Julian trailed behind Ms. Carter toward the office, shooting Lily a smug look over his shoulder on the way out.
Lily frowned but didn't dwell on it.
Once inside the office, Ms. Carter turned to Julian first. "Julian, tell me honestly did you actually see Lily cheating?"
"Yeah, I did." He nodded, dead serious. "I watched her copying notes on the sly, with my own eyes."
Ms. Carter's frown deepened, and something disappointed settled into her expression as she looked at Lily.
In her experience, Lily had always been attentive, well-mannered, sharp in class nothing like a kid who'd cut corners on a test.
But Julian, mischievous as he could be, got along fine with his classmates and had held the top spot in the class every single time before Lily transferred in. He hadn't struck her as the
