Brennan chose to argue that phones should not be banned in schools. It was a reasonable topic for a fifteen-year-old — everyone had a position on it — and his draft, when she read it, was polished and well-structured in a way that didn’t match how he typically put sentences together. She couldn’t act on a suspicion about a draft, and she didn’t try to.
She wrote one comment in the margin: Be ready to explain the reasoning behind your second paragraph in your own words. A week before the defenses, she ran a short demo exercise. Students turned to a partner and explained the strongest argument against their own position — the best reason someone might disagree with them. She moved around the room and paused at Brennan’s desk.
He said people might argue that phones were a distraction. She asked what his essay said in response to that specific concern. He said, “It’s all in my essay, right?” She asked him to tell her how. He looked down at his draft and read a sentence aloud. She nodded and moved on. Nearby, she saw Deacon watching Brennan with an expression she couldn’t quite name.