The note

They had all taken the day. With one or two missing, Demetrius stood a good chance of continuing the ruse that Jamie had only hallucinated the mayhem that took place during the previous day’s math class. When they’d all collectively decided to remain home to heal their welts, it made the task…difficult.

Distraction and redirection were his only recourse and even they paled in comparison to a lie that was backed by action.

“What kept you? We thought you’d miss lunch,” Sarah said as Jamie sank into the seat next to her.

“Mr. Carlton,” Jamie mumbled.

Demetrius lifted his head from the table at once, growing alert at the mention of the man. “What did he want?”

“To talk with my mother; he says I failed his French test.”

“That’s not possible,” Megan said. “I completely flaked on studying, copied off your paper and got a 96%.”

“What?” Jamie asked.

“I’m inclined to agree,” Demetrius said. “You netted me a solid 100%.” The perks of impeccable eyesight.

Jamie looked between the two, nearly as a