Caught In The Act Essay, Research Paper

Caught In the Act

?Just take it,? Shiloh whispered excitedly. Holding out a innocent looking ball point pen.

Looks are deceiving though, because folded into that simple black pen was a piece of paper that

decided fate. That paper contained the answers to our fifth period history test. At this point in our

young lives that paper was worth more than gold. Despite this, I still hesitate. I mean, yeah, I?ve

cheated before, but nothing like this. Memories of last night drift through my thoughts, when I

was supposed to be studying for this test today. In actuality, I was watching a special double

episode of 90210. The breath of fear washes over me and I slowly take the pen. Shiloh grins.

?Now, just don?t get caught, Shilo stated somberly, with raised eyebrows. The serious

moment having passed, Shiloh smiled and waved goodbye, as she hurried off to some unknown

place. I stared at Shiloh?s bobbing blond ponytail while she ran. The annoyingly loud bell rang,

echoing painfully in my numb head. The bell woke me from my daze and brought me back to

reality. The bell for fifth period. I shuddered with the realization, that the time had come to take

my test.

?Why didn?t you just study?? I scolded myself. Then you wouldn?t be in this position, I

thought bitterly. Then you wouldn?t have to cheat. A thick ball of fear settled into the pit of my

stomach, as I merged in with the crowd of students headed back to class. Walking, I noticed the

front gates out of the corner of my eye. I really wished that I could just walk through them right

now. My friend Joey caught up to me suddenly, and linked arms with me. We talked as we

walked and Joey noticed the pen. He didn?t say anything though, just gave me a look that said, “I

can?t believe you?re going to cheat. I tried to smile at him and squeezed his hand before walking

over to my seat.

The bell rang again announcing the start of class and the fairly young teacher began

calling out the roll. Within minutes the teacher was buzzing around, passing out test papers, and

answer sheets, while yelling for people to put away their belongings. Hurry up people, I thought.

I wanted to get this over with. After she finished passing out the tests, the teacher made her way to

the door. She yelled for us to go ahead and start, she would be right back. Thousands of nervous

butterflies swarmed into my body, and my blood grew hot with anticipation, this was my chance.

Quickly my hands flew to my backpack and snatched the precious token. I dismantled it and

unrolled the paper, it was typed very small and neatly. I glanced around as I slid my heat sheet

beneath my answer sheet. Instantly I made eye contact with my teacher and gasped, I hadn?t

noticed her come in, that worried me. Had she seen me? I watched her for a moment trying to

decide if she had. But she was busy shuffling some papers, and telling the class clown Tyler to

shut up. It looked as though I was in the clear. The eye contact was only coincidence. I started

to feel panicky again as I slowly slid the cheat sheet back out. With a blank expression I quickly

copied the entire thing. Every few seconds my eyes crept around searching for any sign of alarm.

About ten minutes later I slid back in my chair and breathed a sigh of relief. Rolling my little life

saver back up I placed it back into the pen it came in. Looking around I realized that I was the

only one done. The teacher looked at me with a look of question. Leaning over my desk I

doodled on the wooden top, in effort to look busy, and hard at work to the teacher. The minutes

felt like hours in that class period. Finally some of the other students started finishing and handing

in their papers. Only once I felt that a good quarter of the room had handed in their tests, did I get

up and walk up to the teachers desk. She was looking straight at me while I heading towards her.

Instantly I was nervous again. My skin grew increasingly warm, and my palms started sweating,

in contrast with the winter cold atmosphere of the room. She grabbed my test as I was setting it

down and started flipping through it.

?It looks like you?ve done very well,? she muttered. She put the test done and looked at

me. ?You never done very well before, you didn?t have any help did you?? She continued

sarcastically. I must have gotten a scared expression on my face because she lowered her tone and

softened her face ever so slightly.

?Did you cheat?? Her question pulsated through my head. I was caught cheating! The

other kids were all staring up at them. I nodded my head yes as my eyes stung with tears. As she

took out a referral slip to the Principals office, I took a deep breath and forced myself to hold back

my tears of fear. What was going to happen to me, I wondered as I went to gather my stuff. I

took the slip from my teacher and walked out the door. As soon as I left the kids in the class

began chattering excitedly. And the teacher yelled for them to quiet down. I knew that the whole

school would know about my failed cheating attempt by the end of the day. I listened to a long

lecture by the Principal, who informed me that he would be meeting with my parents.

Later on that day as I as walking home I found that ball point pen that had caused me all

this trouble. Disgusted I threw it as far as I could. It hadn?t