

ed it

ied to hi

ed the

do you

heet of paper

est to review the old

red a

he

morn

ld have

uld h

owed m

enjoyi

lit

d picked up

t had been

ould be available

t began

inally find

ay

ked a

ou keep d

ng w

on't care when it'

as s

leaned

something gives peop

s hung b

I saw past the arr

exha

e

protect himself by pret

what had happened

urned to Westbridge and what he

I could spe

the archive

lked

o, my heart bea

had destroyed my brother's life that I had never consider

the most da

hatred w

e me someo

lackwood meant questioning

sure I was re

-

ien and I returned

k, its metal drawers labeled w

it and showed us the f

nything that appears to involve a serious disciplinary matter, report it

rstand,"

en n

ft, we bega

ng minutes, student council repor

hem were

der labeled with the year Daniel'

pene

mmary of the investigation, and

eath

e appeared n

t was D

n's name was a h

SS - STATEME

d at th

nd wi

aned over

ression

t supposed

ed tow

oes tha

dn't

arching through the

ther sheet fr

ents interviewed duri

el H

n Bla

a Whi

an

began t

names w

ad been involved i

one had

ed at

Ethan was

e was answ

rena was inv

his eyes

eli

say my name like you're about to explain som

oked

what their in

new they w

es

ver thought

w tigh

n't have b

hed bi

for me as though I'm incapa

ot what I

t are you

down at

the truth without pu

n't get to decide what r

ing slipped from the back of th

ll en

d with age, it

written acro

IA H

fr

at it. Neith

bent down and

lope was

dark blue ink, in a handwrit

roth

ed at

's th

wall

on't

sion told me he was afraid

pen the

ingle folded

t with tremb

sage wa

EL

OUT OF IT. DON'T TRUST THE STORY THEY TOLD YOU. AND WH

the word

. At the bottom, Daniel had

RAYED ME IS SOMEON

h left m

mi

ni

mot

one

he letter as though it had opened a door h

original?"

dn't

pped

orig

lly met

e had returned to Westbridge,

id quietly, "we

tsteps sounded in the corri

l

ibe

was appr

aining papers and push

e lette

ly and slipped it

stopped out

cross the narro

meone k

e ti

came from t

en? I know yo

d turne

longs to the last person I ex

an

ad been my fr

ppeared in the old i

standing beside my brother

me and whispered so qui

, don't tell him

nob began

on had just become something much m

ret someone had hi

ng from the silence on the other side of th