Semua Bab Second Life, Different Choice: Bab 1 - Bab 9

The light in front of me dimmed, fading out bit by bit, until the crashing waves swallowed my weak cries whole.I reached out, fingers straining for the life ring just a few feet away, only to see Terry Vargas step in and puncture it with a needle, destroying my last chance.His eyes burned with hatred as he stared me down."You killed the girl I loved most. I hope you enjoy this living hell."When he saw me stop fighting, finally going still, he turned and walked away, satisfied.A sharp pinch twisted into my arm, and I slowly opened my eyes."Katrina, why are you just sitting there? You've been ignoring us forever!""Hayley was nice enough to suggest a rafting trip for the whole class, and you're over here with that attitude. You really think you're something, huh?""I heard you messed up your answer sheet during the exam. Instead of owning it, now you're taking it out on us?"The complaints buzzed around me, and I froze.It hit me all at once. I was back to the day we fill

I studied the corners of the cage carefully, shaking it over and over until I found one loose metal bar.I pulled out a shard from my broken laptop and started grinding it against that spot again and again.A shadow suddenly fell over me.Hope surged, and I looked up fast, only to see a skinny, bony stray cat. I reached out, trying to pet it, but it bared its teeth and hissed.I let out a quiet sigh and murmured to myself, "My classmates were scared I'd ruin their rafting trip, so they locked me in here. My phone doesn't have any signal. I can't reach my parents. You're my only shot. If you could find a cop…"My voice trailed off. I sat back down and kept sawing at the bar.Blood slid down the metal, dripping slowly onto the ground.The cat in front of me gradually relaxed, its guard lowering as it let out a soft meow.I quickly poured some water into my palm and held it out carefully. It hesitated for a second, then lapped it all up.Looking into its bright eyes, I pulled out

The students who had just survived finally realized they had missed the application deadline.I watched quietly as they clung to each other.Weren't they all from well-off families? Didn't college used to feel like something they could take or leave?A few of them walked over to my bed, crying as they apologized."Katrina, we're sorry… We thought Terry was just messing with you. He said that the lock was fake…""It's my fault, too. I didn't dare stand up to him, so I just went along with the rafting trip."I turned my head away, not wanting to look at them now that it was over.The incident spread fast across the news. Parents started canceling business deals with Hayley's family one after another. They even showed up at her house together, demanding she take responsibility for what happened.That night, I saw Hayley on the news, lying in a hospital bed, her face pale as reporters crowded around her.She bit her lip, wiping at the tears in the corner of her eyes before speakin

The moment I realized I had come back, I started watching Hayley and Terry closely.When the bus showed up, the driver carried himself in a way that felt oddly similar to Hayley.Before they grabbed me, I quietly asked Steven to keep an eye on him. The second I got to the hospital, Steven sent me a video.In it, a man who looked about 70% like Hayley was pouring himself a glass of liquor. He sat there, smug, laughing with relatives around the table."Hayley really knows how to play this. She landed me a nice little business deal. Block off the river right by our town a bit, and money just rolls in. Call it rafting, and I get to charge 60 bucks a head. All I've gotta do is hand out a few cheap float tubes. She even had me pay to hire a driver. Please! I just throw on a mask, and the money comes right back to me."The way he bragged made the parents watching the video grind their teeth in anger.At that moment, the officers who had been investigating stepped forward with more evide

"You're all top students! You've got plenty of chances! I only took this one. Worst case, you start college a year later. It's not like it'll ruin your lives."The selfishness in her voice set everyone off again.The student whose eyes had been injured slammed her to the ground and started hitting her, completely losing control."You selfish trash! You ruined my eyes. You ruined my whole life! I can't be a pilot anymore. You destroyed my dream…"Megan, who had been following everything in the group chat, finally rushed into the studio.The police, holding back their anger, pulled Hayley away."Yesterday, you led people to break into someone's house, and today, you faked a suicide attempt. How could you do something like this?" Even now, Hayley still had a smile on her face."They're just jealous. I'm about to get into Northbridge University."After that day, the students involved in the fight were taken into custody, and their families came to meet them there.The day accept