Chapter 2

Downstairs, Liam paced by the door, phone to his ear.

"Jess, come on, we're going to be late."

He saw me. "Ava, finally. Jessica' s running a little behind, lost her lucky bracelet."

The same excuse.

Our carpool group, Mark, Sarah, and Chloe, sat on the couch, looking stressed.

"She says she can't take the test without it," Sarah said, wringing her hands.

"We should just go," I said in my first life, arguing, causing a scene.

We were late. The dominoes fell.

This time, I clutched my stomach.

"Guys, I feel awful," I said, my voice weak. The pouring rain outside helped my act.

"The stress, I guess. I think I'm going to be sick."

Liam frowned. "Seriously, Ava? Now?"

"There' s that school shuttle, right? The early one?" I asked, looking at the door. "The driver mentioned it yesterday. I should probably just take that, go ahead. I don't want to get worse or hold you all up if I need to, you know..."

I let the sentence hang.

"The shuttle? But it leaves, like, right now," Mark said.

"Yeah, and the driver was going on about flash floods on the main route," Liam scoffed. "Overdramatic."

I remembered that warning. I remembered the flood.

"I'll risk it," I said. "I really don't feel good. You guys wait for Jessica. I'll see you at the test center, hopefully."

Liam looked annoyed but shrugged. "Fine, whatever. Don't blame us if you get stuck somewhere."

"I won't," I said, grabbing my pre-packed bag, my MIT letter a comforting weight inside.

I walked out into the rain, leaving them to their choices.