Chapter 1: The SAT Score Showdown

Junior year, I catfished an MIT genius. Pretended to be a ten out of ten online, scored a year’s worth of free tutoring, and almost believed my own lies.

The day SAT results dropped landed right on our family dinner night. Chloe—my cousin—scored a 1510 and instantly got crowned queen of the clan.

Uncle Mike’s voice boomed over the Cowboys game, the scent of burnt marshmallows from grandma’s casserole fighting with the lemon Pledge on the table. Mom and I kept to our corner, picking at our plates.

“I told you Chloe would do great!”

“Yes, she’s really the family’s pride.”

I hunched over my phone under the table, scrolling through Ryan’s new messages: “Checked your score yet?” and “I’m at the airport, see you tonight.”

My pulse jumped. I hadn’t even figured out how to answer when Chloe called out, “Ava.”

I glanced up, catching her sharp little smile. “Did you check your score? How much did you get?”

Before I could open my mouth, my aunt snorted, “Seriously, Chloe, gotta rub it in? Someone who always bombs math—could she possibly ace the SATs?”

After Dad got sick and passed, money vanished. Our relatives—especially Chloe—never missed a chance to remind me I was the family’s charity case. Her favorite hobby? Crushing me, ever since we were kids.

I forced a crooked smile, looked her dead in the eye. “You really want to know?”

Chloe’s voice turned syrupy. “Everyone here is family. Ava, even if you only get into community college, no one will laugh at you.”

Mom set her fork down, her hand squeezing mine under the table, warm and trembling. “No matter what score Ava gets, I’m proud of her.”

My aunt muttered, just loud enough for everyone: “Dead broke, daughter’s a lost cause, and now they’re acting like they’re better than us.”

All eyes pinned me. I popped a piece of watermelon into my mouth, the juice dripping down my wrist. “It’s true, I didn’t do well.”

The melon’s sweetness turned bitter as the relatives’ whispers buzzed. My jaw clenched so hard my molars ached, but I kept my eyes on the soggy watermelon rind.

Chloe’s lips curled in triumph. “What do you mean, didn’t do well? You’ve always been at that level—”

I cut her off. “—Just, only eight points higher than you.”