After school, I head straight out to the car. Most days I’ve been going to the weight room because track season starts in a couple of months and I want to stay in shape. But the thought of more people staring at me made me text Sadie to tell her I’d give her a ride home. While I wait for Sadie, I watch the video over and over. Each replay hits me with the same cutting feeling of betrayal, even though I already know what’s coming. Eventually, I can’t take it anymore and lay my head on the steering wheel, trying to close myself off from the world and the dumpster fire that is my life.

Sadie startles me back to reality when she opens the passenger door and plops into the seat.

“From what frozen part of Hoth did Dara Simons pull that stupid video?” is the first thing out of her mouth.

“I wish I knew,” I say, backing out of the spot and following the stream of cars and buses out of the parking lot. When we’re on the main road, I tell Sadie what’s really making me crazy. “The worst thing is that she won’t even admit to what she did. She denies everything. She told me she never said any of it.”

“Are you serious? It’s right there. I had half the sophomore class asking me if you really did pay someone to take the SAT for you. The other half wanted to know if you and Dara have broken up yet.”

She glances over at me, eyes narrowed. “You have broken up with her, right? You’d have to be an idiot not to, and even though we both know I inherited the brains in this family, I don’t think you’re an idiot.”

I ignore her arguable claim to be the family brain. “I made it pretty clear that she is no longer my favorite person and that we’re done,” I say. “Then Ada Thompson was like, ‘It’s not something Dara would do’ and she …”

It’s hard to admit that one of my friends thinks I might be guilty, even to my sister.

“She what?”

“She pointed out that my scores went up. Like she was basically implying that it was suspicious and maybe I was the one who is lying.”

“What? No way!” Sadie exclaims. “I think I can take her if you want me to beat her up.”

I snort, because Sadie takes after Mom in the height department. I can’t imagine her taking on anyone, much less Ada, who’s, like, half a foot taller.

“Yeah, I don’t think so,” I say. “But …”

“But what?”

“I just don’t get it. I saw Dara this morning, right before Rumor Has It posted, and everything was …” I shake my head, gripping the steering wheel as I remember how glad I was that we were finally out in the open about us dating. “There’s like this piece of me that doesn’t want to think that the Dara I know—at least I thought I knew—would do something like this.”

“Oh brother,” Sadie sighs. She raps my head with her knuckles. “Wiiiiillll, use your brain.”

“I am using my brain,” I say, shaking her off. I really don’t want to believe that everything she and I had was fake. It felt real.

“Do Mom and Dad know about this?” Sadie asks.

“I don’t know,” I say. “Joyner said he was going to call them once he’d met with Dara and talked to the superintendent and the school board about ‘next steps,’ whatever they are.”

A wave of nausea crashes over me as I think about my parents finding out. Ever since I got into Stanford, they’ve actually been getting along. Well, okay, that’s probably overstating it. For them “getting along” means not being complete jerks to each other. They’re too busy telling everyone who’ll listen that I got in, because it’s proof that their bitter two-year divorce didn’t mess me up so badly I couldn’t get into a top school. They’re probably proud of me, too, but honestly, I think the proof thing is what makes them happiest, which makes me feel even worse about the fact I’m not sure if Dad’s school is the right place for me.

My phone rings. Sadie looks at the screen because I’m driving.

“It’s Mom,” she says. “Good luck.” She answers and puts it on speaker.

“Will, I just got a call from Mr. Joyner. He said there’s a video going around accusing you of paying someone to take the SAT for you!” Mom says, her voice frantic with disbelief. “It’s not true, is it?”

I glance over at my sister, and she’s rolling her eyes.

“Mom, of course it isn’t true!” I say. “Do you think I’m stupid? Why would I risk everything to do that?”

“Because your father has been putting so much pressure on you to go to Stanford?” she says. “I keep telling him you might be happier at a different school, but he won’t hear about it. Oh god, if he convinced you to do something unethical—”

“Mom!” I interrupt to stop her from singing the familiar your-dad-is-such-a-jerk refrain. “Stop. It has nothing to do with Dad. I didn’t bribe anyone. Dad didn’t bribe anyone. I don’t know why Dara said I cheated.”

“An accusation that Mr. Joyner is taking very seriously,” Mom says. “He’s also calling your father, and he wants us to come in for a discussion tomorrow morning.” She sighs. “I suppose this means we’re going to have to have a family meeting tonight.”

Like I’m not stressed out enough about this, now I’ve got to deal with my parents being together in the same room.

“Great, your father’s on the other line,” Mom says. “I’ll call you back.” She hangs up.

Sadie sighs. “You know they’re going to make this about them instead of you, right?”

“Yep,” I say with a sigh of my own.

“The whole thing is just … weird,” Sadie says. “We need to figure out why Dara made the video and how Rumor Has It got it.”

“I hate that stupid site,” I say. “If I ever find out who is behind it … they’re dead.”

“Maybe that’s what you should do,” Sadie suggests. “Figure out who Rumor Has It is. Then you confront them and get them to tell you who made the video.”

“Easier said than done,” I say. “All we know is that Rumor Has It always picks a rising senior as their successor at the end of the year, but there are, like, two hundred and twenty-five people in the senior class. It could be any one of them.”

“Well, we know it’s not you, right?”

“Fine, it could be any one of two hundred and twenty-four people,” I say. “Glad we’re able to narrow things down.”

Sadie gives me a death look. “Don’t be a jerk.”

“Sorry,” I say. “But you know it’s not going to be easy to figure out.”

“As Dad and Mom are always so quick to point out the minute I get anything less than an A on a test, you have the second-highest GPA in your class,” Sadie says. “All your geeky friends are super smart, too. But suddenly you’re too dumb to solve a problem because … why?”

She has a point. I’ve got some of the smartest kids in school on my side.

Well, except for Ada.

And Dara.

Even Amir had a moment or two of doubt before he believed me.

“You are pretty smart,” I admit to Sadie. “But I’m still the family brain.”

She snorts. “Yeah, right. You don’t see me being accused of cheating on anything.”

I’m about to remind her that I didn’t cheat when Mom calls back.

“Your father is swinging by after work,” Mom says as soon as Sadie answers. “I’m going to stop on the way home from work and pick up a pizza from Saucy Sue’s.”

Saucy Sue’s is my favorite pizza place, but that’s not enough to make up for everything that’s happened today, especially because I have a feeling the worst is yet to come.

Mom arrives home from work with a large pizza and a salad.

“Get some plates and silverware and let’s eat,” she says while she’s taking off her coat. “Your father said he’ll be here at seven thirty.” She frowns. “Which, knowing him, probably means eight thirty.”

“Can you just call him Dad?” Sadie asks. “We know he’s our father.”

“He’s not my dad,” Mom says.

“So call him Gary, then,” I tell her. “That’s his name.”

Mom emits an exasperated sigh. “Will, I was married to the guy almost twenty years. I know his name.”

Sadie and I exchange a glance.

It’s already been a bad day, and it’s clear tonight won’t be a whole lot better.

I help myself to pizza, even though my stomach is churning like it always does when I know my parents are getting together—especially when it’s to talk about me. Maybe if I throw up, they’ll stop fighting. Actually, I don’t even think puke would stop them. They’d just figure out a way to blame each other for my vomit.

“Mr. Joyner sent me a link to the video,” Mom says when we sit down to eat. “Wasn’t that girl Dara a counselor with you at Camp Terabyte over the summer?”

“Yeah,” I grunt through a mouthful of pizza.

“Don’t talk with your mouth full,” Mom says.

I finish chewing and swallow. “If you don’t want me to talk with my mouth full, don’t ask me questions when I’m eating.”

Mom gives me a don’t-get-fresh-with-me look.

Sadie tries to cut the tension by telling Mom about the art project she’s working on, but it doesn’t help. We’re all on edge as Mom keeps glancing at the clock and making increasingly loud sighs of annoyance as the minutes tick past seven thirty.

We pick at the rest of our dinner in silence.

The doorbell rings at seven forty-seven, which is probably the timeliest Dad has ever been. He’s either really mad about his canceled date or really worried about me. Possibly both.

Mom says, “Can you get the door?”

Like I have a choice.

“Hey, Will,” Dad says, pulling off his leather gloves and tossing his keys on the hall table like he still lives here, which drives my mom nuts. “So when do I get to take you out to dinner to celebrate you getting into Stanford? Katelyn is really excited to meet you.”

“I don’t know,” I tell him. “There’s a lot going on right now.”

“It’s probably going to have to wait till we get back from Aspen, then,” Dad says. “We leave on Friday.”

“I guess it’ll have to wait. But … uh … I’m looking forward to meeting her, too,” I say, lying through my teeth.

Dad takes off his coat and throws it over the banister. “So what’s this mess you’ve gotten yourself into?”

“I didn’t get myself into anything,” I say.

“That’s not what Mr. Joyner seems to think,” Dad says. “Otherwise he wouldn’t have insisted we all come in for a meeting tomorrow morning.”

“I know but—”

“Come on, let’s get this family discussion over with,” Dad says. “I’ve had a long day, and dealing with your mother is just going to make it longer.”

I hate when Dad asks me questions and then interrupts me before I can answer them, but he’s already heading into the kitchen. Sadie calls it the Dad Deflection.

Mom’s cleaned up the plates, but the remains of the pizza are still on the table.

“I’m starving,” Dad says, taking one of the two slices remaining in the Saucy Sue’s box.

“Gary, it’s polite to ask if you can have it before taking,” Mom says.

“Tell that to your divorce lawyer,” Dad mutters through a mouthful of pizza.

“Really?” Mom says, her hands on her hips. “You’re going to bring that up again? Now? In front of the kids?”

“I was supposed to have dinner with Katelyn tonight,” Dad says. “The least you can do is spare me a slice of awful pizza.”

Saucy Sue’s used to be his favorite pizza joint, too.

“Oh my god, Mom! Dad! Will you stop?” Sadie says. She’s twisting her paper napkin in her hands and looks like she wants to send it as a projectile but can’t decide which parent to aim at first.

“Yeah,” I say. “Can you guys try to not kill each other for, like, half an hour? Today has already been total crap.”

Mom tosses a look in Dad’s direction, then sits down, her hands folded on the table. Dad sits at the other end of the table, as far from Mom as he can get.

“So …” Dad says. “Did you pay someone to take the SAT for you, Will?”

“Why does everyone keep asking me that?” I say, frustrated.

“Because, Will, there is a video of some girl claiming you did,” my dad replies.

“But you asking makes it seem like you think that’s something I would do. I wouldn’t. Obviously, I wouldn’t. It’s like no one knows me or something.” I put my head down on the table in exasperation.

“Then why is this girl saying that you did?” Dad asks. “She sounded pretty convinced.”

“I don’t know!” I tell them. “I thought we were—”

I almost slip and tell them Dara was my girlfriend, emphasis on the was. But it’s too late. Mom already picked up on it.

“You were what?” Mom says with narrowed eyes. “Did something happen between you and this Dara?”

I look down at my hands, not trusting myself to keep a poker face when it comes to this.

“Will, were you involved with her?” Dad asks.

I raise my head and nod, slowly.

“You’ve got to be kidding me! Your future could be ruined because of some girl?” Dad says. “Did she make it in retaliation because you broke up with her?”

“That might make sense if I had broken up with her,” I say. “But I hadn’t.” Well, until after the video. “I thought things were good. This morning everything was great. Even if she is technically beating me for valedictorian at the moment.” I don’t know why I feel the need to brag about how smart Dara is. I guess because it’s one of the best things about her?

“So why would she lie?” Dad says. “Tell us the truth, Will. We can’t help you unless you’re one hundred percent honest with us.”

“Gary, Will said he didn’t do it,” Mom says.

My parents exchange a weighted glance.

“Will, I want to take you at your word,” Dad says finally. “But Mr. Joyner sent me the link and I saw the video.”

“I. Didn’t. Do. It,” I bite out through gritted teeth.

“I believe you, Will,” Mom says, with a pointed look at Dad, which makes me wonder if she really does believe me, or if she’s just saying it because Dad doesn’t.

“The problem is that the school isn’t convinced,” Mom continues. “They’re taking it very seriously. Mr. Joyner said he might bump it up to the College Board to investigate. And they could tell Stanford.”

Wait, what? My stomach drops. If they tell Stanford, I’ll be kicked out before I even start. No way would they let an accused cheater attend. Then I wonder if that would be so bad. I flush with guilt and glance at my dad. I’d never hear the end of it.

“They can’t do that,” Dad says. “We’ll sue if they do.”

Of course that’s my dad’s reaction. I swallow hard and try to stop the panic from rising.

“Sue who?” Mom asks. “The school district? Stanford?”

“Both, if necessary,” Dad says. “They can’t take away Will’s place.”

“They can if cheating is involved,” I say. “Which, I will repeat again for those in the back, I did not do.” Frustration is coloring my words, but it’s better than the other feelings.

“Are you going to pay the lawyer’s fees if we sue?” Mom asks. “Because I can’t afford to finance a big lawsuit.”

“I gave you all that money in the divorce and you’re complaining that you can’t pay for a lawyer if Will needs one?”

“There he goes again,” Mom says, rolling her eyes. “You just can’t get over the fact that the judge awarded me alimony, can you?”

“STOP!” Sadie shouts. She gets up, her fists clenched. “I’m so sick of you two fighting!”

I shove my chair back. “No, Sadie, it seems about right they’d make this about them. That’s what they always do.”

“Hold on a minute, that’s not fair,” Dad says.

“Sure, just like it’s not fair that you two got divorced and hate each other,” Sadie says, her voice rough with anger. “Deal with it, Dad! We have to.”

She stomps out of the kitchen, and I follow her, ignoring my father’s stern admonition to “Get back in here right now, Will!”

As I storm upstairs to my room, I hear my parents start to argue about whether I did cheat and blaming each other for the mess I’m in.

Looks like Team Will has one player: me.

I am so screwed.