Just Reward
We had to read a million pages for homework last night, and with basketball practice, I just didn't have time to read it all. Today, we had a pop quiz over the reading assignment. The second Mrs. Kensey began handing out the quiz, I regretted not completing my homework. I panicked! If I failed this quiz, I wouldn't be able to play in the game on Thursday!
Then, a thought crossed my mind. I was sitting next to the smartest kid in school, Rex Donaldson. I had never cheated on anything in my life, but I had also never missed a game in my life! I may not be the best student in the world, but I am a good basketball player.
Cheating is wrong, I reminded myself. Then I thought, But your team needs you! If you fail this quiz, you'll let your entire team down! I knew what I should do. I can resist most temptations, but I couldn't resist this one.
The thought of sitting on the bench during Thursday's game compelled me to look at Rex's paper and copy whatever answers I could see. Mrs. Kensey didn't even notice. After class, I asked Rex how he thought he did on the quiz. He shook his head, looking at his feet.
"Well, for starters, I'm sure I flunked," he said.
"What?!" I cried with probably way too much emotion. "How is that possible?"
"Well, I try to be a good student, but I'm not perfect, you know. I got Adam D. Jones's latest book Land Without Kings yesterday, and I just couldn't put it down. So, I didn't even read last night's assignment, and I didn't know the answer to one question. I just made up stuff."
I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I needed to play in the next game! We'd be playing Madisonville, and they're the toughest team around!
So, here I sit now on the bench, having failed the quiz along with the smartest, but most honest, kid in school, watching Madisonville beat us 84-40. Now I'm wondering if I might not have barely passed that quiz had I just answered what I did know.
Which statement best describes the external conflict the narrator has in the story?
A. The Madisonville basketball players make fun of him and his team.
B. Rex Donaldson has also not completed his homework assignment.
C. He panics when his reading teacher starts handing out a pop quiz.
D. Rex Donaldson will not let him copy the answers for the pop quiz.