Cheated by Cheating

     The following Monday we got our papers back and I got my usual 8 out of 10.  Karen got the same mark.  I didn’t care if she copied my quiz, it didn’t mean a thing to me. 

     Another week went by and on Friday, we had another test and again, I had read the chapter and Karen hadn’t.  In what would become our routine, I dangled my paper over the edge of the desk and Karen copied the answers.  When we got our papers back, we always had the same mark.   

     This went on every Friday for the next month or so, until one day while we were waiting for our quiz, the teacher wagged his finger at us and said ‘I know one of you is cheating, so Karen, go and sit over there,’ and he pointed to the other side of the room.   

     I struggled through the quiz and answered the questions as best I could, but I didn’t know the answers because for the first time, I hadn’t read the chapter the night before, and as life and its ironical moments would have it, Karen had.  On that day, she was going to help me.  I looked over to the other side of the room and watched as she scribbled away at her desk.  She never glanced my way. 

     The teacher handed back our papers the following Monday and as I knew I would, I failed.  Karen got 8 out of 10.  The teacher stood up to start the class and pointed at me, his lip slightly curling.

    ‘Now we know who’s been cheating,’ he said.