Chapter 2

The cafeteria buzzed.

I sat alone, textbook open, forcing down a sandwich.

"Well, well, look who it is."

Jessica' s voice, like nails on a chalkboard.

She stood there, Mike smirking beside her, his arm around her waist.

Her tray clattered onto my table, splashing soda near my book.

"Oops, clumsy me," she said, not sounding sorry at all.

Mike chuckled. "Still hitting the books, Ash? Some things never change."

His eyes held a glint of something nasty.

"Unlike some people's grades, I hope," I said, not looking up.

Jessica gasped, offended. "Are you saying Mike' s dumb?"

"I'm saying I'm busy," I replied, my voice even. I moved my book.

"You know, Ash," Mike leaned in, his voice lower, "that ROTC physical is pretty tough. Be a shame if something... unexpected happened again."

My blood turned to ice.

The memory of the drugged water, the failed test, the crushing disappointment, it all flooded back.

He was threatening me. Openly.

He thought he still had that power over me.

I finally looked up, meeting his gaze.

"It would be a shame, Mike," I said, my voice dangerously calm. "Especially if whoever caused it faced actual consequences this time."

His smirk faltered. Jessica tugged his arm.

"Come on, Mikey, don't waste your breath on her. She's just jealous."

She shot me a venomous look. "You'll never get that scholarship. You're not good enough. You never were."

They walked away, laughing, their arms linked.

My hands were shaking.

Not from fear. From rage.

Their arrogance. Their cruelty.

They thought they could just waltz back into this life and ruin me again.

No.

Not this time.

His threat, her words, they didn't break me.

They fueled me.

Every insult, every smirk, was another reason to push harder.

I would ace my SATs. I would pass that physical.

I would get everything I deserved.

And I would make sure they lost everything.

Later that week, I saw Mike in the library.

Not studying.

He was on a flashy new laptop, Jessica perched on his lap, giggling as they scrolled through what looked like designer websites.

In our first life, Mike was smart, if lazy. He could have done well.

But now, with his foreknowledge, he thought he didn't need to try.

He' d just coast on old memories, impress Jessica with money he probably conned his mom into giving him.

He was already sabotaging himself.

Good. Let him.

I had my own path.

Study. Train. Succeed.

And watch them burn.