Carter Brothers: Dane

Chapter 10

Chapter 10

After their heart to heart, the weirdness dissipates completely. In fact, it's like they're closer than before. Her life for once is pretty much exactly how she wants it to be. Of course, peace can never last for long.

"Miss Collins, Miss Hudson stay behind please."

Emery's brow furrows in confusion and she shoots a look over to Charlotte who appears nonchalant. Mr. Grant's words are polite but that tone has a rough edge of displeasure.

She can't imagine what she's done now. Things had even cooled off between her and Charlotte since Charlotte kept her distance and her limited her snide remarks to her cronies.

The rest of the class filters out, Diana hangs back to whisper with Charlotte before even she leaves.
Mr. Grant places down the board eraser and stands tall, arms crossed across his chest. If that wasn't enough, he has a frown on his features making Emery even more nervous. Her classmate doesn't appear to share her concerns though. Hopping on the front desk, Charlotte crosses her legs and examines her nails, just a picture of indifference. Emery can't fake that but she does lean against a similar desk and wait for Mr. Grant to get to the heart of the matter.

"What's this about Sir? I have commitments to get to, like pageant training."

Em almost snorts. Of course, Charlotte's in beauty pageants, she certainly fits the stereotype of pageant girls. Emery almost feels sorry for the other genuinely nice girls in those competitions, Charlotte is not a gracious contestant.

"And how would the pageant feel about you failing my class?"
"What? Sir! Why would you fail me?"

That's also Emery's question. Charlotte gets good grades. Really good grades. Why would she fail? Wait, does that mean she's also going to fail? But why?

Mr. Grant doesn't answer right away. Instead, he hands them some papers stappled together.
"Recognise these ladies?"

Emery glances down to read it. It's the essay he told them to do but when she scans the first few lines, it's good but not one she's read before. What the hell is going on?
"Uh yeah," mutters Charlotte, "this is my homework. I handed this in ages ago."
Huh?
"Emery?" asks Mr. Grant.
"No," stumbles out Emery, "Of course I don't recognise this. Sir, who's essay is this?"

"Swap," commands Mr. Grant.

Hesitantly Emery holds out the papers she has in her hand to Charlotte who does the same. Scanning the new document she realises from the title alone, it's the exact same. Why has he given them the same essay? What is going on?

"These are the same," points out Charlotte.
"I know," exhales Mr. Grant, "except for the names on them."
Em hadn't noticed the name in the header. Upon instruction she reads it only to be even more confused. That's her name on there. What the hell? After the initial shock, the ice-cold horror of realisation starts to migrate through her veins.


Faintly she hears Charlotte wave her paper and state, "yeah. My name on my paper. So what?"
"Emery?" calls Mr. Grant.
She gazes up at him, lips numb but enough to mutter, "this isn't mine. I didn't...I didn't write this."

His expression morphs into a frown of disappointment.
"There's a zero-tolerance policy on plagiarism in this school. It doesn't matter if you both worked on it together or helped on another-"
Charlotte interrupts with a snort of laughter, "uh no offense Sir, but Emery and I would not do that. We're not even friends. Why would we help each other?"

They wouldn't. Charlotte would probably shave her head and pierce her entire body than help Emery and Emery pretty much returns the sentiments.

"In that case, one of you copied the other."
"Obviously not me," expresses Charlotte, all while Emery is frozen in horror, "I handed my paper in first remember? Why I would I cheat off her?"