Chapter 1The Girl Who Kept Her Ticket

Before high school graduation, the class's airheaded "prom queen" volunteered to hold onto everyone's exam admission tickets for safekeeping.

As the class president, I firmly refused. This annoyed my childhood friend, Carter:

"You're targeting her again."

I ignored him. On the day of the SATs, I personally checked everyone's IDs and tickets one by one to make sure there were no issues.

But the moment the prom queen got her hands on the tickets, she turned around and cried that I had lost hers.

Carter snatched my own admission ticket from my hand and tore it to shreds.

Before I could even get angry, I ran until my legs gave out, managing to get a replacement ticket printed just seconds before the bus left for the testing center.

But my classmates kicked me off the bus.

"You lost Bella's ticket. You don't deserve to take the test."

Using the study guide I had prepared for them, every single one of them got excellent scores.

I had no choice but to repeat the year. I became the top scorer in the state.

When the news interviewed me, Carter and my former classmates—now successful students at top universities—returned to our high school.

They presented fabricated evidence that I had cheated.

I couldn't defend myself. A student who had failed because of the cheating scandal poured gasoline on me and lit a match.

Carter watched me burn in agony, shielding Bella behind him.

Years later, after graduating from an Ivy League school, he gave Bella a multi-million dollar wedding. The whole class fought to be their groomsmen and bridesmaids.

When I opened my eyes again, I didn't hesitate. I handed all the admission tickets to the clumsy prom queen.

Except for mine.

* * *

"I just gave the protein bar you brought me to Bella. Do you have to target her like that?"

Carter’s annoyed voice rang in my ears.

"Bella is frail. With exams coming up, she needs the nutrition more than I do.

"You call yourself fair? Then let Bella hold onto the admission tickets! Stop being such a control freak!"

My hand tightened around my own ticket.

In my past life, Carter had backed Bella just like this.

I had fought with him, even dragging the homeroom teacher in to mediate so the tickets wouldn't fall into Bella's hands.

But my classmates immediately accused me of bullying Bella, saying I wasn't fit to be class president. They isolated me.

I had to beg them, one by one, to use the study guide I spent sleepless nights creating.

Those very questions helped students who were barely passing get into state universities.

But they didn't thank me. Instead, when the failed student doused me in gasoline, they deliberately called my parents to watch.

My parents watched me burn alive. Carter shielded Bella, laughing.

My parents couldn't take the shock and ran into the fire with me...

"Samantha, don't be too much..."

"Here."

I shoved the stack of admission tickets into Bella's hands, cutting Carter off.

Then I grabbed my backpack and turned to leave.

I didn't want to look at these people for a second longer.

I wouldn't step foot in this school again until exam day.

Bella gasped, clearly surprised that I had handed the tickets over so easily.

But just as I stepped out of the classroom, Carter grabbed my backpack strap and yanked me back.

"Wait. Where's your ticket?"

"I'm keeping it."

I pushed Carter away impatiently, but he wouldn't let go.

"No. We agreed everyone's tickets go to Bella for safekeeping. Yours too."

"Why?"

I clutched my ticket, putting distance between us.

"You guys want Bella to hold yours, I won't stop you. But I don't want to. Is there a problem with me keeping my own property?"

"Jesus, Sam, can you stop being jealous for five seconds?"

The gym rep, Mike, stepped up and grabbed my arm.

Other class officers joined in:

"Yeah, Bella is our class mascot. She just wants to do something nice. Why do you have to be so difficult?"

"As class president, you should trust your classmates. If we say Bella holds them, she holds them all. No exceptions!"

Mike snatched my ticket from my hand and tossed it to Carter.

I lunged for it, but the boys played keep-away, tossing my ticket back and forth over my head.

"Come on, Prez! Jump for it!"

"Haha, look at her hopping around like a dog!"

"Serves you right! Always bossing us around!"

I slammed my backpack onto the floor with a loud thud and stormed out the door.

Carter’s smile froze.

Someone whispered, "Is she crying?"

Carter frowned, looking in the direction I had gone.

I washed my face in the bathroom, hiding any trace of tears.

It didn't matter.

I looked at myself in the mirror.

If the ticket was gone, it was gone. I didn't want it.

There was still time to get a replacement.

But when I returned to the classroom, the first thing I heard was the sound of cards shuffling.

I rushed in and saw my classmates sitting in a circle, playing poker with the admission tickets.