Chapter 2

I let out a disbelieving laugh.

"It's the third floor, and there's thick grass below. Land right, and we'll be fine!"

I shouted to the class.

"Don't listen to Rainee! That whole triangle zone thing's been debunked. Buildings don't collapse in some neat, predictable way, and no magic triangle can hold up an entire building. Get out the windows and jump onto the grass! We still have a shot!"

The whole room went dead silent.

***

A few classmates crouched beside their desks slowly stood and looked out the windows.

We were on the third floor, with thick grass right below.

Rainee stood at the front of the room.

"Kayla, I know you've never liked me, but people's lives are at stake. Everyone knows the triangle zone is safe. You're really risking everyone just to argue with me? We're three floors up. Jump, and you'll either die or end up crippled. Throw your own life away, but don't drag everyone down with you!"

A few guys crushing on her rushed over.

"Rainee, calm down."

"Kayla, are you insane? Jumping's way too dangerous. Go die by yourself."

"Exactly. Rainee's right. The load-bearing walls are safest. We're not listening to you."

I looked at the pack of idiots and smirked.

'You want to trust Rainee and sit here waiting to die? Be my guest.'

I ignored them and turned to Maddie, crouched in the front row.

"Maddie, help me."

She glanced at the shaking ceiling, then at Tristan's hand locked around my wrist.

No hesitation.

She grabbed the heaviest textbook on the desk and slammed it into his arm.

Tristan yelped and finally let go.

I ripped my hand free.

A dark purple bruise already circled my wrist, with tiny streaks of blood breaking through the skin.

He'd been dead set on trapping me in that classroom.

"Kayla! Maddie! Are you both insane?" Tristan clutched his reddening arm and glared at us. "I told you the triangle zone is safest. Why won't you listen? You're seriously going to jump?"

Just looking at him made me sick.

In my last life, I broke my leg saving him and spent three months stuck in a hospital bed.

The pain was brutal. I woke up in cold sweats every day and couldn't even roll over without help.

Tristan brought me soup every day, but he barely looked at me. His eyes stayed glued to his phone, a faint smile on his face.

Later, I found out he'd been texting Rainee.

While I was in the hospital, she told everyone, "If Kayla had stayed in the triangle zone and waited for rescue, she wouldn't have gotten hurt.

"Everyone else jumped onto the grass and walked away fine. So why was she the only one who broke her leg?

"She did it on purpose. She knew Tristan was softhearted, so she dragged him out there and got herself hurt. Now she can use saving him to guilt him into staying with her forever.

"Poor Tristan. Someone that manipulative has completely ruined his life."

And the best part?

Tristan believed her.

He took everything I gave him without a second thought, all while seeing me as some scheming psycho.

Behind my back, he told Rainee, "I don't love her. Every time I see that messed-up leg, I feel sick. But I can't leave. I owe her."

Maddie tugged my sleeve, snapping me back to the present.

I rubbed my bruised wrist and looked at Tristan.

"Tristan, get over yourself. You think I jumped to save you? You seriously think you're worth it? Relax. I'm done messing with your life. Hide wherever you want. Even if you get crushed to a pulp today, I won't look twice."