I Hid My Perfect Score novel · Chapter 21 of 32
Chapter 21: The Hearing
The hearing was in a wood-paneled room on the third floor of Weston's oldest building.
One long table for the panel. Two smaller tables facing it.
Each side was allowed one support person in the room.
Paisley had Mom.
I had Emory.
Gavin had come as a witness, and sat in the row of chairs along the wall with Dad.
Cade sat at the far end of that row, in a navy blazer, not looking at anyone.
Paisley wore a white sweater and no makeup.
She looked about fourteen.
She'd planned that.
Mom sat beside her with a hand on her back, rubbing small circles.
The panel chair was a gray-haired woman with half-moon glasses.
"Ms. Paisley Carmody has contested our preliminary findings," she said. "She states that her sister's statements were made under pressure from a third party."
She looked at me.
"Ms. Jocelyn Carmody. Were you pressured?"
"No."
"By anyone?"
"I was asked questions," I said. "I answered them."
Paisley made a small, broken sound.
Mom's hand went faster on her back.
"Let's go through the essay," the chair said.
She read the line about the trophy on our shared windowsill.
"We never shared a room," I said. "Mine was over the garage. My mother took the trophy out of it the night Paisley locked herself in the bathroom."
"Ms. Paisley Carmody?"
"She's lying," Paisley whispered. "She's always been jealous of me."
The chair turned to the wall.
"Mr. Gavin Carmody. You were in the house that night?"
Gavin stood up.
His borrowed jacket was too short in the arms.
"Yes, ma'am. It happened the way my sister said."
"I was seventeen. I stood in the hall and watched. I didn't say anything."
He looked at me.
"I'm saying it now."
Mom turned all the way around in her chair to stare at him.
He held her stare and sat down.
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