Why Would I Lie?

Gr 9 Up–No one works as hard at perfection as Viveca. Perfection means getting accepted to the college her mother had briefly attended. Perfection means staying in the valedictorian slot at her elite high school. Her best friend, Wren, who uses they/them pronouns, helps keep Viveca grounded but even they can’t hold her back from sparring with the new boy, Jamison Sharpe. He’s handsome, smart, and certain to de-throne Viveca from her cherished spot at the top. Everyone loves Jamison, but when his veneer of perfection slips, and only Viveca can spot it, she is thrust back into a previous jealousy incident in middle school that didn’t end well. Every time she tries to pull back the curtain to show Jamison’s lies, she is unveiled as uncaring and jealous of a young man living with hardship and sorrow. When Jamison shows his true self, will others finally see? No mention of race is given.