Sophomore Switch by Abby McDonald

Author:Abby McDonald
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
ISBN: 9780763651817
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Published: 2009-11-04T23:00:00+00:00

When I get to my class with Professor Elliot, I can tell something’s changed. It took the maintenance crew a while to find cutters strong enough to get through the handcuffs, so I’m twenty minutes late, but when I hurry into the room, Elliot greets me with a big grin instead of her usual frown of disapproval.

“Ah, Natasha,” she says, getting up from her armchair and grabbing both my arms in a kind of celebratory hug. “Our agent provocateur!”

“Uh, hi.” I retreat suspiciously. “Sorry I’m late.”

“Don’t worry about that!” Elliot exclaims. “Carrie has been telling us all about your noble stand.”

I blink. “She has?”

“Don’t be modest, Natasha,” Carrie pipes up. She’s smiling at me too, and even the usually bored Edwin has a kind of warm look in his eyes. I swallow self-consciously. After over a month of scowls, this is just creepy.

“Did you get into a lot of trouble?” Carrie asks, eyes wide. “I tried to wait for you, but they cleared us all out of the building.”

“N . . . no.” I carefully take my seat. They’ve even saved the prize armchair for me: the one with padding left and no rogue springs. “It all worked out OK. In the end.” After an extreme charm offensive, that was, the kind I haven’t had to use since I totaled my birthday Beemer two days out of the showroom. Compared to my stepdad, the security guys were a breeze: they hadn’t had years to get immune to my tears. And when I weep, I weep.

“Well.” Elliot passes tea in a mug that’s not even chipped. “Officially, I obviously can’t condone illegal activity . . .” She smiles again. “But off the record, I must say, I’m proud of you for taking such a bold move. Standing up for something you believe in.”

“Mhhmm.” I hide behind the mug, feeling like a total fraud.

“As you’ve been reading, direct protest is a key element of many political philosophies,” Elliot keeps rhapsodizing. “Rousseau’s tenets of civil disobedience, for example, have been hugely influential to the modern protest movement.” This seems like it’s directed at me, so I nod. “But I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s return to this week’s topic.”

She passes us back our essays. I try not to look too eager as I snatch mine and flick through in search of my grade: this one’s got to be good; it’s just got to be. After Will’s tutoring and all my planning, I don’t know what I’ll do if it isn’t. . . .

Seventy-one.

Omigod. Seventy-one? I gasp. In Oxford that’s, like, a first-class grade!

“Well done, Natasha.” Elliot catches my elation and gives me another one of those supportive smiles. What am I, teacher’s pet today? “You’ve made some real improvement. In fact, I know Edwin was due to present, but why don’t you read yours aloud so we can discuss it? Your points were excellent.”

I pause nervously before beginning, wondering if my work really cuts it, but then I replay her words. Excellent. Real improvement.

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