Even a broken clock was right twice a day. How could this happen?

"Mrs. Clarke not only didn't deal with it, she accused me of puppy love!" I fumed.

Alvin couldn't believe it. In his mind, Louise wasn't that low.

He tracked down Samuel Cooper, the English teacher, only to find that while the name on the test was Oliver's, the handwriting was clearly mine.

Samuel squirmed uncomfortably. "Look, I've got stacks of papers to grade. How am I supposed to check everyone's handwriting? That Oliver, swapping out the name with tape - it's just not right."

"Samuel, get Mrs. Clarke and Oliver in here right now," Alvin ordered.

It was his alma mater that he'd worked so hard to build up, and now it was infested with vermin!

4

My dad showing up to pick me up from school was a rare sight. His first words made my stomach drop.

"It's Oliver's birthday today. Let's celebrate at that fancy restaurant downtown. Where are your mom and brother?"

He was all smiles, but of course, he couldn't remember my birthday.

Favoritism had woven a thick web around me, squeezing tighter by the day.

I was about to speak when a teacher whisked me away to the principal's office.

Dad, thinking I was in trouble, followed with a thundercloud for a face.

In the office, Louise didn't seem the least bit guilty. Instead, she brazenly lashed out at me,

"Sir, she's nothing but a liar. Her grades have dropped because she's dating Gilbert!

"I don't care about teenage romance? What about our top class? What about the school's reputation?"

Oliver shot me a contemptuous side-eye. "So you're not just a liar, but you're fooling around too?"

The cruelty of this mother-son duo chilled me to the bone. Why were they always so determined to throw me under the bus?

I turned to the principal, my voice steady. "Sir, I just took a test and got a perfect score. Why don't we have Oliver take it right now?"

Louise's face darkened. "Nonsense, you..."

"Enough!"

Alvin roared, his brows furrowed as he slammed his hand on the desk.

"Mrs. Clarke, you're well aware of your own issues.

"Oliver's behavior is absolutely unacceptable. He's on probation, and one more slipup means expulsion!

"From now on, Oliver will be transferred to Class 10."

The color drained from Louise's face. Class 10 was notorious for being the worst in the school.

Dad suddenly slapped Oliver across the face, then started begging Alvin in a humble tone.