Cheating

On the way home the other day, Jennifer's b-friend started going through her text faves, and reading off names, esp. of the boys, and asking about them.

Friendly back-and-forth for a bit, then suddenly..."uh oh, I think someone was thinking about cheating."

Apparently she had started to text in an q/a to a anat-phys question. Or at least enough for L. to figure out what she was thinking about.

From the look on my face, he prob. wished to gawd he'd kept his mouth shut. I lit into J. in a way...well, prob. not in a way she could remember.

She swore she didn't do it (and I believe her) and that the teacher made them keep their cell phones in their backpacks anyway (can see why) and watched them like a hawk (ditto). And finally, she knew the answer anyway(I believe that too.) She did well on the final, and I believe it was an honest A.

But still, the fact she'd even planned to cheat on a question we'd just drilled the night before had me gnashing my teeth.

She finally started shooting back, "YOU have no idea the pressure I'm under from you and dad to get all a's...YOU have no idea what my life it like....AND YOU'RE all hypocrites."

Well didn't really track the last accusation. I figure that was thrown in for good measure.

But after more stony silence on the way home, with l. hoping J. was still his g-friend the next day, we took up the conversation again.

I told her I'd rather her bring home a C by honest work than an A through this. And I realized that I"d probably never know if she decided to do it from now on, but wished if she felt stressed or needed to study more TELL ME.

More silence. I think she got the point. Only time will tell.