Chapter 2

The finals month of freshman year arrived right on schedule.

Seats in the library were harder to grab than a good meal in the dining hall.

I found an empty spot by a window and set down my stack of books.

My phone buzzed.

A message from Reg.

"Send me your key notes for Calculus and Microeconomics, the ones you organized."

No lead-in. No hello.

Just an order, like it was owed to him.

I looked at the screen for a moment.

Those notes were three all-nighters and countless reference books distilled into one file. Mine alone.

Before I could answer, a second message dropped in.

"Let me borrow them to copy."

"And print a set for Emily while you're at it. Her GPA's on the line this semester."

"We're all from the same hometown. Just help out."

I turned the phone face down on the desk.

Opened my book and started drilling vocabulary.

The next day at noon, I was in line at the dining hall.

My roommate held her phone up to my face.

"Edna, look at Emily's feed."

Nine perfectly edited photos filled the screen.

The one in the middle was a thick set of review notes.

Neat, delicate handwriting. My handwriting.

The caption read: "Thanks to a certain someone for the personal tutoring. This one's in the bag."

The comments were full of envy from our classmates.

"Reg is so good to you."

"These notes are incredible. Please share!"

Emily's blanket reply: "Reg put these together just for me. Not for sharing."

I calmly pushed my roommate's phone back.

"Ma'am, one order of the sweet-and-tangy glazed ribs, please."

The last assessment of the term was the group project report for our civics course.

The professor for that class was brutally strict, and participation counted for half the final grade.

Our slides and script, from topic to layout, were all me, done alone through the night.

Five minutes before the report.

Reg walked over to my seat and rapped his knuckles on the desk.

"Switch the lead presenter to Emily."

I looked up at his face, so sure of himself.

"Why?"

"On the first slide, put Emily's name where the group leader and top contributor go."

He dropped his voice, and there was no room for refusal in it.

"Your grades are great. Your participation score's already maxed out. This won't cost you anything."

"If Emily flunks, she loses her shot at the scholarship."

"Have a little perspective. Don't be so petty."

I looked at him.

At the guy who used to fight anyone who gave me the smallest hurt.

Now, for another girl, he was helping himself to my work without a shred of guilt.

"I'm not switching it."

I gripped the flash drive in my hand.

His brow knotted into a hard line.

"Edna, are you determined to make this ugly for everyone?"

"It's just a name. Is it really worth it?"

The bell rang.

The professor came in and signaled the first group to the front.

I stepped past Reg and walked straight up to the podium.

Plugged in the flash drive, opened the slides.

My name sat squarely in the top contributor's place.

The report ran fifteen minutes.

Tight logic, solid data.

The professor nodded again and again, and in the end gave it the highest score in the class.

After class, Reg blocked my way in the hallway.

His face was iron gray, anger held down beneath it.

"Happy now?"

"You're selfish. Cold-blooded. No regard for your classmates at all."

"Emily was crying at her desk just now. Feels like a real accomplishment to you, doesn't it?"

The hallway was full of people coming and going.

Plenty of classmates threw curious glances our way.

I looked at Reg, worked up and furious in front of me.

I didn't cry the way I used to.

I didn't try to explain a single word, either.

I just felt tired.

"You're right."

I looked calmly into his eyes.

"I have no regard for my classmates."

"From now on, when you form a team, leave me out of it."

I went around him and headed toward the library.

Left him standing alone in the hallway, stunned.