Chapter 3

That night, I walked for a long time before finally heading home.

When I pushed open the door, the living room was completely dark. Not even the hallway night light had been left on.

That night, I did not sleep a wink.

Early the next morning, Noah announced in the group chat that everyone should come to school to pick up their folders. Those folders contained their application materials.

By the time I arrived at school, she was already tidying up his desk.

She looked up at me with a smile.

“Fin, you’re here. Mic and Brielle just left. They took your folder back with theirs.”

I nodded and turned around to walk back home.

When I pushed open the front door, Brielle and Michael were sitting side by side on the couch.

Brielle held a brown paper envelope in her hand and was instructing Michael, “You absolutely cannot lose this folder. You’ll need it for enrollment.

“When the time comes, keep it with your acceptance letter. Better yet, lock it in a drawer.”

Michael listened attentively and nodded earnestly.

My eyes swept past the backpacks in front of them. I walked over, opened one, and rummaged through it.

I searched for a long while but could not find my folder anywhere.

Michael turned to me and asked, “Fin, what are you looking for?”

I asked anxiously, “Where’s my folder?”

Brielle looked up, visibly uncomfortable. “Mic and I grabbed ours and left. We... aren’t sure where yours are.”

At that moment, I snapped.

Michael stood up and tried to comfort me, “Fin, don’t panic. The folder might still be at school...”

I had tuned him out. I turned and ran frantically toward the school.

The whole way there, the wind hit my throat, dry and rough.

After Noah learned what happened, she contacted the security office to review the surveillance footage.

The screen clearly showed Michael holding two folders in his hand at the time.

He had taken both, yet he somehow lost mine.

Just then, Michael and Brielle arrived at the school.

Michael walked in and casually threw his arm around my shoulder with an easygoing look.

“Fin, it’s okay. We’ll definitely find it. Don’t worry.”

I stood there, frozen in his tight embrace.

He was telling me not to worry.

I had scored a 1580 on the SAT, and I could have gone to any top university. Those scores had gone completely missing.

Noah tried to comfort me, saying, “Fin, take a breath. Call your parents and have them come to the school.

“You need to get your application materials reissued immediately.”

Replacing lost application materials was not simple.

I would need new transcripts from the guidance office, resend my SAT scores through the College Board, and get fresh recommendation letters from my teachers.

Missing any one piece meant delays, and nothing could be done overnight.

Even if I managed to gather everything, the full process would drag on for weeks.

It was all Michael’s fault.

He finally started to panic, and his eyes were getting teary. He pulled out his phone and called our parents.

“Mom, Fin lost his folder. You and Dad need to come to the school now!”

Nearly an hour later, our parents finally showed up at the school, looking reluctant.

Mom stormed in and yelled at me, “Why couldn’t you keep your materials properly? What a waste of all those years in school!”

Dad frowned as he looked at me, “So what if they’re lost? You failed the exam anyway.

“It doesn’t matter if you have them or not. Worst case, you just don’t go to college.”

I snapped my head and turned to Michael as I said through gritted teeth, “Michael, did you do that on purpose?”

Before he could say a word, Brielle stepped in front of him to shield him.

“Fin, you’re being unreasonable! Mic went out of his way to get your materials for you. Is this how you would thank him?”

Mom slapped me and scolded me in a shrill voice, “You couldn’t be bothered to handle your own errands, and then you have the nerve to blame other people?

“What, does Mic work for you now? Is he your personal errand boy or something?”