The Perfect Score

Randi feels sick to her stomach after cheating on the test. Tomorrow is Mrs. Magenta’s art program, and the day after, Randi will resume gymnastics practice. Despite this, Randi has a feeling that “neither the senior center nor gymnastics [a]re going to make the raw feeling [she] ha[s] in [her] belly disappear” (281).

Gavin has no appetite at lunch the next day. As he leaves the cafeteria, he sees Randi and Natalie silently picking at their food, and he realizes that this “[i]s a long way from being over” (283).

Scott stays home from school a second day to help get new stuff for his grandpa. That afternoon, they go to the senior center. Scott’s friends are there, and in a flash, he remembers the test and frantically asks himself, “[W]hat did they do without me?!” (285).

Scott rushes to talk to Natalie and Randi at the senior center, telling them about the fire and asking about the test. Randi assures him that everything went fine, and Scott goes to help move his grandpa in, leaving Natalie to stare after him with guilt. She can’t believe that she tried to blame Scott for her helping everyone cheat, and she realizes that “there [i]s more wrong with that than what [she] actually did on those dumb CSAs” (288).

Gavin visits Coach, surprised to find Mrs. Woods reading to him. Mrs. Woods and Mrs. Magenta leave, and Gavin gives Coach a piece of grass that he claims is from the 50-yard line on the football field but that’s really from his backyard. Coach appreciates it, and the pair talks about football all afternoon. Gavin wants to bring Coach to one of his games if he ever gets to play, but he doesn’t tell Coach this because “a lot could happen between now and then” (291).

After dinner, Scott accompanies his grandpa to the community room at the senior center, where Coach sits waiting for someone to play chess. Without hesitating, Scott’s grandpa sits down across from Coach, and Scott hopes that his grandpa feels at home at the center because it is “a good place” (294).

To thank Scott for everything that he was willing to do to help, Trevor organizes a drive to collect clothes and items for Scott’s grandpa. Scott is so thankful that he doesn’t know what to say, but Trevor assures Scott that he doesn’t need to say anything because he “owe[s] him” (296).

Scott is blown away by how generous people are for Trevor’s drive. With his grandpa settled at the senior center, things are less busy at Scott’s home, too, and he reflects that it’s “funny how a bad thing can turn into a good thing” (297).

The next book that Mrs. Woods reads out loud to Gavin’s class is Nothing But the Truth by Avi, and Gavin swears, “You coulda heard a pin drop when she started reading those words” (298).

With recess back, Natalie notices how her group of friends has grown and come together—especially Trevor and Scott. Natalie convinces Randi to play football, and she is amazed at how Gavin and Randi know where the other will be. It’s like they are reading each other’s minds, and Natalie hopes that “they [a]re telling each other sorry” (300).

Playing football together helps bridge the gap between Gavin and Randi. Even so, Randi can only think about what they did on the test. She worries about herself, though she realizes that “this [i]s bigger than just [her]” (302).

A few months later, Natalie’s class is questioned about their tests because their answer sheets were suspicious. Not realizing what’s happening, Scott starts to tell the whole story. Natalie silences him and uses her lawyer persona when talking to the representatives, telling them to talk with her and no one else. Natalie is amazed that her plan worked, but as for what to do next, she “ha[s] no idea” (306).

Gavin is terrified when the test questioners arrive. He doesn’t know if Natalie is helping the class or not, but he’s impressed with how she handles the situation. He leaves her to it because for himself, “sooner or later [he’ll] have to come clean with the guy in the glass” (307).

Randi panics about what will happen to her life and her relationship with her mom when the truth about the tests comes out. She fears that she can kiss all her chances at college goodbye because “no one would ever want a cheat” (308).

When the test questioners accuse Mrs. Woods of helping the kids cheat, Trevor rips his collage from the first day of school off the wall. He no longer likes that it makes fun of Mrs. Woods because “she hadn’t done anything wrong. [They] had” (309).

Natalie has all her classmates compose affidavits detailing what happened surrounding the CSAs. She plans to tell the truth on hers. She realizes that she can’t force anyone else to do the same and that she just has to believe that her friends “would do the right thing as well” (310).

Scott addresses his affidavit to “the mean people in black suits” but swears to tell what happened because Natalie says that it’s the right thing to do (312).

Trevor knows that the test questioners want to pin the cheating on Mrs. Woods, and he realizes that “not long ago [he] would’ve thought that was cool. But not now” (313). He keeps Natalie’s name out of it, but he writes down everything about his home situation, hoping that it will be enough.

This chapter is three words: “And the truth…” (314).

This chapter is four words: “Shall set you free” (316).

The children’s parents are told what happened. Randi expects her mom to be furious, but instead, her mom doesn’t mention it until the night before a big meeting with the principal when a copy of Randi’s affidavit arrives in the mail. Randi’s mom reads about the pressure that Randi feels at home and starts to cry. Randi wants to feel relieved that the truth is out, but instead, she feels “dizzy and sick to [her] stomach” (318).

Gavin attends the big meeting with his dad, who gives a speech about how the CSAs are doing more harm than good and about how Gavin has put in effort to improve, even when it was difficult. When he’s done, the room erupts into applause, and Gavin realizes that his dad is “the smartest man [he] know[s]” (322).

Scott also attends the meeting with his dad, who doesn’t understand why Scott is involved because he missed test day. At the meeting, Mrs. Woods gives Scott’s dad a copy of Scott’s affidavit, which he doesn’t finish reading before the meeting starts. Still, he understands why Scott did what he did, telling him, “[I]f the world had more hearts like yours in it, we’d be a much better place” (324). As a consequence for what the children did, the principal mandates that they all participate in Mrs. Magenta’s art program throughout the summer and the following school year. Scott doesn’t view this as a punishment because he gets to spend time with his friends.

After the meeting, Natalie’s mom runs out to the parking lot, where she thanks Gavin’s dad for speaking up, telling him, “You’re a special man” (326). Natalie and Gavin just stare at each other, perplexed.

Gavin is furious that his dad hugged Natalie’s mom until he explains. After learning the truth about the rich man who sued Gavin’s dad, Natalie’s mom paid off the rest of the damages and gave Gavin’s family the money she got from the case because “it was the only way she’d ever feel better about what had happened” (329). Gavin is amazed and finally realizes that being a good person doesn’t mean being smart or rich—it means being honest.

After his parents read his affidavit, Trevor’s parents promise that things will be different from now on. They add, “[W]e’re proud of you, Trev” (330), before they sit down for a long talk with his brother.

The day after the big meeting, Randi’s mom apologizes for being so focused on results and driving Randi to exhaustion. She promises that things will be different from now on and tells Randi that her destiny “can be whatever [she] want[s] it to be” (334).

In addition to mandatory enrollment in Mrs. Magenta’s art program, Natalie and her classmates must also attend a seminar on plagiarism and write a summary paper about what they learned from what they did. After being interrogated, Mrs. Woods is absolved of any responsibility and allowed to return to the classroom. For the next three years, the school will have special testing procedures to ensure that cheating doesn’t occur again. Natalie is disheartened that only the cheating makes the news and not any of the good that came out of it. She hopes that what Gavin’s father said at the meeting will have an impact, resolving that “time will tell” (336).

At the next meeting of Mrs. Magenta’s program, the children return to the library, where Gavin checks out more books to read for himself, his sister, and Coach. Afterward, he joins his friends in the children’s room, where he moves the throw rug that’s over the yellow splotch so that the rest of the class can sign their names. Gavin apologizes to Natalie, who forgives him, and as he signs his name on the rug, he thinks, “That ugly yellow splat looked much better now” (341).

During a football game at recess the next day, Scott actually catches a pass and scores, making his entire friend group cheer. Later, Randi has the best gymnastics practice that she can remember, made even better by her mom’s smile and the knowledge that “[he] had fun” (343). Randi still wants to go to the state competition, which is good because Gavin, Natalie, and Scott are coming to watch her. Randi and her mom laugh together, and Randi feels like they’ve become something new.

After school, Scott and his family go to the senior center to pick Scott’s grandpa up for ice cream. Scott finds his grandpa visiting with Coach, and for the first time, Scott notices some pictures on the wall that Coach’s daughter painted. As Scott and his grandpa leave, his grandpa laughs at something Coach says, and Scott is glad because “it ma[kes] [him] happy to see Grandpa happy” (347).

Trevor’s brother moves out, and though Trevor is glad that the abuse will stop, he has mixed feelings about his brother leaving. Later, he learns that the school won’t use the CSA results to determine what activities kids can play next year, and he’s relieved and amazed that a bunch of children “got the board to listen and rethink their policies” (350).

Natalie asks herself if she’d do things the same way if she had another chance, finding that the answer is yes because “sometimes we do the wrong things for the right reasons” (352).

Natalie, Gavin, Randi, and Trevor plan a surprise birthday party for Scott, who is elated. During the party, they figure out that Coach is Mrs. Magenta’s father and that Mrs. Woods is her mother. Now that they’ve helped Scott, the children also want to help Mrs. Woods and Mrs. Magenta heal their relationship. Natalie marvels at how everything brought them to this point, thinking that “Randi would say it was destiny—and [she] might agree” (356).