I Didn't Want To Cheat, But........

[Janice Johnson]

This is a new Dave story. A SO moderator told me that they didn't want two "Dave" stories running at the same time, but the other Dave story is more of a "filler" story more than a "Real" Dave story. (Coming Out To My Parents is the "filler" story) I have no idea where I am going with the "filler" story, so I don't know if it can be counted as a 'Real" story..... Anyways, THIS is the story I should have posted and was thinking about posting before the "filler" story. I wrote the "filler story" on an ill thought out impulse. You can tell it was an impulse just by the very first part of the story. The first part only had about two paragraphs in it! So, here it is, the REAL story.........


Part 1


Professor Dawes gave our History Class one week to prepare for our exam coming up on Friday, September 17, 2004. I was nervous, because he said it would be worth 25 percent of our final grade. My stomach flip-flopped uncontrollably.


I tried my best to study hard for Professor Dawes test, but I had six other classes to study for. Math, English, Science, Drama, French and Literature. I felt overwhelmed. I had FIVE tests, one for five of the classes to do for too, on top of my History Test.


I'm Dave Winston by the way, a 16 year old student at Marshall Johnson Academy for Boys, in Jacksonville, Florida.


I had to study the Early United States History. I wanted to cry. There was so much to study for, such as The Constitution, The Declaration of Independence, and The Boston Tea Party, The American Massacre, and American Revolution.


I studied for all 6 tests almost simultaneously. I began thinking of a song by Queen and David Bowie, "Under Pressure." That song embodied what I felt. Not a good feeling.


On September 16, I briefly thought about cheating on Professor Dawes's test while I was in my English Class. I felt a knot in my stomach, but I wanted to pass the test.


"Is it a good idea to cheat on the test?" I asked myself in my head. "Go to sleep, and try to see the answer," I thought in my mind.


I went to sleep to see if I could get the answer in my dream.


In my dream, I was called to the front of Professor Dawes's class. I went up. "Dave, you cheated on my test. I'm so disappointed in you." He looked at me hurt. "You cheated, and you're expelled. You are off of school property right after you get your things," he said, solemnly.



I got scared and screamed, "No, no, no!" loudly in the dream. The bad thing is, I screamed myself awake in real life. The whole class stared at me in confusion. I didn't blame them. I woke up screaming like Nancy Thompson in Nightmare on Elm Street when she burned herself to wake up from her Freddy Krueger nightmare.


Professor Atkins concernedly asked if I was all right.


"I woke up screaming. Not a good sign," I said, more to myself, than to him.


"What happened in your dream?" Professor Atkins asked me. Since I woke up screaming like Nancy, I decided to lie. "I had a dream about Freddy Krueger. He put his claws in me, and I screamed, walking myself up," I said, shakingly.


"Just be glad you woke up," Bobby Enders said to me, teasingly. I smiled weakly at him.


Professor Atkins asked me again if I was all right.


"Yes, I'm all right. It was just a bad dream," I told him. We went back to assignments.


I studied harder for the History test after school and before bed(the other tests were a little later). I made notes and looked at them the next morning before I left for school and got ready for the day. I looked at them again right before my first class, and right before Professor Dawes's class. My stomach was uncontrollably flip-flopping again and I felt dread about the test. I put my notes in my locker.


Soon, it was time for Professor Dawes's class.


We students filed in, and we nervously smiled at each other, and at Professor Dawes. He smiled back, and handed us our exams. "Good luck," he said. "The test begins now."


I began my test. I WANTED to cheat. I wanted to look at my neighboring classmate Jerry Knowles's paper and cheat off of his answers. "Don't do it, Dave. Don't cheat." my good conscience begged.



I glued my eyes to my own paper. I had questions like, "When did America win its independence? " I answered, "July 4th, 1776." Easy. Then I got a harder question. "What day was the Constitution finished?" I had to think REALLY hard. It was NOT July 4. I thought and I thought. I looked at the date on my paper kind of by accident, and it was September 17th. The same day as the Constitutions completion. September 17, 1787! I jotted it down. I remembered reading that in a chapter of my textbook.

[Janice Johnson]

I still found me eyes wanting to wonder to Jerry’s paper. “ Stop Dave! Stop!” my conscience screamed at me. My stomach began to twist in knots.


“It would be so easy to cheat,” a silky voice told me in my head. “You could keep up your “A” average,” the voice continued to coo.


“No, don’t cheat. It’s unfair for you to cheat,” my good conscience told me.


I gritted my teeth as I tried not to cheat.


I got a sudden flashback of an incident that happened when I was 10 years old in fifth grade, in North Port Elementary School in Sarasota, Florida. We were taking a spelling test, and our teacher had stepped out of the room for a few minutes. I had trouble spelling the word, “dynasty,” so I went into my desk to get out my spelling words list, to find the correct spelling and I jotted it down. Little did I know, Mitch Parkerson saw me, and told the teacher what I had done when the teacher returned to the class.


The teacher confronted me in front of the class, and I reluctantly confessed. The teacher solemnly said in front of everyone,” Dave, you are a cheater. Do you know I could have you expelled for cheating?”


I said, “I’m sorry.”


My teacher put “Minus 5000 points for cheating and a sad face for cheating" next to my name on the class roster list that was on the blackboard. I felt humiliated and bad.


When I went home, I spoke to my father’s friend, Eddie. I explained what happened, and he told me that he wouldn’t tell my parents, but told me never to do it again. It felt good to talk with him, and I promised to never cheat again. I’ve kept the promise since.


I went back to the present. I did my hardest, and super glued my eyes to my own paper. I still felt the urge to cheat. It was a really bad urge.


“Professor Dawes, can I do my test up front, next to you?” I asked.


“Why?” He asked.


“Because I will cheat if I stay here,” I told him.


He looked at me in surprise. I am sure no student had made that request before.


“Sure,” he told me, and I sat next to him and could easily focus on keeping my eyes on my paper. 20 minutes later, I handed him my paper, and he smiled at me. I smiled back at him. I went back to my seat. We did another assignment, and then class was over.


I went through my day. The next day, I went to school, and then a little later went to Professor Dawes’s class.


Professor Dawes looked at the class solemnly.


“It pains me to say this, but someone cheated on the History test.” He looked really hurt and angry.


The class gasped.


Professor Dawes said, “I want everyone to pair into four pairs, since there are 16 students. Each person will write down the person they think is the cheater. Whoever has the most votes will be questioned.”


The class had to split into four groups. My group was me, Jerry, Ronnie Bradley, and Walter Pearson.


We all stared at each other.


“Who should we put down?” Jerry asked.


Everyone looked at each other in suspicion. ‘Maybe we shouldn’t tell who we are going to put down,” I said. “It might cause awkwardness.” I reasoned. The group agreed, and we wrote names down. I put “Dave Winston,” because I did not want to put someone else’s name down and get them into trouble.


We all turned our papers face down and handed them to Professor Dawes. Professor Dawes accepted the papers and put them down on his desk.


We all walked back.


In a few more minutes, everyone had turned in their papers.


Professor Dawes stood up and read each boy’s names and how many votes they got from their “group.” When my name was called, he said, “Dave Winston, 2 votes.” I was shocked! Who else had voted for me?!


“2 votes?” I screeched. “It should only be 1 vote!” I yelled emotionally.


“No, it’s two votes,” Professor Dawes said, looking at me strangely. I felt like I was having a mini-heart attack. I could be questioned! Maybe putting my own name wasn’t smart.


Walter got no votes and, Ronnie, and Jerry each got one vote.


I was the only sucker with two votes out of the group.


“Dave, come to the front,” Professor Dawes said. I did.


“Dave, did you cheat on my test?” He asked.


“No. Remember I asked to come to the front to take my test so that I wouldn’t cheat?” I asked.


“Yes, I remember that, but that could have been a cover-up, Dave,” he replied.


“I didn’t cheat!” I yelled emotionally. “I’m innocent!”


Professor Dawes pursed his lips together. “You’ve had a problem with honesty, haven’t you?” He asked me thoughtfully.


I blushed. I’m a compulsive liar, and have told many countless lies.


“So, how do I know you’re telling me the truth?” Professor Dawes asked.


“Am I a compulsive liar?” I asked. “Yes.” I said. “Am I a cheater?” I asked. “No”, I told him.


“Dave, I’m going to have another vote for you,” Professor Dawes said. He turned to the class.


“Anyone who thinks that Dave is the cheater, raise your hands,” he said. A few students raised their hands.


“Anyone who thinks that Dave is NOT the cheater, raise your hands.” Professor Dawes said.


More hands were raised in my defense.


Professor Dawes said, “Majority says that they think that you DID NOT cheat on the test.”

[Janice Johnson]

I breathed a sigh of relief.


"So, am I off the hook?" I asked.


"If there is no proof, you are off the hook." Professor Dawes said.


I begun to walk to my seat.


"I wouldn't go so fast," Profesor Dawes said with a cold smile.


"What do you mean?" I asked.


He gave me my test paper, and compared it to another student's. He blocked the other student's name.


They were the SAME test answers! I was shocked.


I nervously smiled at Professor Dawes. "That does not look good," I told him, trying to "side" with him. "I mean, I'm a compulsive liar, and I have a test that looks exactly like another student's test. But, I am innocent." I continued.


"No, it doesn't look good. Would you like to explain your side to Student Court?" Professor Dawes asked.


"What? Student Court?" I asked, indignant. "I didn't cheat!"


"If you don't have anything to hide, let's take this to Student Court," Professor Dawes said, coldly.


"Okay, I'll go to Student Court,"I told him reluctantly.


"Okay," Professsor Dawes said. "You may go back to your seat."


I did.


In my seat, I wondered how I would prove my innocense. I was NOT a cheater!


I HADE to go to Student Court and clear my name.


On Monday, rumors of my "cheating" were already beginning to circulate.


"I heard that Dave Winston cheated on Professor Dawes's test," Rick Smalls said to Billy Alexander.


"I heard he cheated on his last Math test," Billy said.


"I heard he committed Plagarism on his Literature essay," Alex Sanders said.


That last one was true. I committed self-plagarism. I re-wrote my Literature essay from my Freshman year and turned it in. I blushed.


Alex, Billy, and Rick all turned around.


"Dave!" Alex said in shock. The others look uncomfortable.


"Hi guys," I said, nonchalantly. They all laughed like damn hyenas.


"Uh, how much of that did you hear?" Alex asked me, smiling plastically.


"Everything," I said, calmly.


"Uh, we were just jokinjg," Rick said.


"Whatever, it's just gossip," I said, smiling coldly. "How bad can it get?" I asked.


They were all sweating. "Uh, I have to get to my class now," Billy said. He walked away, tensely.


"Bye, Billy," I said.


"We have to go to class too," Alex said. Rick said, "Yeah,". They both chuckled weakly. They walked away uncomfortably too. "Bye," I told them too.


I went to my Math Class. In class, I heard snickering and pointing. I heard nasty murmurings about me.


"Dave totally cheated on that test," Erick Fox said. There was more nasty chattering and snickering.


"I did not cheat!" I exclaimed. "It was just a coincidence that my paper has the exact same answers as another student's!" I yelled frustrated.

[Janice Johnson]

Something hit me. Why didn't Professor Dawes question the other student's paper? Hmm.


I painfuly went through my day. At home, I called Max Cartwright, my boyfriend.


"Max, I didn't cheat on my test! You believe me, don't you?" I asked Max.


Max answered, "Sure, I do. I believe you are innocent. You are not a cheater, Dave," he said, reassuringly.


I smiled at him over the phone. "Thank you, Max!" I told him, happily. I gave him a kiss on the phone.


"You're welcome, sweetie," he said.


I hung up the phone.


I felt good that Max believed me. I loved his trust in me. We've been dating for over a year, almost two years now.


I took a bath and ate dinner, and watched some T.V. I went to sleep.


The next day was my Student Court day.


I put on my best outfit, a two piece professional outfit that my father had given to me to wear on professional occasions. I got to skip some classes to go to Student Court.


At Student Court, I saw Max smiling at me. He waved at me and mouthed, "I believe you."


I smiled warmly at him.


I had to stand in front of the court. Billy was the Judge.


"Dave Alexander Winston, do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?" The Baliff, Bobby asked, making me put my left hand on a bible and raise my right hand.


"I swear," I said.




Billy said, "Dave winston, you are accused of cheating on Professor Dawes's History Test. How do you plead?"


"Not guilty, your honor," I said, humbly.


There were chatterings again.


"Are you an honest person?" Billy asked.


"Please don't make me answer that," I begged. I squirmed visibly.


"Answer it," Billy said. "The court would love to hear your answer."


"No," I reluctantly answered.


"That doesn't sound good," Billy said. "How does the court know you are going to be honest now?" Billy asked.


"Because I'm not a cheater!" I exclaimed.


"Have you ever cheated on a test before?" Billy asked.


I blushed uncomfortably. "D-Y-N-A-S-T-Y," I answered.


"What?" Billy asked. "Why are you spelling, "Dynasty?" He asked confused. The jurors(full of other students) looked confused too. So did everyone else.


"In the fifth grade at 10 years old, I had trouble spelling "Dynasty," on a spelling test, so I took a peek at my spelling wordds list while the teacher had stepped out of the room for a few seconds and I jotted down the correct spelling down on my test. Another student caught me, and he told the teacher on me, and I was scolded by the teacher in front of the whole class for cheating. I felt bad and promised never to cheat again. I've kept that promise ever since," I answered.


Billy said, "So you admit that you've cheated before."


"It was just once on a spelling test, when I was 10!" I defended myself desparately.


"Once a cheater, always a cheater," Billy said.


"Wait! I object!" I protested.


"You can't object," Billy said. "Only your lawyer can object," He continued. He looked around. "By the way, where is your lawyer?" Billy asked.


"I don't have one. I am representing myself," I answered.


"Oh, this is going to be good, " Kevin Martin said from the jury.


The rest of the jury chuckled.


"Order! Order!" Billy exclaimed. The jury settled down. "Dave, you decided to come to court without a lawyer. That wasn't wise."


"I don't need one," I replied smugly.

[Janice Johnson]

“Bailiff, bring out the Exhibit A,” Billy said,” Billy said.


Bobby brought out the “Exhibit A”. The two matching tests. Once again, the other student’s name was covered.


Everyone looked at the two matching tests.


“Mmm. Dave must have cheated! His test matches the other test completely!” Aaron Sydney said, from the jury. A few other jurors agreed.


“Hey, that’s not fair!” I protested. “The other student could have easily cheated off of me!”


Professor Dawes spoke up. “I know the other student, and he is an honest person. He never lies, and he’s never cheated before, which is why I haven’t questioned him.”


“So, you automatically assume that I’m the cheater?” I asked, seeing red.


“You’re not an honest person,” Dave, he said.


I took a closer look at the tests. I knew the other student’s handwriting!


It was Ronnie Bradley’s handwriting! Ronnie didn’t sit too far away from me. He could have easily seen my test answers and jotted them down!


Ronnie Bradley cheated! He WAS struggling in class, after all. And he was in our “little group”. He could have easily jotted my name down as the cheater!


I cleared my throat. “As my lawyer, I will say that Exhibit A is not evidence, but suspicious. There is no REAL proof that I cheated, so this trial must be deemed as insufficient evidence. Plus, I’ve read the Marshall Johnson Academy Handbook for 2004, and it says that a student cannot be persecuted on mere suspicion,” I said. I went over to my book bag and pulled the Handbook out.


“A student who is accused of cheating must have sufficient and reasonable proof of cheating and not mere speculation. The proof must be plausible and absolute. It must not be mere suspicion.” I read from the Handbook.


I put the Handbook down.


I soon picked it up. “Read the Handbook! Read it!” I cried, desperately to Billy. “This isn’t proof. Two matching tests are suspicious, not proof.


Billy reluctantly read the Handbook. He reluctantly agreed to what it said. He gave it to the jury who read it and agreed to it too.


“Dave Alexander Winston cannot really be tried for something that is plausible suspicion,” he said, with a deep sigh.


“Thank you, your honor,” I said.


Billy said, “I hereby declare the Dave Alexander Winston trial as dismissed for lack of evidence.” He banged his gravel.


I was free to go without any worry. But I still felt unsatisfied. Sure, my case was dismissed, but I still hadn’t cleared my name. I was probably still a cheater in other’s eyes. And my case wasn’t CLOSED, it was just DISMISSED. This meant that I could easily be tried again.


I went to the remainder of my classes, feeling hollow. Ronnie Bradley cheated and let me take the fall! What if I hadn’t had the Student Handbook on me?


I ate a late lunch, and then begun to go to my next class.


I saw Ronnie on my way to that class


“Hi, Dave,” he told me.


“Hey,”I told him with all the charm of a shark with a bad toothache.


“What’s with the attitude, Dave?” Ronnie asked.


I glared at him. “You try being accused of cheating, when you did not cheat and tell me if you’ll be in a good mood. I did not cheat, Ronnie! I wanted to cheat, but I fought long and hard not to cheat, and I did not give in to cheating, and I still got accused and tried for cheating!” I was emotional.


I searched Ronnie’s face for any signs of remorse.


“Do you know who cheated, Ronnie?” I asked him. “Because if you do, you’d better tell me because people are looking at me in suspicion now.” I told him.


Ronnie said, ‘I don’t know who cheated.” Liar! I thought. And people say I’m the compulsive liar. Oh wait, I am, but Ronnie is a liar too.


“Bye, Ronnie,” I said.


“Bye, Dave,” he said.


I went to my classes.

[Janice Johnson]

After school hours, I snuck into Professor Dawes’s classroom. I looked in his desk drawer for the names of the four groups.



I found them! Aha! Ronnie’s handwriting matched the handwriting that had written my name. Ronnie is a BASTARD! I thought angrily to myself. Not only did he cheat, but he wrote MY name down. Because he cheated off of me. I smiled bitterly.



I quickly shut the drawer, and snuck to my own dorm. Ronnie was going to pay! I only saw revenge in my eyes.



“You’re jumping to conclusions,” a calmer voice told me. “Find more evidence first that Ronnie cheated".



I decided that I needed more evidence before I went all “ninja” on Ronnie’s ass.



The next day, I overheard Ronnie tell his best friend Patrick King that he cheated on Professor Dawes’s test. Ronnie told him that he cheated off of my test paper. He made Patrick swear not to tell anyone. Patrick agreed.



That was the evidence that I needed! I was gonna get Ronnie badly!



I went through my day, with people still looking at me in suspicion. I looked away.



I painfully went through my day.



At lunchtime, I saw Ronnie. Ronnie looked down at his tray when he saw me.


“Hi, Ronnie,” I said, in a voice dipped in honey sweetness.



“Hey,” Ronnie said, looking at his tray. Ooh, that BITCH knew what he did.



I continued my lunch. I was already hatching a plan in my mind for Ronnie. I smiled evilly to myself.



I went through the rest of my day. At 6:00, I went to Building 8, room 380. This building is pretty much abandoned (Johnson tradition says that it’s cursed by Marshall Johnson’s ghost, but that’s just a myth.). I went to a vault in the room and put in the vault combination that I had programmed into it. 3260. It opened up, and I got out my Black Ninja outfit, and put it on over my regular clothes. I went to Building 3 to wait for Ronnie. I knew that Ronnie had a club meeting that finished at 6:30, and it was the dark kind of 6:30, not the light kind of 6:30, perfect for my ambush on Ronnie.



At 6:35, Ronnie came out of Building 3, and I stealthily followed him, like a ninja. Every time Ronnie turned around, I dashed behind a tree. I could see Ronnie was scared, especially since he had seen a dark figure run behind a tree. Ronnie continued to walk towards Alexander Hall, our dorm. I kept creeping behind him. I was gonna get him good.



“Please, leave me alone,” Ronnie cried, trembling.



Ronnie begun to run full force. I ran full force too. Ronnie took a turn behind Building 6, and I ran behind Building 6 too. Ronnie ran upstairs, and I followed him.



“Please stop following me. Leave me alone,” Ronnie said to me, still not seeing my face. Ninja outfits are notorious for hiding people’s faces. With these outfits, you can only see eyes.


“Cheater!” I hissed at him in a disguised voice. Ronnie’s face drained of color.


Ronnie ran down the stairs, and I followed him. Ronnie ran to Building 7.



I was right behind him. I punched him in his face two times and he groaned in pain. He tried running, but I was too quick for him. I stepped in front of him and punched him in his stomach!



“Please stop,” he said, trembling. I continued to beat him up. I smiled decadently as I saw the blood coming out of him. I gave him some high kicks and slammed his head on the ground. I enjoyed seeing his suffering.



Ronnie looked like a limp noodle. He was extremely raggedy.



I continued to beat Ronnie senseless. Ronnie looked like a pulp when I was finished with him. Ronnie moaned and cried.



Nobody frames Dave Winston for cheating, I thought proudly.



I left Ronnie there, proud of what I had done. I felt DELICIOUS seeing Ronnie on the floor. That BITCH got what he deserved. I smiled to myself.



I begun to feel a LITTLE bad for Ronnie, so I went to the bathroom and got out a roll of tissue and threw it at him and said, “You’re bleeding. Go stop your bleeding.”



Ronnie weakly took the ball and stopped his bleeding. I ran to Building 8, and put in the code 3-2-6-0, and put my Ninja clothes in the vault and quietly snuck back home.



I smiled happily at myself in the mirror.



I was fu…..A!” I got that bitch good. I’m sure he won’t cheat off me and frame me for cheating again! I went to sleep happily.

[Janice Johnson]

The next day at school, Ronnie looked like a hot mess. He was swollen and bruised. I smiled knowingly.


"What happened to you?" Professor Dawes asked.


"A ninja beat me up last night," Ronnie answered.


The class laughed. It did sound ridiculous.


Professor Dawes didn't look amused. "Ronnie, stop making ridiculous lies. Now tell me what REALLY happened."


"No, really. It was a guy dressed as a Ninja who beat me up last night," Ronnie clarified.


That made more sense. I still was smirking. Ronnie shivered visibly.


"Why did he beat you up?" Professor Dawes asked concerned.


"I don't know," Ronnie answered sadly. "I didn't do anything," Ronnie lamented. "I was just minding my own business."


"Go to the nurse and see if she can help you," Professor Dawes said, sympathetically.


He gave Ronnie a hall pass and Ronnie accepted it and left.


Professor Dawes looked sad. "Whoever did this to Ronnie deserves to get injured badly. Rodney is a very nice kid." He said. He shook his head.


Yeah, a nice kid who cheats and frames me, I thought, bitterly. My face contorted as I thought of some nasty things for Ronnie. I hope the nurse cleans Ronnie up with rubbing alcohol. Then I hope she puts astrigent on Ronnie. I laughed evilly to myself, imagining Ronnie going through torture a second time.


I went through the rest of my classes. After school, I went to my dorm and saw ronnie. Ronnie still looked bad, but now he didn't look like a hot mess anymore.


"Dave, someone's out to get me!" Ronnie said, frantically. "You gotta help me! Someone beat the sh..... out of me!"


"Is there any reason why you would be their target?" I asked, knowingly.


Ronnie stammered, 'I don't know. I was just minding my own business," Ronnie said again.


"All you gotta do is watch your back," I vaguely answered.


"Thank you, Dave!" He said.



Ronnie took this "advice" like GOLD! Poor sap!


"You're welcome," I said.


I hatched another plan. I was gonna drive Ronnie crazy until he confessed publicly to cheating.

[Janice Johnson]

Does anyone think I made Dave look like a villain? Wow, beating someone to a pulp. That seems like something Robert Patterson would do(my character Robert Patterson, not to be confused with star actor Robert Pattison from Twilight). Robert Patterson used to beat Dave to a pulp.... I hope I didn't make Dave seem too much like a bastard in this story......

[Janice Johnson]

The next day, I quickly stuffed a typed written note in Ronnie's locker. The note read, "Ronnie, you're a cheater. I saw you cheat on Professor Dawes's test. If you don't confess to cheating, I will tell the whole school what you did." I smiled evilly as I imagined Ronnie reading that little nasty note.



At lunch, Ronnie opened his locker and read the note. His entire face got troubled. Ronnie went to the cafeteria. I had already beaten him there.



Ronnie looked troubled. I could see the trauma on his face as he waited in line and ate his food. I felt superior.



I ate my lunch. I saw Ronnie looking distraught. He said to Patrick, "Maybe I should transfer out of this school. Someone is out to get me."



No he's NOT transferring out of the school and leaving me with all this suspicion! I thought. He'd better confess!



I walked up to him. "You know Ronnie, if you did something bad, it's better to confess what you did and get off this burden on your chest and shoulders," I told him.



Ronnie looked troubled. "If I tell what I did, I'll be expelled," he answered, mournfully. Patrick looked away uncomfortably.



"What did you do?" I asked.



Ronnie said, "I'm not telling YOU, Dave, what I did, so you can blab it to everyone."



I knew the REAL reason he didn't want to tell me."



I left. After lunch, we went back to classes.



"Cheater!" Tom Lawrence called me. I KNEW this would happen once the case was "dismissed."



"I'm not a fu.......Cheater!" I yelled at him. I was fed up.



More people called me a cheater, and I swallowed my retorts. Soon, they got tired of bothering me. I smiled internally.



I went through my day.



The next day, Ronnie still hadn't confessed, so I hacked into the school computer and looked at Ronnie's grades. C-D-C-B-D-C-C. I changed all the grades to As. I smiled evilly. All "As" would look suspicious. It would look worse than all "Fs." It would look like Ronnie had given himself all "As." It was brilliant! I'm so vengeful! I gloated happilly.



I made sure I didn't leave any personal details behind, and I shut down the computer, left, and went home.

[Janice Johnson]

The next day, report cards were given outt. I got all "As" and so did Ronnie. Professors were suspicious of Ronnie. I would have been suspicious, too, if I were a professor.



"Ronnie, how'd you get all As? You've been getting "Cs" on my assignments," professor Dawes looked suspicious.



"I don't know. I just found all As on my report card," Ronnie anwered, looking bewildered.



"Hmm," Professor Dawes said, looking at Ronnie with distrust. "Ronnie, come to the front. I want to show you something." Ronnie reluctantly came to the front.



Professor Dawes took out the two matching tests and showed it to everyone. This time, he did not cover up Ronnie's name.



"Ronnie, your tests matches exactly Dave Winston's test. I should have questioned you too when I saw the matching tests, but I assumed that Dave was the cheater. I thought you were an honest, trustworthy student." Professor Dawes said. he looked devastated.



"Dave cheated off of my test! I didn't cheat!" Ronnie cried, desparately lying.



"That's enough," I told Ronnie in a quietly stern voice. "Why would I cheat off of you when I'm a Straight A student and you're struggling in classes?" I pointed out.



Professor Dawes said, "Speaking of Straight As, how'd you end up with Straight As when I gave you a C for this class?" He looked suspicious.



"It must have been a glitch in the computer!" Ronnie cried desperately again. "I did not give myself Straight A's."



"Ronnie, I think you cheated ,"Professor Dawes said softly.



"I didn't mean to!" Ronnie cried desperately. "I didn't mean to cheat! It just happened! I didn't mean to cheat, but the test was so hard!" Then he looked even more desperate. "Dave let me cheat off of him! We had a deal about the cheating! I told him I'd pay him $200.00 to let me cheat off of him and he accepted!"



Ronnie was sinking deeper and deeper into his sea of lies.



I stayed silent. I hoped Ronnie's ranting would make him look crazy.




"And Dave, that RAT got up in the middle of the test and continued his test from the front of the class. He cheated me out of my money!" Ronnie said. he looked frantic.



Professor Dawes looked at Ronnie thoughtfully. "Didn't you just say that Dave cheated off of you? Now you say that you cheated off of Dave, but you two planned the cheating off of him. Which is it, Ronnie?"



Ronnie looked uncomfortable. I smirked gloatedly to myself.

[Janice Johnson]

(This will be a very short part. I only have five minutes to write this part.)

Part 10.


"I uh, I uh," Ronnie stammered. "Dave paid me to say that we had a plan about the cheating together."


Ronnie was really drowning in the sea of lies now.


Professor Dawes said, "Why would Dave do that? He would be paying to get himself into serious trouble." Professor Dawes looked like he didn't believe Ronnie. I didn't blame him.


"Because Dave is sick in the head. He's crazy and insane!" Ronnie cried, frantically.


"Do you really expect me to believe that, Ronnie?" Professor Dawes asked.


"Okay, here's the truth. Dave let me cheat off him. That's the truth, I swear!" Ronnie cried, emotionally and scared.


"Lie!" Professor dawes hissed at Ronnie.


Ronnie looked caught. "Okay, here's the real truth. I cheated on Dave's test, and we didn't plan it together." Ronnie looked sad and scared at the same time.

[Janice Johnson]

"So," Professor Dawes started, "You admit you cheated on the test."


Ronnie lowered his head. "Yes, sir, I admit it."



"You know you have to be punished, don't you?" Professor Dawes said/asked.


Ronnie said, "Yes, sir."


"You're gonna be expelled from now on," Professor Dawes said.


Ronnie burst into uncontrollable tears. "Please sir, it was just a lapse of good judgement! I did it out of desperation! Please don't expel me! I'm sorry!" Ronnie begged, uncontrollably emotional.



"No, you must be expelled you cheated, and let Dave take the fall. You have to learn your lesson. I'm sorry, but you bring me no choice," Professor Dawes said, firmly.



"I'll be a good student from now on!" Ronnie begged. "I won't cheat anymore!"



"Sorry," Professor Dawes said. "My decision is final. Goodbye, Ronnie Bradley."


"Noooooooooo!" Ronnie cried emotionally. He sank to the floor and begun to violently convulse. I could see the impending expulsion was taking its toll on Ronnie. I should have felt happy, but I felt sorry for Ronnie. Ronnie made a bad mistake and was truly sorry for what he had done. I almost cheated off of Jerry. So I could easily have been in Ronnie's position right now.


"Why don't we take Ronnie to Student Court and let him tell his side?" I suggested, feeling bad for Ronnie.


Professor Dawes looked at me perplexed. "Why would we have Student Court for Ronnie? He already confessed to cheating on the test," Professor Dawes asked and stated.


"Come on, everybody deserves their turn in Student Court," I said.


Professor Dawes reluctantly said, "Ronnie, you will not be expelled yet. You do deserve a chance to tell your side of the story."


Ronnie stopped convulsing and looked at both of us gratefully. "Thank you Dave and Professor Dawes!" He said happily.


"You're welcome," we both said.


The next day, it was time for Ronnie's trial in Student Court. Ronnie dressed up in a professional two piece suit like I had done.


Billy was once again the judge.


We basically went through the same thing as we had done for my own trial.


Except Ronnie said, "Everyone, I cheated on the History test. I plead guilty. I cheated so I could pass the test and get a "B" for Professor Dawes's class, instead of the "C's," I usually get. I had six other classes to study for, and all 7 classes were a hard struggle for me to study for at the same time. It's really hard to juggle 7 class assignments at the same time, especially when you have a hard 25 percent of the Final Grade test. On History Test day, I barely remembered the simplest of American History, such as when the Constitution was formed. I usually don't cheat, but Dave, the straight A student, his test was right there, and I knew he would have a lot of right answers. We sit two rows away from each other, so I peaked at his answers and jotted his answers down, until he got up and left to finish the test by the teacher's desk. When he did that, I just winged the test.


When Professor Dawes said that someone had cheated, I was in Dave's group, along with two other boys, so I jotted his name down as the cheater, so that the blame would go to him. I was not going to put my own name down, obviously." Ronnie stopped.


"So, you were willing to get Dave into trouble," Billy said, softly. "for something you did."


"I didn't want to get expelled, and well, Dave was a sitting duck. He's a compulsive liar, so no one would believe him if he said he didn't cheat.


I blushed. I AM a compulsive liar.


Then, soon after I let Dave take the fall, some guy dressed as a ninja came out of nowwhere and followed me around and beat the hell out of me and called me a cheater. The bruises have all cleared up, but I am still shaken by the Ninja.


Soon after that, I found a typewritten note saying that someone knew I had cheated on the History test and threatened to expose me if I didn't confess. I still have no idea who the Ninja guy was or who typed me that note." Ronnie finished speaking completely, and was allowed to step down. He did.


Billy said, "Jury, do we have Ronnie expelled or not?"


The jury chatted amongst themselves. Finally, Kevin spoke up. We think that he should be punished, but we think that the person who was trapped by Ronnie's dishonesty should have the final decision as to what happens to Ronnie Bradley." I knew that person was me.


"Dave Winston!" Kevin said.


I was called to the front. Billy said, "Well, it's your call what happens to Ronnie."


I looked at Ronnie thoughtfully. After all, I had beat him up, tortured him, and hacked into his school records and got him to confess what he had done. Ronnie was staring at me as if he were begging me for mercy and compassion. I felt I knew what to do.


"Let the punishment fit the crime,"I said. "I think Ronnie should stay in school, but have detention for a week and intensive turtoring in ALL of his classes, since he is struggling in the classes."


Billy said, "It's settled. Ronnie will recieve a week's worth of detention and intensive tutoring. He banged his gavel, and we were all dismissed.


Oh, and my name had finally been cleared in the whole mess. The case against me was CLOSED!

[Janice Johnson]

Ronnie and I went back to classes.



During the week, Ronnie was given detention and went to Intense Tutoring in all of his classes.



People had a hard time trusting Ronnie after he admitted he had cheated on the History Test. Ronnie looked miserable.



The guilt was beginning to build up in me. I had gotten my revenge on Ronnie, but my secrets were tearing me up inside. I HACKED into the school’s computer and changed Ronnie’s grades. I had beaten Ronnie senseless too.



“You Bitch,” my nasty conscience hissed at me. “Sure, Ronnie did something bad to you, but you were probably even worse to him.”



I felt bad, and my stomach begun to twist into painful knots. Plus, I began to have painful anxiety attacks over what would happen if I were found out.



During classes, I could barely focus on my assignments. My grades were slipping into “Cs,” and I was looking at being kicked off the Honor Roll.



I lived in constant fear of being found out. I could barely sleep or eat. I was slipping down into a downward spiral.



I decided to cope with these feelings by drinking Coca-Cola. I wanted to use the sweet caffeine to cope with my bad feelings.



I bought a cold 20 ounce of Coca-Cola and drank it. Man that was good! It tasted sweet and tart.



I realized I could drink the Coca-Cola as much as I wanted, and use the caffeine as a stimulant, and I couldn’t get into trouble for drinking a legal stimulant. Over the days, whenever I felt the panic attacks, I drank more Coca-Cola. I felt over hyper from all that sugar and caffeine.



I was wired! Shawn Mulligan asked me worriedly, “Dave, what are you on?”



“I’m on that Legal stuff, baby!” I told him, hyper.



“Legal stuff?” Shawn repeated.



“Yeah, I’m on something that you don’t need a prescription for, that is cheap, and won’t get you into trouble if you are in possession of it.” I answered giddily.



Shawn asked, “Over-the-counter products?”



“No”, I answered. “I’m not on any type of drug,” I replied.



Shawn left.



I drank another bottle of Coca-Cola. In class, I was hyped out and begun laughing like a maniac at jokes no one ever told.



I was tweaked out! Or “caffeined” out.



Our Professor, Professor Atkins made me take a drug test.



After the test, it was confirmed that I had high levels of caffeine circling through my bloodstream. I was told that my caffeine level was dangerous and I was banned from taking in any more caffeine. I was told that I was treating it like a drug. I was told of course, that caffeine IS a drug, after all. It’s just not an illegal substance.



Dean Riley looked at me knowingly. “Remember, you do have an addictive personality. Remember the cocaine addiction?” He asked me.



I blushed. “I didn’t know caffeine was a drug. It’s legal,” I said.



“So is Tylenol,” Dean Riley said, wryly. “And that’s a drug.”



“Okay, I’ll stop using caffeine like that,” I said.



“Good for you,” Dean Riley said, smiling. He left.



I went through my day. I still felt guilty about what I had done to Ronnie. I couldn’t extensively use caffeine anymore, so I substituted by drinking lots of water. I know that I’m supposed to drink 8 glasses of water a day, but I felt so guilty, I was drinking 20 glasses of water a day. Someone once said, “You can never drink too much water,” but I think that even THEY would draw the line at 20 glasses of water a day.



I did this for a week. 140 glasses of water in one week. Eesh. I should have only drunk 56 glasses of water in a week.


I felt bloated and kept having to go to the bathroom. Drinking 140 glasses a week will do that to you. Professor Sanders, my Math Professor asked me if there was something wrong with me.



“No,” I answered. “I just love water.”



“Are you a camel?” He asked me, half-wryly and half seriously.



“No,” I said, cracking a smile.



“Then stop drinking like one. It’s scary how much water you drink. Is something making you drink so much water?” He asked, concerned.



“No, nothing,” I lied.



“I don’t believe that, but I’ll let it go for now. Just know, you can talk to George Green the school counselor, or me,” Professor Sanders said sympathetically.



“Okay,” I said.



I left. I soon saw Ronnie. I was overcome with guilt, regret, and shame.



“Ronnie, I’m sorry,” I told him, hugging him close.



Ronnie looked at me strangely. “What the hell, Dave?” He asked. He walked away from me.



The next day, I felt even guiltier about what I had done. I felt as if a dark cloud had engulfed me. I felt so bad.



“No.” I thought to myself. I can’t take this bad feeling anymore. I had to confess what I had done, no matter how much trouble I would be in.



I walked up to Dean Riley’s room and knocked on the door. Dean Riley said, “Come in.” I did.



“Dean Riley, I have something to tell you,” I started slowly.



“Go on,” Dean Riley prompted.



I took a deep breath. “Dean Riley, I hacked into the school’s computer and changed Ronnie’s grades to all “A’s,” I confessed. “I did it because I knew Ronnie had cheated off of my test.”



Dean Riley said, “You went into school grades and changed them?” He looked at me upset.



“Yes, Dean Riley,” I confirmed.



“You know, I have to punish you, don’t you?”



“Yes, Sir,” I said.

[Janice Johnson]

“You have to be jailed,” Dean Riley said, solemnly.



“What? You’re going to send me to jail?” I asked. “I didn’t mean it to go this far!” I exclaimed, emotionally.



“You should have thought about that before you hacked into Ronnie’s grades”, Dean Riley said coldly.



I got even more emotional. “No, please, Dean Riley! Please don’t send me to jail!” I went on the floor, begging him for mercy. "I made a stupid mistake! I’m sorry!” I exclaimed. Wow, I had just turned into Ronnie.



Dean Riley said, “I’m sorry, but I’m calling the police.” He dialed 911. Jacksonville police came and Dean Riley told him what I had done. He made me confess what I had done.



The Lieutenant took out his handcuffs to arrest me.



I ran, full force out of the Johnson School, with the police hot on my trails. I ran out to the woods behind the Johnson Estate. The police were on my trails still.



“Leave me alone,” I thought, scared. Now I knew what Ronnie must have felt when I chased him around Johnson School.



The police were gaining on me. I ran out of the woods, into city neighborhoods. I saw a bus coming and wildly jumped on it. I didn’t even check what bus it was. I paid the fare and inched my way to the back. Luckily for me, the bus made very little stops and was going to the Jacksonville Hospital. At the hospital, I realized that I saw the cop car. Shi….,” I thought. They were going to drag my ass to jail!



I ran to the main entrance. The cops followed me there, and I kept running. I wasn’t going to go down without running my ass all over Jacksonville!



I ran to “ICU”, and I hid in a patient’s bathroom and locked the door. Thank God the patient wasn’t in. I sat in the bathroom for about 10 minutes. I was scared to death, and my heart was palpitating. I could go to jail for hacking into the school computer!



After 10 minutes, I cautiously got out. I didn’t see the police anymore, and I walked down the corridors. I left the hospital, ducking low. I caught a taxi and went to Downtown Jacksonville.



Luckily I had my book bag on me with my REAL ID on me (and a fake ID that said I was 22), and some money on me. At Downtown, I bought a Blonde wig and some blue eye contacts (that looked like the picture on my fake ID, don’t ask why). I bought a new set of clothes and stuffed my Johnson uniform in my bag. I bought sunglasses and a hat, just in case. I also bought some toiletries and underwear.



I was lucky that I had a ton of money on me in my book bag. You see, I’m a Winston, and we Winstons are a rich family. We are worth a net of 12 million. If you are a Winston, you are LOADED! I had about 500.00 on me when I left. Now, after I spent some money, I had $400.00 left. I ate a good dinner and some desserts, and then I had $360.00 left. I had to find a hotel to sleep in for the night. I was getting tired.



I found a Hotel called Sunny Inn. I went into it, and they let me sleep for the night. I was lying down on the Hotel bed, watching some T.V before bed, when my cell phone rang. I looked at my cell phone. Only three bars left. I forgot to buy a cell phone charger. The caller was a telemarketer. “Fu… you!” I screamed at him and hung up the phone. I finished watching T.V, and then got ready for bed and turned off the T.V. The Hotel was very comfortable.



I drifted off to sleep. When I awoke, I went to the bank to withdraw some money. You see, my Uncle, Joe Winston, gave me a secret $30,000 account that he had told no one else about. He told me that he felt I deserved that money more than anyone else in the family. My pin number for that account is 3260. Sound familiar? Wink wink. I now had $25,000 dollars in that account thanks to Dad putting the Winston finances in the toilet when the crappy stock he put $5000 in plummeted. I secretly mailed him $5000 dollars from a “Secret Santa.”



He was thankful to have the money back, and put it back into his savings account.



Today, I withdrew $2000 dollars to be “safe” for a few days. (I used the ATM)



I went to another shop and bought a hat and sunglasses. I had to wear a disguise fully.



I couldn’t believe I was on the run for what I had done to Ronnie. Hacking into school computers=Not worth it.



I went to a Walgreens, and bought a phone charger. I went back to the Sunny Inn. I spent a peaceful day in the hotel, swimming and watching T.V. I was having a nice vacation, as nice as a runaway fugitive could have. I ate food from the nearby food market. I charged up my phone too.



I spent three days in the hotel. On the third night, I watched the news and saw that I had been put on Jacksonville police watch. They said anyone who saw me could call 1-800 FOR-TIPS. No! I thought.



I packed up my bag, even though I slept there one more night in the hotel. The next morning, I got the hell out of the hotel. I was on the run again, but this time, I caught a train to Tallahassee. After the train ride, I got off in Tallahassee. I just wanted to get out of Jacksonville. In Tallahassee, I went to another hotel. The Wallington Hotel. I once again used my fake ID and cash to pay.



I slept there another night, in comfort. I woke up the next morning, and decided I didn’t know what to do. Oh, and if you were wondering, the name on my fake ID said, “Dave Alexander”, instead of Dave Winston. My full name is Dave Alexander Winston, so technically, Dave Alexander is my name……



I had spent four days on the run. I missed Johnson a lot, but knew if I went back to Johnson, I would be jailed. I couldn’t go back. I tried to law as low as possible.



I relaxed that day. I really should have been attending classes.



I was watching T.V, when I saw a picture of me again on a Special Report. Thank God my fake ID looked like how I looked like in my disguise.



I took a quick nap. When I awoke, I decided to eat some food. I went to buy some food another market place, and I looked up to see my face on a Wanted poster. The Wanted poster read, “Dave Winston, 16 year old Computer hacker. Wanted by the police. “Thank God I was wearing a hat and sunglasses. I paid for my food, looking down, nervously. I hurriedly left the market with my food.



I went back to the hotel. I was petrified of getting caught. I spent another night in the hotel.



The next morning, I left the hotel for good.



I caught a cab and went to my next destination, the Sherry Hotel. I spent two nights there.



I woke up the next morning, tired of running. I had stepped myself in it big time. Maybe I should just go on home to Johnson and let the police arrest me and send me to jail. After all, I had broken the both the school law and the legal law. I had to face my punishment for hacking into the school system.



I was frightened to come back, even though I wanted to do so. I knew I’d be jailed if I came back, but I didn’t want to run anymore. Maybe turning myself in would lessen whatever my jail sentence would be.



The next day, I took another train to Jacksonville. Then I took a bus to Johnson Academy and went inside.



I took off my disguise in the bathroom and put on my Johnson uniform.

[Janice Johnson]

I soon realized I wasn’t ready to come back to Johnson. I quickly put my disguise back on. I left. I was not ready to go to jail.



I went back to the next bus stop. I quickly jumped on the next bus. I went to another hotel, called the Sweetin Hotel. I was still scared as f……



At the hotel, I paid for another day/night. I ate some food from the nearby marketplace again.



The next day, I was looking for a new hotel, when I saw the same police that had pulled the handcuffs on me.



I got flushed and nervous. Sh…. , I thought again. I tried to walk past him, but he stopped me. I got petrified.


“Hey, I need to talk to you,” he said, firmly.


“About what?” I asked, shaking in my shoes. I was wearing my disguise, but maybe police could see right through my disguises.



“Would you happen to know this guy?” He asked. He pulled out a Wanted poster of a sketch of me. I gulped internally.



“He’s on the run for evading police and hacking into a computer system,” The cop said.


“No, I haven’t seen him,” I answered. It wasn’t a total lie. I hadn’t looked like that in a while (except for about two minutes at Johnson).



“Well, keep an eye out for him. If you see him, call me at the police station. I’m Lieutenant Brandon,” he said. He gave me his number and I took it. Then, he let me go. I walked away slowly. Running would look suspicious.



“That was close, Dave,” I said to myself. I went on to the next hotel. Braxtin Hotel. I spent four days there. I had already withdrawn money four times from the ATM, to afford my running. Now, I only had $5,000 left in my bank account out of the $25000.



“Stop, Dave. You’re spending way too much money,” My good conscience said.



I couldn’t keep spending money like this. Soon, I would end up owing my bank money at this rate.



I needed some way to earn back the $20,000 I had withdrawn from the bank. My uncle Joe would be pissed if he knew I spent the money on hiding from the police.



How could I make $20,000 as soon as possible? I could rob a bank, sell drugs, or mug people. But all of those were illegal.



“How do I make $20,000 as soon as possible?” I asked myself again. I thought of a way. (Okay, it was illegal too). I could buy a counterfeiting money machine. I think you know where I am going with this!



Wait! Was I crazy? How could I even THINK of buying a counterfeit money machine? There had to be a better way to make money that wouldn’t rack up even more charges against me. I was feeling desperate. How did I withdraw $20,000 in less than 2 weeks?



I could call Uncle Joe and tell him what happened. Maybe he would give me more money. Are you NUTS, Dave? You might as well go buy that counterfeiting money machine!” A voice in my head screamed at me.



Hmm. I could get it out of my inheritance money!



When Aunt Bertha died, she left me $40,000 in her will. Oh, wait. She left Dave Winston $40,000. Not Dave Alexander. That wouldn’t work.



I thought of another way! I could pick up some money from my house in Sarasota! I had lots of “secret cash” in an old hidden shoe box! I rarely spend the money I’ve gotten over the years. Even when I was a baby, my Grandpa, Albert Winston gave me $3000, which my parents, Andrew and Alice Winston gave to me when I was older. I keep my birthday money, Christmas money, and “good grades” money in my shoebox.



I took another train to Sarasota and then took a bus to my house, which was just a regular Victorian house.