Ava hated being wrong. At least, that’s what her friends said. Whenever someone corrected her, she had an explanation ready, as if her mistake didn’t really count.
“You typed the answer wrong,” her best friend Mia told her one afternoon in math class. “It should be negative four, not positive.”
Ava frowned. “I meant negative. Obviously. I just didn’t put the minus sign.”
Mia smiled politely but didn’t argue. She’d heard this a hundred times. Ava was never actually wrong—just “misstated” or “meant something else.”
The same thing happened at soccer practice. Coach asked the girls to run passing drills. When Ava kicked the ball too far and it rolled out of bounds, she quickly announced, “That was intentional. I was practicing long passes.”
Mia raised an eyebrow but stayed quiet. Their teammate Lila muttered, “Sure you were.”
By the week of the school science fair, Ava’s “never wrong” habit had gone from amusing to exhausting. She and Mia had built a small solar oven together. The plan was to demonstrate how sunlight could heat a marshmallow.
On the morning of the fair, Lila stopped by their table. “That’s not going to melt a marshmallow in here,” she said, glancing up at the fluorescent gym lights. “You need real sun.”
“We planned for that,” Ava replied instantly, though she hadn’t. “We’ll just use a flashlight—it’ll work fine.”
Mia gave her a look. “Ava…”
When their turn came, the judges leaned in curiously. Ava explained their project with confidence. Then she turned on the flashlight and aimed it at the oven. The marshmallow sat stubbornly in the foil-lined box. Minutes passed. Nothing happened.
Lila’s group, at the next table, tried not to giggle. One judge finally asked gently, “Did you test this indoors before today?”
Ava’s cheeks turned red. “We—uh—well, it usually works. The flashlight must not be strong enough. I meant to bring a heat lamp, but Mia reminded me too late.”
Mia shook her head. “That’s not true,” she said quietly, but the judges had already moved on.
After the fair ended, Mia packed up their supplies in silence. Ava trailed behind, stung. “I didn’t want us to look bad,” she muttered.
“But we did,” Mia said softly. “And not because the oven failed. It’s because you can’t admit when you make a mistake.”
Ava opened her mouth to argue, then closed it. She thought about the marshmallow that never melted, about the judges’ kind smiles, about how Mia hadn’t said “I told you so.” She’d just told the truth.
For once, Ava had nothing to say.
The next day, she slipped a note into Mia’s locker: You were right. I should’ve listened. Thanks for being patient with me.
When Mia saw her after school, she grinned. “So… does this mean you were wrong?”
Ava groaned but laughed. “Fine. I was wrong. But only this once!”
They both cracked up, the tension gone. Ava knew it wasn’t really the last time she’d mess up—but maybe it could be the last time she pretended she hadn’t.
“When Being Right Went Wrong” by Nina D. Smith. Published by Bright Bunny Books © 2025. Retelling of “The Boy who is ‘Never Wrong’” from The Parkhurst Boys and Other Stories of School Life by Talbot Baines Reed, originally published in 1914.
“When Being Right Went Wrong” is ideal for grades 6–8 because it highlights relatable middle school themes—friendship, teamwork, and learning from mistakes—while using accessible language and situations that reflect their everyday experiences.
Discussion Questions
- Why do you think Ava had such a hard time admitting she was wrong?
- How did Mia and Lila respond differently to Ava’s behavior, and what does that show about their friendship?
- Have you ever made an excuse for a mistake instead of admitting it? What happened, and what did you learn?
This content is provided under fair use for educational purposes only. Commercial use is strictly prohibited by the creator.
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