Chapter 2

The class group chat fell dead silent for a moment.

Carter sent an irritated message: Harper, stop with the passive-aggressive attitude.

Lilah quickly jumped in, pretending to play the peacemaker:

Did Harper get jealous?

The gala isn't over yet! We've got fruit platters and wine set up in the backstage lounge. Everyone, come join the party!

Harper, don't be so uptight. You have to come!

A few classmates started chiming in:

Whoa, really? Lilah, you're an angel! I just finished my dance routine and I'm starving!

Lilah posted a photo of the lounge table:

There's plenty of snacks and red wine here! Treat yourselves, guys!

Someone hesitated:

Wait... we have the SAT tomorrow morning. Is drinking tonight really a good idea?

Carter immediately chimed in with an authoritative tone:

A glass or two actually helps relieve exam stress. It relaxes your brain.

With Carter's backing, the hesitant ones instantly changed their tune:

If Carter says so, we're definitely coming! Who knows, maybe we'll score even higher tomorrow!

Lilah usually maintained decent grades by copying other people's homework.

With her real abilities, getting into a decent college was a pipe dream.

She didn't care about the exam, so she wanted to drag the whole class down with her.

I wasn't about to interfere. If I tried to stop them, they would only turn on me and blame me for ruining their fun.

I sent one final message:

Not coming.

Then, I left the group chat without a second thought.

I had zero interest in keeping in touch with these toxic people anyway.

Seconds later, my phone buzzed with an incoming call from Carter.

His voice crackled through the speaker, thick with fury.

"Harper, do you really have to embarrass me like this? Lilah was nice enough to invite you, and you treat her like garbage?!"

Behind him, Lilah's whiny voice drifted through the line.

"If Harper isn't coming, she's probably secretly studying at home all by herself..."

Carter immediately took on a commanding tone.

"Harper, the test is tomorrow morning. Drop the Miss Goody Two-Shoes act!"

I had always thought that growing up together meant our bond had some real weight to it.

Turns out, it was worthless.

My voice remained ice-cold.

"I need to prepare for the test. Have fun at your party."

If you want to gamble your future away, go ahead. I hope you enjoy every second of it.

Carter went silent for a few seconds before snarling.

"Fine! Since you want to act so high and mighty, don't expect me to give a damn about you ever again!"

I hung up and picked up my flashcards.

In this life, I was aiming for the top Ivy League schools.

At 11:30 PM, I put away my notes and got ready for bed. Before sleeping, I saw Carter post a photo on his story.

A bunch of them were clinking wine glasses, faces flushed with alcohol.

Almost everyone from our honors class was there, except me.

His caption read:

Forget the party-pooper. It feels amazing to be surrounded by the people who actually matter.

The next morning, I arrived at the SAT test center right on time.

It wasn't early, but half our class was still missing.

The ones who did show up looked pale and exhausted, clearly suffering from severe hangovers.

Carter was repeatedly rubbing his temples, grimacing in pain.

The gates to the testing center opened, and students began lining up to show their admission tickets and photo IDs.

The moment I stepped into line, Carter grabbed Lilah's hand and shoved past me, cutting right in front.

Lilah turned around and stuck her tongue out at me.

"Sorry, Harper! We want to get in first!"

I glanced at Carter's backpack, staying quiet.

Carter took my silence as submission. He gave me a smug, arrogant grin, pulling out a white envelope from his front pocket.

"Harper, Lilah and I are going to the same college. You better not try to bully her in the future."

The next second, the smirk on his face froze completely.