Chapter 3

Before I could finish, the classmates grabbed my hair and dragged me out of the house.

"Corine's got a point. You're coming with us to Isadore University for the negotiation. That way, you can't stab us in the back," Jared said.

I felt a chill run down my spine as I locked eyes with Jared.

"Is that how you see me?" I asked.

"Aren't you always snitching to the teachers? Every time we went to the internet café instead of class, you were the one who ratted us out," Jared shot back.

He gave a quick nod to a couple of the top scorers, and two guys instantly grabbed my arms, hauling me off toward the bus station.

Just thinking about what happened in my previous life made me feel cold all over.

As the standoff dragged on, a few classmates behind us finally spoke up, sounding uneasy.

"If my parents find out I put some random vocational college instead of Isadore University, they'll kill me."

"There's only one day left before the application system closes. If we mess around with our choices, are we really going to end up at some vocational college?"

"Maybe we should drop it. Once we're all at the top of our fields, even if Corine goes to vocational college, she won't have a hard time. We can help her out then."

"Yeah, if we don't make it back in time to confirm our applications at school tomorrow, our lives are basically over," another said.

A few of the top scorers from regular families were already starting to back out. But Corine suddenly bit her lip, tears shimmering in her eyes as she looked at them.

She said, "Is it because you all think, just like Melissa, that I'm not good enough to go to Isadore University with you? I always thought you were my best friends.

"Never mind. I don't need you to go through all this trouble for me. I'll go to vocational college on my own. I won't hold you back anymore."

Jared rushed over and hugged her, then shot us a cold, mocking look.

"You guys are smart. Do you think you'll mess up your applications? The Isadore University admissions office calls us every single day. Even if we don't change our choices in time, do you think they'd turn us away?" he scoffed.

His words seemed to put everyone at ease a bit.

"What's there to be scared of? Isadore University said as long as we want to go, they're offering us fast-track master's and PhD programs with bonuses. If we don't go, they need us to meet their enrollment targets."

"Yeah, if our whole honor class acts together, Isadore University wouldn't dare disrespect us."

I knew exactly what was going on. They'd been top students since they were kids. Schools bent over backwards for them. They grew up pampered by parents and teachers, and after the SATs, every elite university fought over them. They never really learned what rules were.

Even if they all got perfect scores, they only get one shot at college application after the SATs.

Our whole future depended on this, and the top students from other states were already waiting to swoop in if we slipped up.

Staring at these naive kids in front of me, I felt a cold sweat break out all over.

I gave my thigh a hard pinch, forcing myself to stay alert.

"Just let me go home and change my application back to Isadore University. I promise I won't rat you out," I begged, trying to sound sincere.

"Keep dreaming," Jared shot back with a sneer.

Jared and the others dragged me straight to the bus station, snapping selfies and laughing about how this was one last crazy adventure before graduation, making sure to enjoy every second.

As the bus departure time got closer, my voice was shaking so much I could barely recognize it.

"I really won't snitch on you. Just let me go home now, or I'll scream my head off and get the police over here," I threatened, my voice trembling.

They were geniuses, treating their futures like some kind of game, but me? I scraped and clawed my way in, barely squeezing into their circle.

My dad busted his leg working construction, and my mom sweeps streets just so I could stay in school. Since I was a kid, I knew hitting the books was my only shot at changing my fate.

I was up at 5 a.m. every single day, grinding vocab, and my pile of practice papers was taller than me. After all that, I finally clawed my way to the threshold of Isadore University. There was no way I was letting go now.

I'd never accept going to vocational college, not in a million years.

If I bombed this, my family's dreams would go up in smoke. With how things were at home, my folks couldn't handle me retaking the exam for another year.

I was trembling, cold sweat running down my back as I dropped to my knees in front of them, pleading desperately.

"Please, I'm begging you, just let me go home and change my application back to Isadore University. I swear, I'll keep your secret," I begged, my voice shaking.

My classmates looked startled by how desperate I was.

"Did we go too far? If she wants to change it back, maybe we should just let her," one of them muttered.

But Jared narrowed his eyes, giving me a look that could cut right through me.

"Why are you so eager to get home? Something's not right. You must be plotting something," he said, glaring at me.

Corine's eyes welled up with tears as she broke down.

"We can't let Melissa get her way. If she runs off and tells our parents or the school, our whole plan goes down the drain," she cried out.