She Sold Us a Second Chance

I was still smirking when Lily finished counting hands.

"Forty-nine. Wait... why are we one short?"

Dozens of faces turned toward me.

"Nora, you're our class president. Why aren't you signing up?

"It's only $999 for a guaranteed future. You can't lose!"

I tightened my grip on my pen.

"I'll trust the score I earn myself."

Lily strutted down from the front of the classroom and looked at me with open contempt.

"Oh, spare us the speech. You think I'm scamming everyone.

"Lucky for you, I get one free trial. Let me open your eyes."

Before she'd finished speaking, Tyler Brooks toppled backward in the seat in front of mine.

His eyes lost focus. His limbs jerked.

He looked as though his soul had left his body.

As startled cries rose around me, I sensed it.

Something in the room had changed.

The broom in the corner was standing upright. The exam countdown had vanished from the board.

And the practice paper in my hand had been torn to pieces.

Then Tyler opened his eyes.

He wiped blood from his nose and dragged in several ragged breaths.

"Holy shit. I really went back!

"My spirit was the only one in the room. I swept the floor, wiped the board, looked through everyone's papers..."

Applause broke out. Someone leaped onto a desk and cheered.

I stared at the scraps of the questions I'd been reviewing. Anger surged through me.

"So you looked. Why did you have to tear mine up?"

"Aw, does our precious class president still think she's special?"

This was the same Tyler who used to beg me for my notes.

Now he kicked my desk over and shoved me down onto one knee.

He stood over me, gloating.

"We're all about to get the highest scores in the country. We can do whatever we want!"

Desks, pens, and papers scattered under his feet.

He couldn't stop grinning. When he turned to Lily, he sounded even more pleased with himself.

Pulling several thick stacks of cash from his wallet, he shoved them into her hands.

"Take my whole month's allowance. Keep the change!

"One condition, though. This stays in our class. Don't go telling anyone else!"

Before long, Lily's wallet was bulging.

She couldn't stop smiling either. As she passed me, she paused deliberately.

"Admit it, Nora. You want in.

"All those years of studying, and you'll still lose to us because we'll have the answers. Such a shame.

"Because I'm not taking you back."

Her words drew more hostile looks in my direction.

"Right! Leave her here!"

"She's always first in class, always looking down her nose at us. It's our turn to shine!"

Anger closed my throat.

I stood and gave them one last warning.

"You only get one chance at these exams each year. You should take them seri—"

"Shut up already!"

They tore up their papers, crushed them into balls, and pelted me with them.

Lily whipped the class into a frenzy, then led everyone out to celebrate.

At the door, she turned and pulled a face.

"Madam President, you can't come back in time with us, but you're welcome to come party.

"Back room at Rialto's. Drop by when you're sick of studying!"