Chapter 13: The Principal's Real Test
“Your test was never about Madison.””
I read the message twice.
Dad was already on the phone.
“Whitaker has Madison Carter. Find his vehicle.””
Lena moved beside Daniel, who was typing so fast I could barely follow his hands.
“What does that mean?”” I asked.
Nobody answered.
“Dad.””
He looked at me.
“The math test.””
“What about it?””
“Samuel said today's event was designed around it.””
“Yes.””
“But if Madison wasn't the real point…”
I stopped.
Daniel turned from his computer.
“Then someone needed you carrying that test at a specific time.””
My stomach tightened.
Mr. Reynolds had handed it back during seventh period.
Principal Whitaker had entered the classroom minutes later.
He had spoken quietly to Mr. Reynolds.
Then our teacher had announced something unusual.
“Everyone who received a graded test today, take it home. Parent signatures Monday.””
At the time, nobody cared.
Now I remembered Madison staring at my 100.
Whitaker had seen her stare too.
“He set it up,” I whispered.
Dad's face hardened.
Daniel nodded.
“Whitaker provided the schedule. He knew Madison's profile. He knew yours.””
Lena's phone rang.
She answered.
“Go.””
A pause.
“We have the vehicle.””
Dad stepped closer.
“Where?””
“Westbridge.””
I stared at her.
“He went back?””
“East service entrance.””
My blood went cold.
The same side of campus where Madison had cornered me.
Dad immediately headed for the elevator.
I followed.
“No.””
He didn't even turn.
“Dad.””
“Nia, not this time.””
“Madison is there because of me.””
“She is there because Whitaker made a choice.””
“And I'm making one too.””
He stopped.
I expected another argument.
Instead, he looked at me for a long moment.
Then he nodded toward Lena.
“She stays beside you.””
The drive back to Westbridge felt completely different from the first.
Hours earlier, three black SUVs entering that parking lot had seemed like the biggest thing that could possibly happen.
Now police cars surrounded the school.
No sirens.
No crowd.
Just flashing lights reflecting against empty windows.
An officer approached.
“Whitaker entered the science wing with the student.””
“Is she hurt?”” I asked.
“We don't know.””
Dad's hand tightened around mine.
The officer looked at me.
“You need to stay here.””
Then my phone rang.
Madison.
Everyone froze.
I answered.
“Madison?””
Whitaker's voice came through.
“Nia.””
Dad reached for the phone.
Whitaker immediately said, “If your father speaks, I hang up.””
Dad stopped.
I put the call on speaker.
“What do you want?””
“You.””
Lena shook her head.
I ignored her.
“Why?””
Whitaker laughed softly.
“Because Samuel misunderstood the experiment.””
“What experiment?””
“Privilege.””
His voice became almost excited.
“He thought hardship revealed character. Nathan thought wealth weakened it.””
“And you?””
“I wanted to know whether people like you ever truly surrender power.””
I stared at the school.
“I didn't even know you were involved.””
“That was the point.””
“Then let Madison go.””
A pause.
“She destroyed your test.””
“Yes.””
“She humiliated you.””
“Yes.””
“She called you charity trash for months.””
Madison sobbed faintly in the background.
Whitaker continued.
“And you're asking me to release her?””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
“Because what she did doesn't give you the right to use her.””
Silence.
Then Whitaker whispered:
“Interesting.””
My skin crawled.
“I'm not your experiment.””
“Everyone is an experiment, Nia. Most people simply never discover who's collecting the results.””
Dad's face turned cold.
“What do you want?””
Whitaker ignored him.
“Nia, come to classroom 214.””
The call ended.
Dad immediately said, “No.””
I looked toward the science wing.
“Whitaker wants a reaction.””
“He wants control.””
“Exactly.””
Daniel's voice came through Lena's earpiece.
“Nia.””
She switched him to speaker.
“I've accessed Westbridge's internal cameras.””
“Can you see Madison?””
“Classroom 214.””
“Whitaker?””
“Yes.””
“Anything dangerous?””
A pause.
“No visible weapon.””
Dad looked at Lena.
She nodded.
That changed everything.
This wasn't a rescue from an armed man.
It was one last performance.
One last attempt to make me behave according to somebody else's theory.
“I’m going in.””
Dad hated it.
I could see that.
But this time he didn't stop me.
Police stayed nearby while Lena and Dad followed at a distance.
I walked into classroom 214.
Madison sat at a desk crying.
Whitaker stood beside the teacher's table.
And in front of him lay another copy of my math test.
Perfect.
Untorn.
A red 100 at the top.
Whitaker smiled.
“Sit down, Nia.””
“No.””
His smile weakened.
“You always were difficult to measure.””
“Let Madison leave.””
“First, answer one question.””
He pushed the test toward me.
“If I can erase what happened today—Madison's suspension, the video, the humiliation, everything—and restore your perfect record…”
I stared at him.
“What do you choose?””
I finally understood.
He still thought the score mattered.
The reputation.
Winning.
I picked up the test.
Then tore it in half myself.
Madison gasped.
Whitaker's face collapsed.
“I don't need the paper.””
I dropped the pieces onto the desk.
“And I don't need you to tell me what I'm worth.””
The classroom door opened.
Police entered.
Whitaker stared at the torn test.
Not at them.
Not at my father.
At the one piece of data he had never expected me to destroy myself.
As officers escorted him away, Madison whispered my name.
I turned.
She was holding something Whitaker had dropped.
A small black notebook.
She opened it.
The final page contained a list of names.
May you like
At the bottom, beneath mine, was one last entry.
*AMARA BROOKS — SUBJECT ZERO.*
