Well, why don't they call? They've had plenty of time to decide.
Hello? Yes, this is John. Yes, I know why you're calling. They did.
Oh, they did. No, I guess that's it then. Thanks anyway.
Did you hear about John Taylor? They voted him out of student council representative because he was caught cheating.
Who? John Taylor voted out of student council representative. Who is cheating? John Taylor? John Taylor? John Taylor?
You a cheat, John? John, what have you done? Remember how it all started, the day you went over to Mary's house to study for the test. Remember?
All right, John, now look. The problem is to factor x squared minus 9x plus 20. Now how do you do it?
Let's see. X squared minus 9x plus 20. You take the x squared minus the 9x and, oh, you subtract x from x squared and then you, oh golly, Mary, I don't know anything about this factoring business.
John, you do too. Now the answer is the quantity x minus 5 times the quantity x minus 4. Now do you see how I got it?
Yeah, I guess I do. But golly, Mary, this stuff's awful. I just don't get most of it.
You'll just have to. You won't pass the test tomorrow.
I know it. Mary, if I get stuck on the test, you'll help me, won't you?
How can I help you?
It's easy. Miss Granby hardly ever comes back to where we sit. If I get stuck, I'll just ask you for the answer.
Well, I don't know.
Oh, forget it. I probably won't have any trouble anyway.
But you remember what happened the next day, John. Miss Granby's test was even tougher than you thought it would be.
There were a lot of problems you couldn't work, and it seemed to you that you didn't stand a chance of passing the test.
And right there in front of you sat your pal, Mary, with her head chock full of all the answers you needed.
You thought about it. There you were, desperate, and there was your salvation within arm's reach.
So you decided to take a chance.
You asked Mary for help, and of course, Mary, being Mary, gave you the help.
It was all so simple. You began to wonder why you'd spent so much time worrying about the test.
Yes, sir, you felt pretty pleased with yourself. You'd put one over on Miss Granby.
A few days later, Miss Granby returned the graded papers.
Was there a shadow of doubt in Miss Granby's face as she looked at you?
What was there for Miss Granby to doubt? After all, wasn't this the best grade you'd ever made on an algebra test?
Maybe that was it. Maybe the grade was too good.
Somehow that odd little look Miss Granby gave you seemed to haunt you.
Did you really earn that ninety-two, John? I wonder.
Oh, she didn't mean anything. That test wasn't very important anyway.
Yes, you thought it was just a little thing, but it was the beginning of all your trouble.
After that, life went on for you pretty much as usual.
You were busier than ever with sports, with Mary and your friend Jim,
and most of all with your new job as student council representative.
You'd always wanted to be on the student council, and you were really proud of yourself the day you were elected to take Jack Martin's place when he moved out of town.
But now, with the honor of the job, went the necessity of keeping your grades up, and that was your problem.
Hello?
This is Jim. Let's go down to Sam's and get a hamburger.
I can't, Jim. I've got homework to do.
Oh, don't worry about it. You've got plenty of time.
Okay, let's go get a hamburger. I'll see you in a minute.
The big clock in the hall went on ticking off its even measure of time, and you went on as before.
Mary and Jim and Mary were still the best of friends, but Mary had assumed greater importance to you.
You came to depend upon her more and more in your schoolwork, although you scarcely realized it.
It wasn't that Mary was any smarter than you were. It was just, well, that she seemed to find more time to study, and you were student council representative and a very busy fellow.
Okay, that finishes the problems. Now how about our history?
I haven't done your history lesson either.
Well, gosh, Mary, I can't do everything. I have two council meetings this week. I just don't have time to study.
Well, here are the answers to the history lesson. But I think you're going to have trouble when we have tests and all these things.
What are you going to do about the big test tomorrow?
Oh, I'll get by all right. If I have trouble, you'll help me again, won't you?
And that's how it was. Gradually, Mary had become your partner, although as time went on, she seemed less willing to do your work for you.
Sometimes, Mary looked at you almost as Miss Grandby had.
Well, so long, Mary. Thanks a lot for your help.
Yes, thanks a lot for your help, Mary, whether you intended to help him or not. It was clear John depended on you.
Didn't you begin to wonder what you were letting yourself in for? Take the next day, for instance, the day of the test.
What's the answer to number nine?
You gotta help me. What's the answer to number nine?
John, bring it up here, please.
I'm afraid I'll have to give you both zero on the test. And both of you are to report to me after school, please.
So you were caught, John. You were exposed in front of the class. And what's more, Mary was involved too. Mary, who was only trying to help.
And then what happened? Your classmates seemed to treat you a little coldly. Perhaps it was because they had studied and worked hard for their grades.
Maybe they felt that your cheating gave you an unfair advantage. And their thoughts about you were reflected in another way.
Hey, what's up?
Meeting of the student council.
That's funny. My name isn't on there. I'm on the student council.
I don't think you'd want to come to this meeting. It's about you.
Me?
That's what I hear.
Say, would you mind calling me after the meeting's over and let me know how it comes out?
No, I wouldn't mind.
No, I don't say that what John did was right. But I do think we ought to give him another chance.
You mean you think we ought to let him go on being in the student council? I think we should.
I don't.
You've got to admit he's a good representative.
That's right, but I don't think anyone that cheats should hold an office.
That's right. I think we should elect a new representative.
We don't do nothing.
All right, wait a minute. Wait a minute. We won't get anywhere by all talking at once. Are we ready to take a vote now?
All in favor of giving John another chance, hold up your hand.
All who think we should elect a new student council representative, hold up your hand.
Well, I guess most of us feel the same way about it. Who's going to tell John?
I'll tell him. I said I'd call him when the meeting was over. I'll call him as soon as I get home.
John, I guess you know why I'm calling.
We had that meeting about you a little while ago. They decided to elect a new student council representative.
I'm sorry, Johnny, but I guess you know why.
Yes, John knew why it was.
He'd been caught in a trap of his own making and had involved his friends too.
He now found himself looked down on by friends and classmates.
But did John really intend to be dishonest?
Should Mary share any of the blame?
Was it fair for John to use Mary as he did?
And what about his classmates? Did John's cheating hurt them in any way?
Should they have given him another chance?
What do you think?