Chapter 26

The next day went by in a haze of humiliation. The only thing that saved me was that I was too tired to care. Mr. Sheldon decided to harangue the class on the subject of plagiarism with me as the bad example. It was clear that there was nothing I could say that would convince him that he was wrong so I let it wash over me.

In gym Miss Philps had apparently decided that it was impossible for any human being to improve in the fitness test as much as I had. She said that I must have been sandbagging on the first test to give myself a better score. I could see the other girls edging away from me. It wasn't that they believed I had cheated, but they didn't want to be guilty by association. She harangued the girls on the nature of integrity and I was the bad example.

Marilyn didn't show at lunch. I had tried to talk to nem earlier, but somehow there just wasn't time or there were too many people around. I tried to eat my lunch, but ended up throwing most of it in the garbage.