After a while, Neil’s name came up, and Stacy happily recounted the events ofyesterday’s math test. Ashley had almost certainly heard about it by now, butthe combination of a first-hand account together with Stacy’s particular styleof sarcastic humour made the story well worth hearing for a second time. Thetwo girls were soon laughing together at what had happened.

"Well," Ashley laughed at the end of the story, "It does sound as if they madeabsolute assholes of themselves, alright. And that threat of summer school musthave scared the shit out of them from what I heard."

"What do you mean?"

"I heard that Neil has got ahold of some of some of the exam papers coming up.I guess he wants to bring up his overall marks so Edgar can’t fail him orsomething like that."

Stacy felt her heart jump a beat as her breath caught in her chest. Neil hadcopies of future exams? "Where did you hear that?" she asked, trying to keepher voice casual. Evidently she had succeeded, as Ashley failed to detect thechange of mood.

"Laura told me," she answered, "I think she heard it from Sharon, although whyshe was talking to that cow, I don’t know. You remember Sharon? She was theone…" Ashley started to drone on about Sharon, who was definitely not a partof their exclusive clique, but Stacy wasn’t listening. Neil had copies of someupcoming tests.

AND HE WAS IN HER ENGLISH CLASS!

After a while, Ashley wound down, and Stacy let the conversation die a naturaldeath. While she was careful not to mention Neil and the exam papers again, itwas never far from her mind. Finally, the two girls said goodbye and Stacy hungup the phone.

Thoughtful, she walked back to her desk and looked the pile of unread Englishbooks. Cheating was a serious matter at Greenwood (it had taken her a long timeto screw up her courage enough to do it during the math test), but stealingexam papers was something else altogether. She remembered a guy who had beencaught with a stolen paper about four years ago, when she was in her first yearat the high school. He had not only been expelled, but the school hadprosecuted him for breaking and entering and theft (they succeeded on the firstcount, but failed on the second). It had been all over the papers inBakersville. She shuddered at the thought of that happening to her, but whatwas the alternative?

Besides, she thought, making up her mind, she wasn’t going to get caught; shewas too smart for that.

It was all too easy!

Stacy had approached him the next day - just as Gary had predicted - and, inthe guise of sympathizing with him over his humiliation in Edgar’s math class acouple of days ago, she had sounded him out about the papers for the upcomingexams. As Gary had instructed him, Neil pretended to be suffering from a badcold and sore throat, and lowered his voice to a rasp. Stacy didn’t seemnotice; either she didn’t care, or couldn’t remember what he normally soundedlike. Probably both.

Enjoying the experience of Stacy being friendly to him (although aware thatStacy had skilfully manipulated the circumstances of their "accidental" meetingin such a way as to locate it in the Study Hall, which was usually deserted),Neil drew the encounter out, repeatedly side-stepping her indirect attempts toget him to admit to having the papers.

Finally, she was forced to ask him directly: did he have copies of the upcomingexam papers? Seemingly reluctant, Neil eventually admitted that "yes" hehappened to have some copies of future exam papers, and "yes", in particular,he did have copy of next week’s English exam.

"Why do you want to know?"

Stacy looked down and flushed. When she looked like that, Neil was almostwilling to feel sorry for her. Almost. All he had to do to push back anyfeelings of affection was remember the bitchy way in she had rejected him lastyear and then gotten him beaten up. He knew what she was like.

"I want a copy of that exam," she admitted finally, "I need it for thisweekend."

Neil pretended to be shocked. "Stacy, you mean you want a copy of a stolen exampaper so you can cheat on next Monday’s English test?"

Stacy swallowed back an angry retort. Couldn’t he be a little more subtle?Idiot! Still, there wasn’t much she could do about it. "Yes," she admitted, "Ineed it to pass the exam."

Neil just stared at her, not saying anything.

"I’ll pay money," she added, "How about $100?"

Still nothing. She was almost frantic.

"Please?"

"Alright," Neil relented, as if making up his mind, "I’ll sell you the stolenexam paper for $100." Stacy almost collapsed with relief. Everything was goingto work out!

"Will that be all, Stacy, or do you want any more exams? I can probably getwhatever you want."

Stacy looked up, excited. This would solve all of her problems with theschoolwork. "That sounds great," she told him enthusiastically, "I’ll buywhatever you can get for the classes I’m in. $100 a paper."

"It’s a deal." Neil could barely repress a grin of triumph. They had her! Now,only one more thing… "Meet me tomorrow after school in the woodworking shop.It should be deserted on Friday afternoon."

"Fine," Stacy agreed, "I’ll be there." She turned to go.

"Don’t forget the money," he reminded her, but by then she was gone.

"Remember," Gary repeated for what seemed like the hundredth time, "keep yourback to the wall and face slightly away from the closet. Make sure that Stacyis always facing you so that we get a good angle from where Sharon will befilming." Gary and Sharon had cleared out one of the storage closets in theworkshop, and Sharon was set up inside with her video camera filming through aknot-hole. Gary was set up with a still camera in the upper storage area acrossthe room. In order to cover the noise of the camera, he had turned on therotation fans which were fastened from the ceiling; the resulting hum was morethan sufficient to mask any noise he might make.

Satisfied at last that everything was in order and Neil knew what to do, Garyclimbed the short ladder to the storage area and concealed himself behind astack of wood. Neil watched him disappear from view. After a quick glance tomake certain the closet door was properly closed, he sat back in a chair andwaited for Stacy.

Stacy arrived ten minutes late, looking a little uncertain, but determined tocarry through. She crossed the room as Neil watched in appreciation. She waswearing tight jeans and a white blouse which left her tanned arms bear past theshoulder. Bakersville was having an unusually long Indian Summer, and herclothing reflected the fact of this unseasonable warmth. Neil got hardimagining what lay beneath the blouse. Soon, he told himself as Stacyapproached him, soon he wouldn’t have to imagine. He stood up as sheapproached.

"Well," she asked as she got to where he was standing, "Do you have it?" Shewas more her usual bitchy self today, now that she was getting what she wanted.

Perfect, Neil noted silently. She’s standing exactly where Gary wanted her tostand. "I’ve got it," he told her in the same gruff voice he had used the daybefore, "One stolen English exam paper for Stacy Richards." He held up thecomputer printout. "And my money?"

Stacy reached into her pocket and pulled out the cash. Silently, she handed itover to him. Just to make her angry, he slowly and noisily counted the money,making a production of it. "It’s all there," she said angrily, "You don’t haveto worry about that; now or in the future."

"Fine," he answered, handing over the exam questions, "It’s all yours."

In a hurry to leave, Stacy snatched the paper and quickly scanned the contents.As promised, the paper contained the four questions which would form the basisof next Monday’s English class examination.