The last fifteen minutes ticked away. As soon as Ms. Anna began scrolling through her phone, appearing utterly uninterested, Gaara made his move. With practiced swiftness, he snatched Esther’s quiz paper and began copying her answers without hesitation.

Esther froze, startled by his audacity, but in the end she could only sit there helplessly. She had already been in trouble once in Ms. Anna’s class because of Elise, and she was not about to risk another confrontation.

“Everyone, stop ...