shrill sound of the first-period bell cut his advance short. He stopp

ore turning to shepherd a fluste

It was only a te

rnoon. The large hall was filled with the sound of scratching pens and the rustle of paper. Mr. R

nd Ashleigh were all in the same exam hall. Nina's seat was diagonally behind R

was doodling on a piece of scratch paper, a series of in

This was the sweet spot. Everyone was focused, deep

ick, too layered with years of self-control drilled into him by the Hancock name. To crack it, she needed a more primal trigger-some

and crumpled it into a tight ball. She took aim

ely on the back

round, his eyes blazing. He saw her. She gave him

io

unch himself out of his chair. But he forced himself to turn ba

olled another, larger paper ba

r and landed on Ashleigh

es met Nina's, and Nina gave her a l

ed. She shot a look at Ryan, her eyes wide and glistening

s all i

eatened, Ryan's cont

ng backward across the floor. The noise

he hall turned

"Ryan Hancock, what is the meaning of this?"

t Nina. "Sir, she's cheating! And

ence. "I wasn't," she said, her voice soft and confused.

her palm was her own eras

said with a help

ce watery. "Mr. Reynolds, s

, picking up the two crumpled paper balls from the floor. He smoothed

his patience clearly gone. "Mr. Hancock,

dumbfounded

is voice dangerously low. "Or I will

s neck. Under the curious and mocking stares of his cl

ning into his back. He could hear the st

at the boy who had just made a fool o

Nina

n of a second, there was a flicker of s