I Didn't Really Cheat on the Quiz

Alright, so there was this quiz in Mr. Thompson's class yesterday where everyone had to work quietly and individually. I mean, it wasn't like a big test or anything, but still pretty important for our grade. So, here’s what happened: during break time before lunch, someone left their soda on the table outside of class with the lid half-off. Curious as always, I took a sip out of habit and was suddenly hit by this sweet, sugary taste, only to realize moments later it wasn't just any old soda but my friend Alex's science notes in liquid form! Yeah, you heard that right, they were written on pieces of paper that somehow got mixed with water inside the bottle. So, when I went back into class and saw Mr. Thompson handing out the quiz, my mind was a mess trying to sort through random facts about photosynthesis and cellular respiration instead of actually reading the questions. I did my best to recall what we had learned in class that week and guessed at some answers based on context clues from the question stems themselves. In the end, I got an okay grade, nothing outstanding or anything. But now here's where the story gets a bit tricky: when Alex found out about their notes being ruined and asked me if I knew anything about it, I just shook my head and said no clue. I mean, really, what was there to tell them? That they should have been more careful with their precious study notes? No way! The thing is though... part of the reason for my ‘white lie’ wasn't entirely innocent, it helped me avoid feeling guilty about potentially doing worse on the quiz if someone had caught me holding that bottle. So yeah, I’m definitely not proud of fibbing to a friend like this, but hey, everyone's gotta look out for themselves sometimes, right?