Chapter 1

The fluorescent lights of Northwood High' s hallway hummed, a sound I thought I' d never hear again, not like this, not as a seventeen-year-old.

It was the first day of senior year, again.

The metallic scent of old lockers, the squeak of sneakers on linoleum, it all rushed back.

But this time, I wasn't the naive Sarah Miller, head over heels for Kevin Johnson.

This time, I knew.

I knew about the SAT scores he' d "accidentally" mess up, costing me my first choice college.

I knew about the National Scholars Tournament, the scholarship I' d lose because he' d ensure I missed the deadline, all for Tiffany Hayes, the new girl who hadn't even arrived yet.

And I knew, with a cold dread that settled deep in my bones, about the "favor" he'd ask for Tiffany, a medical procedure that would leave me with chronic pain for years, while his life with her eventually crumbled anyway.

My past life, a miserable, derailed existence, flashed before my eyes.

No more.

"Sarah! Hey!"

Kevin Johnson' s voice, still smooth, still carrying that easy charm that once made my heart flip, cut through my thoughts.

He leaned against the lockers, all popular athlete confidence, a grin plastered on his face.

"Homecoming is next month, figured we'd make it official, you know? You, me, king and queen."

He winked, expecting me to melt.

In my previous life, I would have. I would have blushed and stammered a yes.

This time, I looked him straight in the eye, my voice calm, devoid of the adoration he expected.

"No, Kevin."

His grin faltered, confusion clouding his features.

"What? What do you mean, no?"

"I mean no, I won't go to Homecoming with you, and no, we're not making anything official."

I remembered the countless nights I cried over him, the opportunities I lost, the health I sacrificed.

The bitterness was a solid lump in my throat, but my voice remained steady.

He pushed himself off the lockers, his posture shifting from confident to affronted.

"Are you serious? Sarah, it's me."

As if "him" was a prize I should be grateful for.

"I am serious, Kevin. I'm focusing on myself this year, my studies, my future."

A future he had systematically helped destroy once before.

His face darkened, the charm evaporating, replaced by a petulant anger I knew all too well.

"Fine. If that's how you want to be, then give me back my stuff."

I almost laughed. "Your stuff?"

"Yeah, my varsity jersey, the concert tickets we saved, all of it. If we're done, then we're done."

He was trying to wound me, to make me feel the loss of "us."

But all I felt was a strange sense of liberation.

"Okay," I said, my tone even. "I'll bring them to your house later today."

I pulled out my wallet and took out a twenty-dollar bill.

"And this is for any miscellaneous things, snacks, movie tickets, whatever. Consider us even."

I placed the bill in his hand, his fingers slack with surprise.

Then I turned and walked away, leaving Kevin Johnson standing there, stunned and, for the first time I could ever recall, utterly speechless.

The weight of a thousand past regrets began to lift. This was my second chance, and I wasn't going to waste it.