Karen's Big Lie

Karen's Big Lie (8th Chapter)

     After I hung up the phone, I could not concentrate on my flash cards. All I could think about was David Michael and the cool dragon tatoo that was a big, huge secret. So I put away my flash cards. That did not matter on Thursday, Ms.Colman still did not give us another quiz.
   I meant to look at the flash cards on  Thursday night, but I forgot to.
  On Friday, Ms.Colman said,"Boys and girls, it is time for your third arithmetic quiz.  Please clear your desks."
  Well, I had studied very much. But I had studied a little. Especially my addition facts. I knew I could solve the addition problems faster. And I remember my promise to not copy from Ricky.
 I asked myself, can I get a 80 all by myself? But I wanted was a 90 with a smiley face.
Ms.Colman was handing out the papers. When she gave me mine, I looked down at it. I saw 2 columns of....subtraction problems: 16-9=___.8-6=_____.
  Subtraction problems? What had happend to the addition problems? Boo and bullfrogs. I was much slower at subtraction than addition.
  "You may begin," said Ms. Colman, "right....now."
 Ms. Colman checked her watch. Then she walked to the back of the room. That morning, my classmates and I had made some weather instruments for our science unit. We had also made a mes. Ms. Colman began to clean up the mess and arrange our projects. She was very busy. She was not looking at my friends and me.
  Keep your eyes on your own paper, I told myself. Even so, I just peeked over at Ricky. His hand was moving quickly down the page.
   I will not copy, I wil not copy, I reminded myself. Then I remembered that I had promised myself I would not copy from Ricky. But I had not promised I would not copy from someone else.
I turned my head slightly. I peeked at Nathalie's paper. Nathalie is my seat mate. But I could hardly see her paper. Nathalie's arm was in the way. I did notice , though, that Nathalie was hard at work and Ricky too.
  I knew I should be hard working too. I looked at my own paper. Okay, 16-9. I knew I could find the correct answer if I counted on my fingers. So I did. I wrote 7 on the blank. I had answered 3 more problem when Ms. Colman said, "The quiz is half over, girls and boys. I just wanted to let you know."
  Half over! I had hardly begun. If I did not answer a lot of problems fast, I would get another 68 or maybe lower. So I copied fron RIcky again.
 
   On the playground that day, Hannie and Nancy and I sat on the monkey bars. Nancy and I talked, but Hannie was very quiet.
"I think I did pretty well on the quiz today," said Nancy ,"Maybe not as well as on the addition quiz, but pretty well."
"Subtraction is very hard," I said.
I looked at Hannie. She was staring across the playground.
 "Hannie thought the quiz was easy, didn't you, Hannie?" said Nancy.
"Yup," replied Hannie. "As easy as pie."
"Show-off," I muttered.
Hannie glared at me. She was looking very strangely. Then she turned away.
                     ______Wow! 12 more chapters to go I think! Next Chapter 9_______