I bolted straight for the principal's office. Alvin Blake, the principal recognized me and asked what was wrong.
I came clean.
"Someone switched my test. My score dropped from first to second-to-last."
Alvin was shocked. He knew I was a top student with a real shot at Kingstown University. Plenty of first-tier schools were already trying to recruit me early.
Even a broken clock was right twice a day. How could this happen?
"Mrs. Clarke not only didn't deal with it, she accused me of puppy love!" I fumed.
Alvin couldn't believe it. In his mind, Louise wasn't that low.
He tracked down Samuel Cooper, the English teacher, only to find that while the name on the test was Oliver's, the handwriting was clearly mine.
Samuel squirmed uncomfortably. "Look, I've got stacks of papers to grade. How am I supposed to check everyone's handwriting? That Oliver, swapping out the name with tape - it's just not right."
"Samuel, get Mrs. Clarke and Oliver in here right now," Alvin ordered.
It was his alma mater that he'd worked so hard to build up, and now it was infested with vermin!
4
My dad showing up to pick me up from school was a rare sight. His first words made my stomach drop.