My Best Friend Turned Me Into a Scandal

After returning to school following a few days of absence, I can clearly sense a shift in how my classmates look at me. Even my former best friend, Jake Turner, has grown cold and distant. During a mock exam, when I ask to borrow a pen from him, he raises his hand and declares, "Ms. Stafford! I want to report Darrell Goodwin for cheating!" I'm given a major disciplinary demerit as a result. When I demand to know why he did it, he shoots me a look of utter contempt and says, "The SATs are just around the corner, and here you are, taking time off to sell your body for favors. My father is the vice principal of this school, and even I wouldn't stoop as low as you." Completely bewildered, I watch as he tosses a photograph at me. It's a picture of me getting into a luxury car on the day I took leave. Suddenly, everyone begins mocking me, claiming that I'm resorting to any means necessary just to take a shortcut and even become someone's kept man while my parents work themselves to the bone, running a farm to support my education. I try to explain that the person in the car is my own mother, but no one believes me. "You mean your sugar mommy? Do your parents even know you're being kept by a woman?" The rumors spiral out of control, and the principal, Mr. Matthew Snyder, even demands that my parents come to withdraw me from school. But the moment my entire family arrives, Mr. Snyder panics. Chapter 1 The moment I stepped across the classroom threshold, the boisterous din inside came to an abrupt halt. I stood frozen in the doorway, scanning the room, feeling thoroughly ill at ease. I checked my reflection in the window and turned around to ask, "Is there something off about me?" My classmate, Pete Cooper, turned toward me and shook his head. "Nope, you're all good." However, the instant he turned away, I clearly heard him burst into laughter. Just then, the bell rang, and I headed over to my seat. My closest buddy, Jake Turner, walked in through the back door, chatting and laughing with a few other guys. My tense nerves finally relaxed, and I waved at him, calling out enthusiastically, "Jake! It's been a while! I'm back!" The smile on his face stiffened, and his brows furrowed involuntarily. He offered a dry, forced twitch of his lips, simply stating, "Good." With that, he walked straight past me and sat down in an empty seat behind mine. I leaned over, puzzled. "Aren't we deskmates? Why are you sitting in the back?" Without even looking back at me, he just waved his hand impatiently and said, "Ms. Stafford changed the seating while you were gone." I wanted to press further, but I noticed everyone around me casting quick, sidelong glances in my direction. The atmosphere was so strange it made my skin crawl. Pete, who sat in front of me, turned around and remarked in a snide, mocking tone, "So, Darrell, you've been gone for days. Where'd you go to enjoy yourself, hmm?" I sighed, rubbed my knee, and explained helplessly, "Don't even ask. It was my mom's birthday, and I only meant to take one day off, but I ended up falling and hurting my leg while I was out grocery shopping with her. I had to stay home to recover for a few days." A sudden peal of laughter erupted from the group of boys in the back of the room. "You hurt your leg? Are you sure it's not actually somewhere else instead?" Immediately, the entire class burst into a roar of laughter. I saw Jake turn his head around, his hand clamped tightly over his mouth as he struggled to hold back his laughter. A chill crept up my spine. I stared fixedly at him, my voice trembling slightly. "What are you all laughing at? What's going on?" Just then, the homeroom teacher, Ms. Emily Stafford, pushed the door open and stormed in, fuming. She cast a glance across the classroom, and the room fell instantly silent. "What's with all the laughing during class? The SATs are right around the corner. Why aren't you focusing on your studies instead?" Her gaze swept over everyone, finally settling coldly on me. She then continued while staring pointedly at me, "You're all different from a certain shameless individual. You need to pass the exams with your own abilities!" No sooner had she spoken than a few more stifled laughs drifted from the corner. I whipped my head around, catching the eyes of those who quickly looked away. At that moment, it felt as though a massive boulder was weighing down on my heart, leaving me with a suffocating tightness in my chest. I instinctively wanted to stand up and ask what Ms. Stafford meant by that, but as soon as my knees began to bend, I had to force myself to stop because of the pain. Taking a deep breath, I suppressed the flare of anger within me and tried to reason with myself. "Surely she couldn't be talking about me, right? I haven't done anything to anyone, have I?" With those thoughts, I forcibly pushed down the urge to stand up and retort, remaining quiet instead. Just then, she pulled a thick stack of exam papers from her folder and slammed them down onto the desk. "Alright, sit up straight, all of you!" she said, her voice icy. "We can't afford to waste any more time with the SATs approaching. This mock exam will be used to test your actual capabilities!" The papers were passed back from the front, row by row. They soon reached Pete, who sat in front of me. Just as he turned to hand them to me, Jake suddenly shot up from his seat. He snatched the stack of papers from Pete's hands and tossed them behind him, not even sparing me a single glance. "Jake, wait! I haven't gotten my paper yet!" I said, speaking up in a rush. But he acted as if he hadn't heard a thing, simply sitting back down in the seat behind me. As the minutes ticked by, the exam papers were passed around to the rest of the class. Every other student in the classroom soon had their paper spread out on their desk, but only my desk remained completely empty. Biting my lower lip, I gathered my courage and raised my hand. "Ms. Stafford, I haven't gotten my exam paper yet." She glanced over with clear impatience and said, "Darrell Goodwin, you're sitting right in the middle of the room, surrounded by students on all sides. How could you possibly be the only one who didn't get one?" I opened my mouth, wanting to explain. But without giving me a chance to explain myself, she waved a hand dismissively and said, "Don't waste everyone's time anymore. Go to my office and get a copy yourself!" Chapter 2 Having said that, Ms. Stafford turned away to urge the other students to get on with their exams, not sparing me another glance. I clutched the exam papers I had just retrieved and hurried back to the classroom, only to be intercepted at the doorway by her again. "Don't you try any funny business this time!" I nodded silently and returned to my seat. Just as I reached for my stationery case, I suddenly froze in place. It was empty. I glanced around the classroom. The other students who had been staring at me a moment ago all abruptly ducked their heads and looked away. The exam had already been underway for over ten minutes. Gritting my teeth, I steeled myself and turned around to ask Jake behind me if I could borrow a pen from him. "Jake, can I—" However, I had barely managed to say another word when Jake shot up from his seat, his hand flying into the air with startling speed. "Ms. Stafford! I want to report Darrell for peeking at my answers!" Completely stunned, I whipped back around. "No, that's not it at all!" Ms. Stafford immediately marched up to my desk and snatched up my exam paper, her face as dark as thunder. "How many times do I have to say that cheating is strictly forbidden during an exam?" "No, that's not it, Ms. Stafford, I swear! I was just trying to borrow a pen!" My eyes welled up with tears, and I gripped the edge of the desk until my knuckles turned white. But before I could finish, Jake chimed in, "Look, Ms. Stafford, his pen is right there on the desk! He was clearly just trying to sneak a look at my paper!" I followed the direction of his pointing finger, and sure enough, the missing pen was sitting quietly in the corner of my desk. It had to have been Pete. He must have slipped it back while I wasn't looking. I looked sharply at Pete, who was right in front of me, my voice trembling. "Ms. Stafford, it was Pete! He took my pen just now. I really didn't cheat!" Ms. Stafford turned her gaze toward Pete, looking skeptical yet uncertain. "Pete, did you take it?" Pete's voice choked up instantly. "Ms. Stafford, I've been working on my exam the whole time. I never touched his things! Everyone here can vouch for me!" The students around us chimed in. "We didn't see him take anything, Ms. Stafford!" Ms. Stafford glanced at the meek-looking Pete, then back at me. Her expression then shifted, clearly leaning in his favor. She patted him gently on the shoulder and said in a soothing tone, "It's alright. Just focus on your exam." Then, she grabbed my arm and dragged me out of the classroom, leaving me standing in the hallway. I stood there, trying to explain myself over and over, but she just wouldn't listen. She wouldn't even spare me a glance. Finally, the bell rang, signaling the end of the exam. My classmates filed out, casting gloating looks my way as they snickered. "No wonder his grades were always so good—turns out he was cheating the whole time!" "He's in big trouble now. He's definitely going to get a formal reprimand." Moments later, an announcement crackled over the school's PA system. "Darrell Goodwin, from Class 3-3, has received a major disciplinary demerit for cheating on an exam." The words hit me like a heavy hammer, crushing my heart. I stormed back into the classroom. Pointing at Jake and Pete, who were chatting and laughing among themselves, I shouted, "I didn't cheat! Jake, your grades aren't even as good as mine! Why would I ever copy off you? And you, Pete—you two set me up on purpose!" Jake's face darkened at my outburst. "My grades aren't as good as yours? Darrell, the SATs are right around the corner. You're planning to drop out because you know you won't pass and just find some wealthy sugar mommy to keep you instead, aren't you?" "Who are you calling a kept man?" I seethed back at him. Just then, Jake pulled out his phone, tapped on the screen, and shoved it right in front of my face. There was a photo on the screen. It showed me getting into a luxury car with an extremely beautiful woman. We were also walking very closely together. Chapter 3 The scene in the photo was clearly from the day I left the school early to go home a few days ago. It simply showed my mom, Olivia Wagner, picking me up in her car. "Just because of this? You didn't even bother to ask about it before accusing me like this?" I gritted my teeth, my eyes burning red. Another classmate crossed his arms and let out a sneer filled with contempt. "Feeling guilty now, aren't you? Just look at him now, Jake. I can't believe you used to call him your best friend. What an embarrassment." Jake stood to the side, a mocking smirk playing on his lips. "I wouldn't dare call someone like him a best friend. My father is the school's vice principal, and even I have never done anything so low. Yet this guy acts like he's something special." I looked up, my gaze sweeping across the group. I exclaimed, "The woman in that photo is my mother!" Pete, who sat at the desk in front of me, jerked his head up and said in a snide, sarcastic tone, "Please. Everyone knows your family runs a farm. How could your mother possibly be this young, and how could she afford such a luxurious car?" "Exactly," Jake immediately echoed him, his mockery intensifying. "We've been best friends for so long, and yet, I've never once seen your parents. And you claim she's your mother now? More like some sugar mommy you've latched onto, right?" The classmates around us burst into raucous laughter. "No kidding! And he claimed he was home recovering from a leg injury too! Who knows? Maybe he was just spending his days 'servicing' some wealthy woman, got himself worn out, and just used that as an excuse to take time off!" "Shut your mouths, all of you!" I finally roared, unable to hold back any longer. "She is my own mother! Don't you dare spout such nonsense about her ever again!" Instead of backing down, Jake went even further and sneered. "You want to claim her as your own mother? Tell you what—maybe your father is just like you, also—" Before he could finish his vile, filthy remark, I lunged at him like a madman. Jake grabbed me by the collar and punched me in the face, and I quickly retaliated by punching him in return. The classmates around us swarmed in instantly, and a few other guys quickly grabbed my arms and separated me from Jake, pinning me back with all their strength. Seizing the moment, Jake smoothed out his collar, stepped up to me, and delivered two more sharp blows across my face. He even spat in my face. Just then, Pete, who had been keeping watch by the door, shouted, "Ms. Stafford's coming!" The guys holding me let go at once. I staggered back a few steps, clutching my stinging cheek. Ms. Stafford strode into the classroom. Jake immediately shot his arm in the air and said, "Ms. Stafford! Darrell's holding a grudge and attacked me just because I reported him for cheating during the exam. I only fought back because I couldn't take it anymore." Frantic, I tried to defend myself. "He's lying! They were the ones who started it! They even insulted me and my mother! That's why I fought back!" Ms. Stafford glared at me viciously. "What did they say to you? Repeat it to me." I opened my mouth, but the vile, filthy language they had used was too foul to repeat. I could only say, "They slandered me and spread rumors about my mother! I didn't start any of it!" Ms. Stafford stared at me impatiently. It was clear that she was simply done with me. "Go back to your desk and write a 3,000-word essay to reflect on your behavior. If you don't hand it in by lunch, I'm giving you another major disciplinary demerit!" "But I didn't do anything wrong!" I shouted, my eyes reddening. "You're a teacher! How can you make such accusations without even trying to figure out what actually happened?" She didn't even bother to glance at me. She just turned and said to Jake in a concerned tone, "Come with me to the infirmary to get that treated. We've got to make sure you're alright." Then, turning to the students nearby, she added, "You're getting another disciplinary demerit for assaulting your classmate, Darrell Goodwin." Chapter 4 I froze where I stood, a loud buzzing filling my ears. Getting three major disciplinary demerits would mean expulsion. But with the SATs just around the corner, I couldn't afford to be expelled. All of my hard work over the years couldn't just be destroyed like this. I walked back to my seat, feeling completely hollow and defeated as I bit down hard on my lip. … The school cafeteria was bustling at lunchtime. As soon as I sat down in a corner with my tray, the sound of people whispering about me reached my ears. "Look, that's him—the guy from the school forum." "You'd really never guess, seeing how he usually acts all decent and proper. Can't believe he's actually that kind of person." My heart sank as I listened to their words. I hurriedly pulled out my phone and tapped into the school forum to find out what they were actually talking about. Apparently, rumors about me had been spreading like wildfire over the past few days. Photos of me and Mom were being circulated everywhere, accompanied by a relentless stream of vile, abusive comments—all clearly intended to maliciously smear my reputation. Taking a deep breath, I stepped outside the cafeteria and called Mom. As soon as she answered, my voice turned hoarse despite myself. "Mom, can I still take the SATs if I get expelled from school?" Her tone turned anxious immediately. "Darrell? What's the matter? Of course you can! You've already completed your registration for the exam. And once you're registered, no one can stop you from taking it. What on earth happened?" I bit my lip, forcing back the tears that were welling up in my eyes. "Nothing major. Don't worry about it, Mom." I hung up in a rush, gripping my phone tightly before heading straight for the teachers' office. "Ms. Stafford, I've finished writing my reflection essay." Ms. Stafford glanced up at me, her tone cold. "Fine. This afternoon, during the all-school assembly, you'll read it aloud in front of everyone. Make sure your attitude is sincere. If it is, I might consider revoking this major disciplinary demerit." I nodded, said nothing more, and turned back toward the classroom. I had barely sat down when the school PA system suddenly crackled to life. "Attention, all students and faculty. Please gather on the sports field immediately. Darrell Goodwin from Class 3-3 will be delivering a public apology for cheating on an exam and assaulting a classmate." Jake and Pete exchanged a glance and snickered, covering their mouths. Other students around them joined in the jeering, their eyes filled with the contemptuous glee of those watching a spectacle. Ignoring everyone, I stood up and headed straight for the field. The entire school, students and staff alike, stood in a dense mass on the field. The school principal, Mr. Matthew Snyder, the vice principal, Mr. Gilbert Turner, and various other teachers were gathered on the podium. As soon as Mr. Turner caught sight of me, his expression darkened. He leaned toward the microphone and began to tell me off. "Darrell Goodwin from Class 3-3 has been caught cheating on an exam, and instead of showing remorse for it, he assaulted a classmate. That classmate happens to be my own son! Today, he will offer a sincere public apology!" I took the microphone, glanced down at the written apology in my hand, then suddenly looked up, sweeping my gaze across the entire crowd. Then, instead of reading the apology, I spoke calmly to the whole school. "Good day, everyone. My name is Darrell Goodwin. "For the past few days, the school forum has been flooded with rumors and malicious comments directed at me and my mother. My classmate, Jake Turner, relied on the fact that his father is the school's vice principal and has been inciting the entire class to bully and ostracize me—" The moment these words left my lips, the crowd erupted in an uproar. Gasps and exclamations exploded across the field. A teacher nearby lunged forward to snatch the microphone from my hand, all color draining from her face. "Stop spouting such nonsense!" I stepped back and held the microphone steady in my hands, looking her straight in the eye. Then, I raised my voice and asked, "What's the matter? People can do all these things to me, but I'm not even allowed to talk about it? Are you afraid of something?" Mr. Turner charged down from the podium and ripped the microphone from my grip. He then bellowed at me, yelling, "Darrell Goodwin! You just got yourself another major disciplinary demerit for maliciously spreading rumors and displaying an atrocious attitude! That makes three demerits—you are hereby expelled!" Mr. Snyder, who had been sitting on the dais, began to rise, as if to say something. Just then, a steady, forceful woman's voice rang out from the entrance to the playground. "So, is this really how your school treats my son, Matt? I think I'm going to have to reconsider that annual grant after all."