Chapter 3

An hour later, the organizers finally replied. No substitutions or no-shows were allowed, and the fourth contestant had to be present the entire time.

Their notice came with the foundation's final confirmation letter. Greenwood would only stay in the competition if the roster was submitted by midnight. If the deadline was missed, the funding would be stopped.

Once the news spread to every class, everyone blew up. The doorway was jam-packed with people when I returned to my classroom.

Evie Snow stood in my way, her eyes red. "Geraldine, my mom's raising me and my younger brother on her own. Without the financial aid, I'll have to drop out next semester."

The boy behind her spoke up quietly. "My dad was in a car crash last year. Everything we had went into his treatment. I'm only one semester away from graduating. You don't even have to answer the questions. Just sit there. Please?"

More and more people crowded around. Some were panicking, and some were terrified. Some just stared at the curling iron in my hand and muttered, "The school's about to go under, and she's still fussing with her bangs. I know she's always been high-maintenance, but can't she compromise this once?"

Sasha stepped in front of me. "That's enough. The drawing was random; she didn't choose this. Even if the school loses its funding, the blame shouldn't be pinned on one student."

Evie's tears spilled over. "But what else can we do?"

Sasha fell silent.

If there had been any other way, she wouldn't have spent the last hour grilling everyone on every contest rule for me.

Mr. Brown pushed through the crowd. In just one hour, he looked like he'd aged another few years. He said, "Geraldine, we've reached out to everyone we can reach, but the organizers refuse to bend the rules."

His voice was hoarse. "I'm the principal. I can't just stand by and watch over 2,000 students get kicked out of school."

I nodded. "I get it."

He looked away and didn't try to talk me into anything else.

Sasha picked up the registration form, but she didn't hand it over just yet. Instead, she turned to Louis and said, "On the day of the competition, make sure her uniform is properly pressed. And make sure the waiting area is away from the AC vent. The lounge needs a mirror, a humidifier, and warm water."

He was taken aback, but he still started mentally taking note of it. Sasha, on the other hand, grabbed a pen and paper.

I watched as the list grew longer. "You're being pretty thorough."

Her pen paused. "I don't like you, but you were picked at random. It's not like you're trying to screw the school over."

She unzipped her bag and shoved a bottle of sunscreen into my hands. "Take this. The lights at the venue are harsh. The last thing we need is you throwing a fit about touching up your makeup and sunscreen halfway through."

The box dug awkwardly into my palm. I looked over at Louis. "When do they release the last ten questions?"

"Once the final round starts."

"Do they all go up on the big screen at once?"

"Yeah."

"And anyone can answer them?"

"The fourth contestant only steps in after the other three get eliminated." He frowned. "Wait. Why are you asking all this?"

"I just need to make sure those last ten questions all show up on the screen at the same time," I said.

"The rules spell it out pretty clearly."

"I want it in black and white."

His expression darkened. "Dozens of schools are waiting for this thing to start. The organizers aren't gonna roll out the questions early just for you."

Sasha pushed the registration form back to him. "She's not wrong to ask."

Louis looked over at her. "What part of this is right?"

"She's a contestant. She has the right to confirm the rules."

Mr. Brown hesitated, then nodded. "Have the organizers send over the official procedure."

Louis tightened his grip on his phone.

Soon, a schedule stamped with an electronic seal popped up on the big screen. During the final round, the ten tie-breaker questions would be released all at once, with a 30-second time limit. For each correct answer, ten points would be awarded. And for each wrong one, ten points would be deducted.

I skimmed it, then flipped my compact shut again. All ten questions appearing together made things so much easier.