SUPERGENE

Chapter 01

"You've got to be kidding," I say through gritted teeth, crushing the test paper in my fist. "I didn't do anything, I swear!"

This cannot be happening. For the love of all things good in this world, this can't be my life right now. Might as well bury me right here under the chipped, discolored tiles of the school's Geometry classroom.

I'd completely forgotten about the new security cameras they installed in the classrooms over winter break thanks to the new state-mandated law. Now there's video evidence of me sneaking into class during lunch, picking the lock to Mrs. Solomon's desk to find the seating chart, and— most incriminating of all— giving myself a perfect view of my classmates' exams by setting up a tiny video recorder up so it sat on top of an unassuming ceiling decoration— using nothing but my mind.

"The proof is right here, Natalie, your answers on the free response sections are nearly identical," my sixth period Geometry teacher sighs as she whisks out a copy of Stella Truman's test and smacks it right down on the table for me to bear witness. I recoil in recognition. I am so, so busted. "Do you want to explain to me how on Earth you managed to copy another student's answers while seated on the opposite side of the room?"

"Cell phones?" I offer, testing my luck. She had to have seen me moving that video recorder on those classroom tapes. I just bet members of the Extraordinary Genetic Mutation Division are waiting smugly outside, ready at any second to detain me the second I confess my guilt.

"Do you mean the cell phone I have right here?" She leans down to reach into the bottom drawer of her desk, pulls out my phone, and slides it across the tabletop to me.

As relief floods through me, I fight off a grin, covering it up instead by hanging my head in mock shame, letting my thick, dark brown curls fall like a curtain in front of my face. So she didn't think to check the security tapes. That means I can still get out of this with a bit of acting. I grab my phone, flashing what I hope looks like a remorseful smile.

"You're right," I tell her. "You got me." For good measure, I make my lip tremble and blink some tears into my eyes. I reach into my backpack and pull out a second phone, hoping I don't look too smug. It's a dud, obviously, being an old phone that I haven't used since sixth grade, but it's enough to get Mrs. Solomon to raise her eyebrows and inspect it curiously.

It was a mean trick, and it almost caught me off guard. Everybody knows about Mrs. Solomon's strict no technology policy, even someone relatively new to Oak Grove Highschool like me. Whenever there's a test day, she makes it a whole ordeal for us to drop all our electronic gadgets in a tray placed in the front of the classroom. She then locks them in the bottom drawer of her desk and returns them back to their grumbling owners after the bell rings and all the tests have been turned in. Good thing I remembered to bring my collateral.

"I used this," I confess.

"Well, I appreciate your honesty for bringing this to my attention, but I'm still going to have to give you a failing grade on this test and report this incident to your dean," She gives me a pitying stare as she leans back in her swivel chair. "I expected better from you, Miss Greenberg. With where you stand academically, I can't understand why you would feel the need to corroborate with Stella to cheat."

"I won't do it again, promise." More like you won't catch me doing it again. Today I just had to face a few extra obstacles thanks to my negligence. But my admission of guilt is enough to satisfy my teacher for the time being. She rises from her chair, grabs her chunky tote bag and packs up her school administered laptop. I exhale. Crisis averted.

"Okay, Natalie. I'm going to keep this until the end of the school day." She presents the fake phone before stuffing it back in the drawer. "You can feel free to pick it up from my office after the final bell."