Chapter 5: The First Test

"Brrrrring—"

The bell shrieked, and I strode into Class 1 with a stack of test papers, nerves jangling.

I cleared my throat. "The next practice SAT is coming up. Today, we’ll review derivatives and have a quiz."

Groans erupted:

"Another test? Seriously?"

"Do we have to, Math?"

A few students snickered, their whispers cutting:

"Isn’t Ms. Grant afraid Aubrey will try to kill herself again?"

"Hahahaha."

I rapped the whiteboard. "Quiet."

Silence fell. Heads dropped. The old wall clock ticked so loud I thought everyone could hear it.

I drifted past Natalie’s seat. She twirled a pen, sneakers propped up, looking bored and untouchable. The kids around her eyed her with a mix of envy and awe.

"As expected of the top student. We can’t compete."

Only I knew she was talking to her system.

[System, swap Aubrey’s answers onto my paper later. I don’t want to bother with these questions.]

[A cold buzz flickered through my thoughts: Score-swapping system activated for the host.]

Across the room, Aubrey was hunched over, working hard, oblivious to her answers being targeted. Her pencil tapped a nervous rhythm.

Suddenly, the Fair SAT System inside me hummed to life.

[Detected cheating system carrier near host. Analyzing.]

[Analysis complete. Target found.]

[Name: Natalie.]

[System carried: Top Student Exchange System. Can select a target and swap the target’s score with the host’s score, without affecting reality.]

My stomach dropped. "Is there any way to stop it?"

The system’s mechanical tone almost sounded smug.

[Of course. I just need to add a restriction, and this swap will be completely invalid.]

"What kind of restriction?"

[For example, this time, the restriction I added is that Aubrey must finish all the questions for the swap to be effective.]

I blinked as a red beam seemed to flash toward Aubrey. Trick of the light?

I walked over and saw Aubrey finishing the second-to-last problem, eyes scanning the final question.

I gently covered her paper. "Okay, pens down."

Everyone dropped their pens.

"The last question is beyond the syllabus, so you don’t need to do it."

Relief swept through the class as they handed in their papers.

Natalie waited until last, then brought her test over. "Ms. Grant, please grade my paper first. It can serve as the standard answer."

She turned to leave, but I stopped her. "Natalie, wait. Why did you hand in a blank paper?"