The Cheat (1956)

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 a student council representative because he was caught cheating who john taylor voted on you are cheap 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 alright John now look the problem is to factor x squared minus 9x plus 20 how do you do it let's see x squared minus 9x plus 20 you take the x squared minus the 9 accent 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 well just have to you won't pass the pass 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 I'll forget it I probably won't have any trouble anyway but you remember what happened the next day John miss gran bees 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 set 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 spend 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 Graham they returned the graded papers was there a shadow of doubt and miss Granby face as she looked at you but was there from his cram de 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 seem to haunt you did you really earn that 92 John 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 are 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 whence the necessity of keeping your grades up and that was your problem hello this is Jim let's go down the sands and get a hamburger I can't Jim I've got a homework to do oh don't worry about it you got plenty of time okay let's go get a hamburger I'll see in a minute the big clock in the hall went on ticking off its even measure of time and you went on as before you 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 your student council representative and a very busy fellow okay that finishes the problems now how about our history you 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 and 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 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 Granby 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 9 you gotta help me what's the answer to number 9 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 to Mary who was only trying to help and then what happened your classmate seemed to treat you a little coldly perhaps it was because they had studied and worked hard for their grades maybe they felt that you're cheating gave you an unfair advantage and their thoughts about you were reflected in another way hey what's up meaning 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 meetings 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 are lame go on being a 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 any one that cheats you'd hold office that's right I think we should elect a new representative 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 hands all you 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 who 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 you Wyatt 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