"According to the National Standardized Testing Regulations, any response written outside the designated area or with a non-regulation pen will be deemed invalid. Meaning every section except the multiple-choice bubbles you filled in with your number-two pencils, every short answer, every essay, will be scored as zero."
The classroom went dead silent.
Even the homeroom teacher froze.
Then, a split second later, Loretta's wail tore through the air like a siren.
"Waaah! Henry! Monica is being mean to me! She's cursing baby to get a zero on the written sections! She's so evil!"
Henry's eyes turned vicious. He jabbed a finger at me, his voice a roar.
"Monica! Enough! You think you're the only one who knows the rules? You think you're better than everyone? We're willing to take a chance for Loretta's sake, and you have the nerve to stand here and kill the mood for all of us!"
"Yeah, get off your high horse!"
"She's just jealous that Loretta's more popular. She's doing this on purpose to be contrarian!"
"What a freak! She doesn't belong with the rest of us!"
The vicious speculation and insults crashed over me like a tidal wave, dragging me under.