5

Ted’s radio alarm clock woke him up at maximum volume again.

“Good morning, listeners!” said the DJ. “That song was “Monster Mash” by Bobby Pickett. Get ready for two more October favorites, Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” and “Time Warp” from The Rocky Horror Picture Show!”

Ted groaned and reached for the off button. The radio stations in town were getting so repetitive. “There are other songs,” he muttered.

He got dressed and went downstairs. “Mom?”

The house was quiet.

That’s weird, he thought.

His mom was probably still mad at him, but it wasn’t like her to give him the silent treatment.

Ted headed into the kitchen and noticed another note and more spare change on the kitchen table.

That’s . . . also weird.

It looked just like the note that his mom had left for him two days before. He picked it up for a closer look.

Good morning, Teddy! read the note. Just a reminder that I am at an early meeting, and I won’t be able to drive you to school or pick you up afterward. Here’s some money for the bus.

Ted frowned.

P.S., it’s Wednesday, and you know what that means. Trash day. Please bring the trash cans to the curb when you get home from school.

Ted let his mom’s note drop to the table. It had been Thursday when he had gone to bed the night before—it was supposed to be Friday now. This had to be some sort of mistake, or a prank. Then again, Ted didn’t see his mom as the pranking type. This just didn’t make sense.

He pulled out his phone and checked the date: Wednesday. He went over to the tear-off calendar by the fruit bowl: Wednesday. He went to the computer in his mom’s home office: Wednesday. He ran upstairs and checked the screen on his radio alarm clock: Wednesday.

Is this really happening?

Then Ted remembered the do-over text. He pulled out his phone again and looked through his messages. There was nothing in his inbox from the day before, including the mysterious text, but he knew he wasn’t just making it up. It was if all the evidence that yesterday had actually happened had disappeared.

Ted sank down to sit on the edge of his bed, processing. Somehow, he really had gotten a do-over of Wednesday.

Man, thought Ted, this makes me wish that I played the lottery. If I knew what today’s numbers were, I could buy a million cheeseburgers or a car.

Then he stood up. He couldn’t use his do-over to win the lottery, but he could redo everything about the California gold rush test. If he had just said yes to Adam’s offer, he wouldn’t have failed. His mom wouldn’t have grounded him. Nobody would be angry with him, his grades would bounce back, and he would be able to go to the diner after Adam’s recital and finally make some progress with Nina.

Ted grinned. He didn’t understand why or how, but he had gotten a certified second chance. His Wednesday didn’t have to be awful. This time, it was going to be awesome.

He got up and bounded down the stairs. This time, Ted left the bus fare on the table. He wasn’t going to go through that mess again.

He went around to the shed behind his house and pulled out his bike instead. The dents in the turquoise metal glinted in the October sun. There was still almost enough air in the tires. It was perfect.

He strapped on his helmet, kicked out the kickstand, and pedaled off in the direction of Thomas T. Tenley High School.

* * *

Without a trash truck or traffic in the way this time, Ted made it to school in record time. Inside, he found Jenn leaning against her locker.

She finished the text she was typing on her phone, looked up at him, and smiled. “Hey, you.”

“Hi,” Ted replied. “Do you, uh, know where Adam is?”

“He’s in the music room,” said Jenn. “I think he’s getting in some extra practice time on the piano before the recital tomorrow night.”

Shoot, thought Ted.

“How did studying for the test go last night?”

It took Ted a second to remember that her last night was his three nights ago.

“Not my best,” he admitted. “That’s actually what I wanted to talk to Adam about.”

Jenn tilted her head. “Oh yeah?”

“Yeah.” Ted let his voice drop to a whisper. “I changed my mind about . . . you know. The test. I want in. I want,” he paused, “to cheat.”

“Are you sure, Ted? I mean, you seemed pretty against it yesterday.”

He nodded. “I’m sure.”

Jenn checked the time on her phone. “Okay, you still have time. You can look at the cheat sheet Adam made for me. I would offer to just give it to you, but I think the answers that I wrote on my arm got smeared. Take this”—she dug a small piece of paper out of her pocket—“and go copy it in the bathroom where no one can see you.”

Ted grabbed the paper before he could change his mind. “Okay.”

In the bathroom, Ted hurried into an empty stall, locked it, and unfurled the cheat sheet.

Wow, he thought. Adam’s handwriting is tiny.

He had somehow fit all fifty answers in three small, neat rows. Ted took out a pen and copied them all down as fast as he could.

When he got back out to the hallway by Jenn’s locker, Adam was standing there with Jenn, waiting for him.

He gave Ted a friendly slap on the back. “I hear you’ll be joining us, buddy!”

Ted gave a sheepish shrug. “Yeah. I changed my mind.” He handed Jenn her cheat sheet. “Thanks for letting me copy yours.”

“No problem.”

The bell rang and students started streaming in the direction of their first-period class.

Let’s do this, thought Ted.

He pressed his cheat sheet into his palm, took a slow breath, and entered the history classroom behind his friends. He felt like an actor walking onstage. His role: Ted, taker of tests.

The performance of a lifetime, he thought.

Ms. Stevenson handed out the California gold rush test papers.

“Just bring these up to the front when you’re done,” she said to the class. “You may begin. Good luck, everyone!”

With that small scrap of paper tucked into his hand, Ted didn’t need luck. He felt almost giddy as he matched up the answers to the questions.

What impact did President James K. Polk’s comments to Congress in 1848 have on the California gold rush?

The answer was A: Polk confirmed that there was gold in California, inspiring more people to travel there to find it.

What were the three main routes people used to reach California?

The answer was D: Around Cape Horn, through the Panama Canal, and across the Oregon Trail.

Who was Samuel Brannan?

The answer was B: “Gold Fever” promoter and California’s first millionaire.

It was stunningly easy. All he had to do was take a peek at the cheat sheet in his hand, memorize the letters for the next five or six answers, and then pretend he was actually mulling over which letter to choose.

Adam finished his test first again. He put on one strap of his backpack and handed his test paper to Ms. Stevenson.

“That was fast, Adam! You weren’t rushing your California gold rush test, were you?” said Ms. Stevenson, just like she had the first time.

Ted looked back down at his test, hiding a grin.

“Wouldn’t dream of it, Ms. S,” said Adam. “Could I please leave early, since I’m done?”

“Of course,” Ms. Stevenson replied. “Have a great rest of your Wednesday!” She took a look at her watch, just like she had before. “We still have about fifteen minutes left for the rest of you to finish. Take your time!”

Ted waited for Jenn to get up and turn her test in early as well.

After Jenn went out into the hall again, Ted counted to thirty in his head, and then he stood up too. He gathered his things, headed up the aisle of desks, and gave his test to Ms. Stevenson.

“I’m done too,” he said, trying to keep his voice casual. “Do you, um, mind if I also step out?”

“Not a problem, Ted,” Ms. Stevenson replied. She looked like she was about to say something else but then just gave him a tight smile instead. “Have a good one!”

“Thanks!”

He turned and left the classroom. Adam and Jenn were still within view down the hall.

“Psst! Guys!” Ted called. “Wait up!”

They turned and waited, greeting him with grins.

“How you feeling, Steady Teddy?”

“Pretty great,” Ted admitted. “I thought I’d feel guilty right now, but I’m mostly just happy to be out of there.”

As he said it, Ted knew it was true. Adrenaline was pumping through his veins, the good kind this time, and he felt great. It was exhilarating. If Nina wasn’t still back there taking her test for real, he would probably go right up to her and ask for her phone number.

“We should celebrate,” said Adam. “Want to hit the vending machine before second period starts?”

“Sounds like a plan,” Ted replied.

“Dude, you have gym class next period,” said Jenn. “Won’t soda make you feel nasty?”

Ted shook his head and smiled. “Now that the test is out of the way, nasty isn’t even in my vocabulary.”

* * *

Long after he finished the last of his soda from the vending machine, Ted could still taste victory as he sat in English class later that afternoon. He couldn’t tell if it was the sugar or the rush of getting away with what he had done, but he felt almost giddy as he sat through another group discussion with the theater kids.

“So anyways,” said Rosie, “I just thought that line from Friar Lawrence—‘these violent delights have violent ends’—was just perfect for describing the whole play. Every time Romeo or Juliet get anything to be happy about, something tragic happens to balance it. Everything evens out.”

“Um, yeah,” said Fred. “The play is called a tragedy for a reason.”

Rosie crossed her arms.

“I think she has a point,” said Ted.

They both looked at him, surprised.

“It’s all about balance and change, like in nature. There are all these lines in the play about plants and stuff”—he flipped through his copy of the play—“like here, ‘this bud of love.’ Maybe that could be a part of it. Buds turn into flowers, you know? Plants are always growing and changing. Nothing ever stays the same for long, even if you like it the way it is. Romeo and Juliet can’t seem to hang onto a good streak because that’s not how life works. Like it or not, things will keep changing.”

Fred and Rosie gaped at him.

“Are you feeling okay?” asked Fred. “No offense, I’ve just never seen you this awake and, like, trying.”

“Yeah,” said Rosie, leaning forward. “Also, that was awesome.”

Ted shrugged and smiled. “Thanks. I guess I’m just having an awesome day.”

Before either of them could respond, there was a knock on the classroom door. One of the school administrators stepped into the room.

“Ted Cooper?”

The class went silent.

Maybe I was a little hasty on the awesome day thing, Ted thought.

He swallowed. “Um, yeah. That’s me.”

“You’re wanted in the principal’s office, son.”

“Oooh,” someone murmured.

Rosie slowly leaned back in her chair. “Looks like you couldn’t hang onto your good streak either,” she whispered.

Ted felt his face flush, but he did his best to do a casual, non-committal shrug.

I really don’t know what you’re talking about, pal, but I’ll go to the office with you, said his shrug. I am not panicking because I haven’t done anything wrong.

I’m panicking, said his brain.

Ted stood, feeling everyone’s eyes on his back. He shuffled his papers into his backpack and followed the administrator out of the room.

* * *

When Ted opened the door to Principal Blueman’s office, Ms. Stevenson was standing by the desk, arms crossed. She didn’t look at him.

Three green fabric chairs were lined up in front of her. In one, Adam was staring stonily down at his feet. In the other, Jenn was bobbing her leg, a nervous habit he’d thought she had kicked back in sixth grade.

Ted had never been called to the principal’s office before, which was a good thing, but that also meant he had no idea what to do. His mind lurched, struggling to process what was before him.

“Oh good, you’re all here,” Principal Blueman boomed from the doorway behind him.

Ted turned.

“Have a seat, Ted.”

He sat.

Principal Blueman circled around the line of chairs to reach his desk, dropping into his own chair with a thud.

“Do the three of you,” he said, clasping his huge hands together, “know why you’re here?”

No one said a word.

Principal Blueman sighed. “Well, then, Ms. Stevenson, why don’t you just tell them what you told me?”

“I thought it was odd,” Ms. Stevenson began, “that three students had finished the unit test early. One or two is normal for this group, but three just doesn’t usually happen.”

Ted bit his lip.

This is my fault, he thought.

“So,” Ms. Stevenson continued, “I was curious. I took a look at your tests while the rest of the class finished up. You all got a forty-nine out of fifty, and you all missed question eighteen.”

Ted tried to keep his chin from trembling.

She’s right, he thought. I should have remembered that. I completely forgot. We’re getting caught because of me.

“What are the odds of that, in your experience?” rumbled Principal Blueman.

Ms. Stevenson paused. “Low.”

Principal Blueman leaned forward in his chair. “We take cheating very seriously. There are going to be consequences.”

Jenn looked pale. “Am I going to be kicked off of the soccer team?”

Principal Blueman sighed. “No, Jennifer. You can still play on the team.”

“Are you going to tell our parents?” asked Adam.

Ms. Stevenson nodded.

“Your parents have all gotten phone calls explaining what happened and that the three of you will be doing an in-school suspension tomorrow,” said Principal Blueman. “We will also send you home with a letter for your parents to sign.”

Ted slumped back in his chair. Dinner that night was going to be bad.

* * *

Ted was wrong. Dinner wasn’t bad—it was horrible.

His mom came home just at Ted finished making pasta. “Hey, Mom, how was your day?” he asked, trying to sound casual. But he was too jittery to pull it off.

“I got a voicemail from the school. It said that you got an in-school suspension tomorrow because you cheated on your history test,” she said quietly. She looked down at him. “Teddy . . . is that really true? Did you cheat?”

Ted swallowed hard. He tried to think of something to say, something to make it sound less bad, but he came up with nothing.

“I’m so sorry, Mom.”

His mom didn’t sigh, exactly, but she seemed to deflate a little, and as Ted scanned her face for her reaction, he noticed how truly tired she looked.

There were delicate blue circles showing through the makeup under his mom’s eyes, and a piece of her hair was stuck to the edge of her temple. She looked utterly worn out. Shaking her head, his mom sat down, picked up her fork, and took a slow bite of pasta.

That silence from his mom was the worst thing. Worse than the long lecture that eventually followed. Worse than being grounded and told he couldn’t go to Adam’s piano recital tomorrow night, to the diner afterward, or to Jenn’s soccer game on Saturday. Worse, even, than getting caught cheating.

* * *

Ted’s eyes blurred with tears as he climbed the stairs up to his room. He slammed the door behind him, did a running jump into his bed, and rolled himself up in his blankets like the world’s most upset burrito.

How, he thought, did things manage to get so much worse?

He pulled out his phone and tried to find the do-over text message.

I need a do-over for this do-over, he thought, wiping his burning cheeks.

But instead, it looked like he was going to have to live with the choice he’d made this time around.

I, Ted Cooper, am a cheat, he thought right before drifting off.