Rachel: Final Suspicions
(New character, based quite obviously on an old, soon to be joining Coventry)
The bell finally rang, ending the class for the day. And for the seniors hurrying to finish their English final, it was not only the final period of the day, but the final period, the final day, the final final of their high school careers. A few people sighed with relief. Others ran straight for the door. One student actually jumped out of his seat and cheered. Their teacher threw out random, last minute pieces of advice, some students ran up and hugged her, others merely waved as she threw out bits of encouragement. She watches them all go, a slight melancholy look on her face, but then her eyes fall on one particular student, a tallish, dark-haired girl; intelligent, ambitious, top of her class as a matter of fact. The teacher had always liked her, though now something bothered her, made her question the well-loved (or so it seemed) valedictorian. "Rachel? Can I have a word with you for a moment before you go?"
Rachel Dubose, who had just been pushing open the door, stopped and blinked. She went back to the teacher's desk, watching the other students filter out around her. "Yes?"
The teacher smiled. "How are you, Rachel? Looking forward to graduation?"
Rachel looked at her oddly. "Of course…" She smiled sweetly and just stopped herself from narrowing her eyes disdainfully as she tried to figure out what her (now former) English teacher was getting at.
The teacher picked up a folder off her desk, a term paper. "It's about this...Now Rachel, you know I liked having you in my class, and I hate to accuse you of anything," she hesitates, "but I read this exact same paper two years ago."
Rachel blinked innocently. "Mrs. Danvers, if you're saying I cheated, I swear to you..."
Her teacher held up a hand. "I know it's not at all like you, Rachel. That's why I didn't bring it up right away. But a student gave me this paper two years ago; it was excellent then, and it's excellent now, but it isn't your paper."
Rachel continued to look dumbstruck. "I don't see how...It has to be a coincidence if it's a little similar. And I doubt you remember every paper exactly, Mrs. Danvers. I mean, you have a wonderful memory, but I doubt it's that good." She smiles with sweet sheepishness.
Mrs. Danvers laughed. "Very true, Rachel, very true. What am I going to do without you to keep me in line like that?" Rachel looked down, still smiling, then back up again when her teacher continued, her tone serious again. "If I were to offically accuse you of cheating, it would cost you that speech at graduation, not to mention your grade in this class, but after some thought," (and at those words Rachel let out a breath she did not realize she had been holding) "I have decided not to. After all, you're right. I don't remember everything." She smiled.
Rachel returned the smile. "Thank you, Mrs. Danvers." She slung her backpack over her shoulder and turned to go.
"Oh, and Rachel?"
"Hm?" She turned around.
"Good luck."
Rachel flashed her smile again and left the classroom. Before she could turn down the hall, though, she was confronted by a scowling face with an olive complexion and short, boyish-ly cut hair. "That's Josh Wilham's paper, isn't it?"
Rachel stopped and raised an eyebrow, the sweet smile dropping away. "Ask Mrs. Danvers who's paper it is, Ana." She pushed past the girl and continued walking, but was soon accosted again.
"Everyone knows you bought it off him."
A dark smile crossed Rachel's face and she glanced back toward the class she had just left. "Not everyone, obviously."
Ana's jaw almost fell open at the sudden open admittance to cheating, but Rachel merely laughed. "What? You think that if you went back there and accused me she'd believe you? She doesn't even like you."
Ana crossed her arms over her chest. "At least I say what I think instead of sitting there, smiling and nodding like a twit."
"And see where it's gotten you?" Rachel patted her shoulder in what, from anyone else, would have been a friendly gesture, but from her was cold and mocking. "Don't be jealous because you worked so hard the last four years and still could only get second place and didn't even get accepted to AU. Even if we all know how badly you wanted to go there." She paused, looking at her classmate with mock concern. "You know, Ana, you should really be attempting to get on my good side so that when you realize honesty doesn't work in the real world, you can come back to me begging for help." Rachel smirked, then turned and flounced down the hall.
"You won't last a month before they kick you out!" The girl called after her.
"See you at graduation, Ana dear."