protecting public education for opt-outs like her son, but you know what I think?” Ms. Wheeler leaned over the desk, her eyes flashing. “I think she enrolled her son here just so they’d have grounds to sue.”
“Really?”
“I think Diego’s a spy, if you want to know the truth.”
“A
spy
?”
Ms. Wheeler nodded silently, as if she’d just shared a confidence. Imani felt honored by it. She doubted Ms. Wheeler was so forthcoming with any other students.
Ms. Wheeler sat back in her chair and regarded Imani. “I have to say I think it’s very interesting that Diego’s turned his attention to you.”
“Why?”
“You’re a perfect case study now. A fast dropper. That’sprobably why he picked you. Maybe you’ll end up as the star of Dena Landis’s next case against the score.”
The thought sickened Imani. “I don’t want to be a case study,” she said.
“I don’t blame you.”
“I should spy on
him
,” Imani said.
Ms. Wheeler grew serious. “What do you mean by that?”
Imani wasn’t sure what she’d meant by it. But now that she’d blurted it out, it took shape as a viable plan. “What if I asked him questions about his mother and her work?”
“Do you think he’d answer you?”
“It was his idea to collaborate in the first place. We’re supposed to be teaching each other about our point of view. Look.”
Imani took out Diego’s “homework” assignment from her bag and handed it to her. Ms. Wheeler took her time reading it.
“Nice language,” Ms. Wheeler said. “I like
your
answers, though. ‘Without the score, we would be living in an unstable aristocracy.’ Very insightful. But I don’t understand. It looks to me like you’ve already accepted his proposal.”
“Well, I did, but …”
“But what?”
“But I changed my mind.”
Ms. Wheeler slumped slightly in her chair. “I see.”
“I thought it was worth the risk,” Imani explained. “But the thing is, if I don’t win the scholarship and I get caught with Diego—”
“You’ll drop like a stone,” Ms. Wheeler said.
“Exactly.”
There was a pause as Ms. Wheeler stared at the note, swiveling gently in her cream leather chair. “If only there were some score-positive way to accept Diego’s proposal,” she said. “Some justification that the software would view in a positive light.”
“Yeah, but the unscored are off-limits,” Imani said. “That’s the first element. That’s peer group.”
“True.” Ms. Wheeler resumed swiveling. “But it’s not as if you’d be doing it for fun.”
“God, no.”
“It’s not as if you’d be
dating
him.”
Imani laughed sharply. The idea of dating Diego Landis was too ridiculous to ponder, especially now that she knew where he came from, and what he was doing at Somerton High. “Wait a minute,” Imani said. “Wouldn’t it mean something that I was obtaining useful information about a creeper lawyer who’s fighting against the score?”
Ms. Wheeler stopped swiveling. “What do you mean?”
“Well, it’s like you said. I wouldn’t be associating with Diego Landis for fun. I’d be doing it for …” Imani looked up at the ceiling as she searched for the right words.
“For the sake of the score?” Ms. Wheeler offered.
“Yeah,” Imani said. “Exactly. To protect the score against its enemies. That has to count for something, right?”
Ms. Wheeler bit her lip. “The software
is
smarter than us,” she said. “It knows our motives even when we don’t.”
“And this would be a fit motive,” Imani insisted. “Wouldn’t it?”
Ms. Wheeler sank back into the thick cushiony leather of her chair and swiveled gently. It was her own nervous habit,Imani realized, her principal’s version of shining her tap screen. “This is uncharted territory, Imani.”
“But it could work, right?”
Ms. Wheeler stared right through her, a smile playing at the corners of her mouth. “I wouldn’t rule it out,” she said.
It was
“Really?”
“I think Diego’s a spy, if you want to know the truth.”
“A
spy
?”
Ms. Wheeler nodded silently, as if she’d just shared a confidence. Imani felt honored by it. She doubted Ms. Wheeler was so forthcoming with any other students.
Ms. Wheeler sat back in her chair and regarded Imani. “I have to say I think it’s very interesting that Diego’s turned his attention to you.”
“Why?”
“You’re a perfect case study now. A fast dropper. That’sprobably why he picked you. Maybe you’ll end up as the star of Dena Landis’s next case against the score.”
The thought sickened Imani. “I don’t want to be a case study,” she said.
“I don’t blame you.”
“I should spy on
him
,” Imani said.
Ms. Wheeler grew serious. “What do you mean by that?”
Imani wasn’t sure what she’d meant by it. But now that she’d blurted it out, it took shape as a viable plan. “What if I asked him questions about his mother and her work?”
“Do you think he’d answer you?”
“It was his idea to collaborate in the first place. We’re supposed to be teaching each other about our point of view. Look.”
Imani took out Diego’s “homework” assignment from her bag and handed it to her. Ms. Wheeler took her time reading it.
“Nice language,” Ms. Wheeler said. “I like
your
answers, though. ‘Without the score, we would be living in an unstable aristocracy.’ Very insightful. But I don’t understand. It looks to me like you’ve already accepted his proposal.”
“Well, I did, but …”
“But what?”
“But I changed my mind.”
Ms. Wheeler slumped slightly in her chair. “I see.”
“I thought it was worth the risk,” Imani explained. “But the thing is, if I don’t win the scholarship and I get caught with Diego—”
“You’ll drop like a stone,” Ms. Wheeler said.
“Exactly.”
There was a pause as Ms. Wheeler stared at the note, swiveling gently in her cream leather chair. “If only there were some score-positive way to accept Diego’s proposal,” she said. “Some justification that the software would view in a positive light.”
“Yeah, but the unscored are off-limits,” Imani said. “That’s the first element. That’s peer group.”
“True.” Ms. Wheeler resumed swiveling. “But it’s not as if you’d be doing it for fun.”
“God, no.”
“It’s not as if you’d be
dating
him.”
Imani laughed sharply. The idea of dating Diego Landis was too ridiculous to ponder, especially now that she knew where he came from, and what he was doing at Somerton High. “Wait a minute,” Imani said. “Wouldn’t it mean something that I was obtaining useful information about a creeper lawyer who’s fighting against the score?”
Ms. Wheeler stopped swiveling. “What do you mean?”
“Well, it’s like you said. I wouldn’t be associating with Diego Landis for fun. I’d be doing it for …” Imani looked up at the ceiling as she searched for the right words.
“For the sake of the score?” Ms. Wheeler offered.
“Yeah,” Imani said. “Exactly. To protect the score against its enemies. That has to count for something, right?”
Ms. Wheeler bit her lip. “The software
is
smarter than us,” she said. “It knows our motives even when we don’t.”
“And this would be a fit motive,” Imani insisted. “Wouldn’t it?”
Ms. Wheeler sank back into the thick cushiony leather of her chair and swiveled gently. It was her own nervous habit,Imani realized, her principal’s version of shining her tap screen. “This is uncharted territory, Imani.”
“But it could work, right?”
Ms. Wheeler stared right through her, a smile playing at the corners of her mouth. “I wouldn’t rule it out,” she said.
It was
Similar Books
