Rivals by Tommy Greenwald (the speed reading book txt) 📗

can come back later if you’re in the middle of something,” I say quickly.

“Okay,” Ms. Vallone says.

I start to leave, but halfway through the door, I turn back around and stop right in front of the teacher’s desk.

“I did something bad,” I say. I don’t even care if Alfie is there to hear me. I just need to get it out, like a poison. “I did something bad today, and I’m really, really sorry.”

Ms. Vallone’s face deflates, like a balloon. She glances over at Alfie, who is standing there, frozen. Then Alfie’s face suddenly crumbles, and she starts crying and runs out of the room. Ms. Vallone says, “Alfie, wait!” but Alfie doesn’t wait. She flies out the door and slams it behind her.

The sound echoes in the silence.

Finally, Ms. Vallone takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. “Do you want to tell me what happened?” she asks, quietly.

But I have a question. “What was Alfie doing here?”

Ms. Vallone shakes her head. “Let’s talk about what you came to see me about.”

“No, seriously, why was she here?”

“I can’t tell you that.”

Ms. Vallone sinks slowly back into her chair, and I suddenly realize exactly what’s going on.

She already knows I cheated on the test.

Because Alfie Jenks told her.

1:48 pm

4 People

SHAM

CARTER YOU THERE?

CARTER?

DUDES I THINK HE LEFT

LUCAS

WHADDYA MEAN

SHAM

HE’S GONE

LEFT SCHOOL

EDDY

WHO TOLD YOU THAT

SHAM

AMIR SAW HIM AT HIS LOCKER GETTING HIS STUFF AND WHEN HE ASKED CARTER WHAT WAS GOING ON HE SAID HIS MOM WAS PICKING HIM UP

EDDY

I’M GONNA CALL HIM

LUCAS

OH MAN

SHAM

IS HE ANSWERING?

EDDY

NAH

SHAM

I’M GONNA TEXT JANEECE MAYBE SHE KNOWS WHAT’S GOING ON

EDDY

WHY WOULD SHE KNOW

SHAM

I SAW THEM TALKING IN THE HALL NEAR THE OFFICE

EDDY

CARTER CAN YOU TEXT US BACK

LUCAS

CARTER YOU GOT TO TELL US WHAT HAPPENED

SHAM

JANEECE JUST TEXTED

SAID CARTER SEEMED UPSET BUT HE WOULDN’T SAY WHY

BUT YEAH HE TOLD HER HE WAS LEAVING SCHOOL

AND WASN’T SURE WHEN HE’D BE BACK

LUCAS

OH MAN

SHAM

THIS IS BAD

EDDY

I’M FREAKING OUT RIGHT NOW YOU GUYS FREAKING OUT

HEY IT’S ME

LUCAS

CARTER!

SHAM

DUDE!!! WHAT IS HAPPENING???

EDDY

CARTER WHAT’S GOING ON?

I COULDN’T DEAL WITH IT

I COULDN’T DEAL WITH BEING A CHEATER

I COULDN’T HANDLE IT

SO I WENT BACK INTO MS. V’S CLASS TO TELL HER

WHAT I DID

BUT ALFIE JENKS WAS ALREADY THERE

SHE MUST HAVE SEEN ME COPYING EDDY’S TEST

COZ SHE WAS TALKING TO MS. V ABOUT

SOMETHING AND

I WAS PRETTY SURE IT WAS ABOUT ME

COZ ALFIE LOOKED UPSET AND MS. V LOOKED LIKE

SHE KNEW

SO I ENDED UP TELLING HER EVERYTHING

WHAT COACH BENNY SAID ABOUT HOW I COULDN’T

PLAY IF I DIDN’T PASS

AND I TOLD HER ABOUT MY DAD LOSING HIS JOB

AND MY MOM WORKING DOUBLE SHIFTS

AND HOW I NEEDED TO BE ABLE TO PLAY BALL AND

BE THE BEST

SO I COULD GET A COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIP AND

ALL THAT

BUT DON’T WORRY EDDY

I TOLD HER YOU HAD NO IDEA I WAS LOOKING AT

YOUR PAPER

I SWEAR

AND MS. V LOOKED LIKE SHE WAS GOING TO CRY

AND I THOUGHT SHE WAS GOING TO BE COOL

ABOUT IT,

LIKE WE COULD FIX IT SOMEHOW

BUT SHE SAID WE HAD TO GO DOWN TO THE OFFICE

AND THEN I TOLD PRINCIPAL MARSHAK

AND SHE SAID THEY WOULD NEED SOME TIME TO

FIGURE IT OUT,

BUT THAT IN THE MEANTIME I HAD TO GO HOME

AND I WOULD PROBABLY BE SUSPENDED

FROM SCHOOL

AND FROM THE TEAM TOO

AND MY MOM HAD TO LEAVE WORK TO PICK ME UP

SHE WAS CRYING

SHAM

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

DUDE I AM SSSSOOOO SORRY

LUCAS

HUGS MAN

EDDY

I’M REALLY REALLY SORRY CARTER

ALSO WOW, OUR TEAM IS GOING TO SUCK BIG TIME NOW

NAH

YOU GUYS WILL BE OK

IT IS WHAT IT IS

MY FAULT

I’LL GET THROUGH IT

I MEAN, IT SUCKS

BUT YOU KNOW WHAT

I FEEL BETTER ANYWAY

LUCAS

I’LL TELL YOU WHAT, THAT GIRL ALFIE IS GONNA HAVE SOME PROBLEMS

MS. V WOULDN’T TELL ME WHAT THEY WERE

TALKING ABOUT,

BUT I MEAN, COME ON,

WHAT ELSE WAS ALFIE DOING THERE,

AND THEN SHE FREAKS OUT AND

RUNS OUT OF THE ROOM WHEN I GET THERE

SHAM

OH YOU KNOW IT, SHE’S LIKE SUCH A LOSER

WORSE

A SNITCH

EDDY

SERIOUSLY

WHAT IS WRONG WITH HER

LUCAS

NOT COOL

WHATEVER

I DON’T EVEN CARE

I’LL LET YOU GUYS KNOW WHEN I KNOW WHAT’S

GOING ON

EDDY

HANG IN THERE

LUCAS

STAY CHILL MAN

SHAM

BE COOL

4:16 pm

Alfie

CARTER?

CARTER?

HEY I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW I DIDN’T SAY ANYTHING

I SWEAR

ARE YOU THERE?

I MEAN I DID SEE WHAT YOU WERE DOING

BUT I WASN’T SURE WHAT I SAW AND

I WAS TRYING TO FIGURE IT OUT WHEN I WAS TALKING

TO MS. V

BUT I HAD TOTALLY DECIDED I WASN’T GOING TO

SAY ANYTHING

I WAS CONFUSED

YOU CAN ASK MS V

CARTER ARE YOU THERE? PLS ANSWER ME

I’M REALLY SORRY ABOUT EVERYTHING

WHY ARE YOU SORRY IF YOU DIDN’T TELL HER?

I DIDN’T MEAN IT LIKE THAT!

I MEANT I’M SORRY FOR WHAT YOU’RE GOING THROUGH!!!

IT’S MY FAULT

I DID IT

DON’T WORRY ABOUT IT

IT’S NOT YOUR FAULT

JUST LEAVE ME ALONE.

WALTHORNENEWS.COM

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 23 7:17 PM

Legendary Coach Steps Down After Possible Infraction

In a surprising development that stunned the local sports world, Benjamin Walters stepped down today from his position as head basketball coach and director of the physical education department at Walthorne South Middle School.

Mr. Walters, who was elected to the state athletic Hall of Fame after coaching the Walthorne High School basketball team to six state titles in a legendary twenty-two-year career, had come out of retirement four years ago to help Walthorne South revive its basketball program after budget cuts had previously forced its elimination. He led the team to two league championships without incident until earlier this week, when reports surfaced that Coach Walters had urged one of his best players to cheat on a test, to ensure that he would pass the class and be able to stay on the team.

Coach Walters released the following statement this morning, through the office of the Walthorne Board of Education:

“In the last several days, misinformation has been spread online that I