GLYNN WASHINGTON, HOST:
Me and my three buddies, second to last test of the year, geometry class, and I was ready. We were all ready. No, we hadn't studied. I didn't even know what a geometry was, but each of us had all the answers to the test written down on a teeny tiny cheat sheet. I don't know how Chris got it, but he got it. Everything was going to be cool. We sat down to take the test, 30 questions, I was going to have to play this out - act like I was working real hard. So I furled my brow, you know, deep in thought. And then two minutes into the exam my boy Jeff, he gets up like he's Einstein, walks over to Mr. Fandijak's (ph) desk, turns in his test with all the correct answers marked and he walks out.
Mr. Fandijak looks down, his face explodes in beet red fury. He looks up and I know he's going to murder me 'cause Mr. Fandijak knows that if Jeff has the test, that means Chris, Nick and myself, we all have it too. He's already moved us to the four corners of the room to stop us from talking to each other. And then this idiot Jeff gets up and gives it all away. Lord. My cheat sheet's in my hand and I'm sweating. And Mr. Fandijak's angry red eyes are boring down on mine.
He knows, he knows, he knows. And then he has to look away to the other end of the room 'cause that's where Nick was sitting, and I take a glance at the cheat sheet - and looks over at Chris, and I take a glance at the cheat sheet. And looks back over at me, and I have a furled brow deep in what I hope looks like geometric concentration. And so pass the 30 longest minutes of my short life. Finally, the bell rings. I turn in my test. Outside I meet with my boys. Everybody agrees that next time - next time Jeff - Jeff gets fake answers.
Today on SNAP JUDGMENT, from PRX and NPR, we proudly present "Partners in Crime" - stories about real people doing something together that they could never do alone. My name is Glynn Washington and this is SNAP JUDGMENT. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.