Page 71 of Attractive Forces

“How’s it going in there?” Mum’s knocking on the door again.

I grab the duvet cover and pull it off of Aaron.

“Aaron’s just getting up now,” I say.

He gives me a look of the ultimately betrayed.

“Aaron, if you make me late, you’re going to lose all device privileges for a month.” Mum has totally gone to the stick part of carrot-and-stick parenting.

Aaron flings himself out of bed with a huff and starts storming around, getting his school uniform out of the drawers.

I turn away. There’s absolutely nothing I can do to make this situation better.

And I’ve got my own problems to worry about.

* * *

At school,I plant myself against the wall behind the science block and try reading through my textbook. But my brain is in panic mode, and I don’t think I’m absorbing a word.

“Jake, my man, you seem far too stressed for someone so young.” The voice belongs to Sammy, who is regarding me with his usual sleepy eyes.

I glance at my watch. Panic swamps me. “I’ve got a geo quiz I’m going to fail.”

He gives a long yawn. “So, man, it’s just one quiz.”

“I need to keep my grade point average up, or else I won’t get a good scholarship to university.”

He gives me a long look. “You want some help?” he asks finally.

I squint at him. “What do you mean?”

“What if I said I could get you the answers to the quiz?”

My breath leaves me. “What? Are you kidding me? How?”

“Ask no questions and I’ll tell no lies.” His eyes twinkle as he grabs his phone.

I watch him as he scrolls through his phone before looking up at me.

“Mr. Fresco? Year 13 Geo?”

I swallow. “Yeah.”

“I’ve got the marking scheme right here.” He waves his phone under my face.

I blink. “How?”

“School system ain’t that difficult to hack. You want to look?” He holds the phone out to me.

I automatically reach out to take the phone off him. The metal case is cool and hard in my hand. I glance down at the screen.

Holy hell.

It looks like the answers. The actual answers.

What the hell am I doing?

The question screeches into my brain. My stomach hollows like the contents have been scooped out.