Chapter 1The Valedictorian’s "Reformed" Bad Girl

Just a few days ago, I was making out with Julian’s rival, but now he wanted me to seduce our class president, Noah Miller.

Why? Because Noah was the guy the girl Julian actually liked had a crush on.

In my past life, I caused Noah to miss his SATs and ruined his bright future.

In this life, I dyed my hair back to black, put on a modest maxi dress, and sat quietly next to him.

"Class President, tutor me so we can go to Stanford together!"

Later, when Noah and I were constantly seen together, Julian went insane with jealousy. "Maya, hasn't this little acting game gone on long enough?"

Noah wrapped his arm around my waist and sneered, "Is this the idiot who got a 3 on his AP Physics exam? Maya, stay away from him. Stupidity is contagious."

* * *

I realized I was back in the plot of a trashy, angsty high-school drama novel. I was the stereotypical "fallen" popular girl—skipping class, smoking, and destined for a botched abortion.

Right now, Julian Chase had me pinned against the door of a stall in the boys' bathroom, kissing me aggressively.

His kiss was urgent and rough. His hand slipped toward my collar, popping two buttons off my school polo.

The reason? Today, Chloe Evans had rejected his confession.

She told him the truth: the guy she actually liked was our class president, Noah Miller.

Julian was the school’s resident bad boy. He was rebellious, handsome, and had dated nearly every pretty girl in our grade. This was the first time he had fallen hard, and it was for a timid, innocent "good girl" who didn't want him.

He had a fire in his chest and nowhere to vent it.

So, right after the bell rang, he dragged me into the boys' bathroom and kissed me like he was starving.

In my past life, I gave him my first time in this cramped, filthy place.

Later, after an accidental pregnancy, I bled to death on an operating table in a sketchy clinic trying to get an abortion.

Thinking of that, I immediately brought my knee up and slammed it between his legs.

The lust-filled teenage boy let out a pathetic squeal of pain. "Maya! What the hell are you doing?!"

I glared at him. "It's dirty in here!"

Julian grimaced, glancing around the bathroom, and clicked his tongue impatiently. "Tsk, fine. We'll go somewhere else next time. Happy?"

"Julian, I meant you. You are dirty!" I scrubbed the back of my hand fiercely over the lips he had just kissed, looking at him with pure disgust.

Then, I kicked the stall door open and walked out. I didn't want to spend another second breathing the same air as him.

Julian’s eyes widened in disbelief. "Maya, what are you playing at? Weren't you just telling me how good my kisses were?"

"What, did you get too into character when I told you to seduce Noah?"

"You're a psycho!" I was too busy rushing back to my locker to grab mouthwash to care about his bruised ego.

It was study hall.

When I walked into the classroom, several classmates turned to look at me.

I sat back in my seat, feeling a bit uncomfortable. Seeing the desk next to me was empty, I turned to ask the guy sitting behind me, Tyler, "Where's Noah?"

"Called to the principal's office."

"What for?"

Tyler's eyes went wide. "Do you have amnesia? Midterms just came out. Noah dropped over four hundred ranks! Of course he's getting a talking-to."

"What?!"

The memories of my past life flooded back.

On the day of midterms, I had fainted from low blood sugar and was sent to the nurse's office.

When I groggily woke up, I saw Noah sitting rigidly in a chair beside my bed.

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be taking a test right now?"

"I turned in a blank scantron."

Noah's voice was completely flat, as if he were stating a boring fact.

He leaned over to tuck the blanket around me and asked, "Are you feeling sick anywhere else?"

"I'm dizzy!" I intentionally made things difficult for him. "Noah, I want candy. The artisan pear and osmanthus hard candies from that shop across town."

"Okay."

He didn't hesitate. He got up and left to buy them.

Later, when the midterm ranks were posted, he scored a zero on his science composite. For the first time ever, he fell from the number one spot to rank 400. Because he had skipped school by jumping the fence to get my candy, the disciplinary committee gave him a major infraction.

Back then, I had thought maliciously:

Good. The golden boy is dragged down into the mud.

The teachers who love him most will start to hate him.

Julian will be so happy.

But now...

"Principal Davis! I'm sorry, it's all my fault!"

I burst into the office, panting, and bowed deeply to the principal.

"I was the one who stopped Noah from taking the test! I made him jump the fence to buy me things! He's a perfect student who follows the rules. I threatened him! I told him if he didn't listen to me, I'd have older guys from outside school beat him up."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Davis! Put the infraction on my record. He's going to an Ivy League school! He can't have a stain on his transcript!"

I was already the school's notorious bad girl. Me doing something terrible wasn't surprising.

The principal didn't doubt me. He sent Noah back to class and then gave me a brutal scolding.

He told me Noah was a once-in-a-century genius, the pride and hope of the school, with a limitless future.

He told me that trash like me needed to stay far away from him.

I shouldn't be a stumbling block on his bright, shining path.

I nodded sincerely and agreed to every word.

The consequences of doing the opposite...

I had already learned them the hard way in my last life.

When I walked out of the office door, Noah's cool voice drifted from behind me. "Why did you lie for me?"

I turned to look at him.

He hadn't left. He had been waiting for me the whole time.

The summer breeze swept through the hallway, rustling the hair on his forehead.

Those familiar eyes... usually as dark and still as a lake at night, but right now, they were strangely sparkling.

It felt like a flashback to my past life.

Julian and I had gotten careless, and I ended up pregnant. The school and my parents found out.

We had just turned nineteen, terrified and clueless.

The guidance counselor and my parents interrogated me, demanding to know who the father was.

I lied and said the baby was Noah's.

Julian hated Noah, so I had to hate Noah too.

Making him take the fall shouldn't be a big deal, right?

That was how I comforted myself.

The counselor obviously didn't believe my nonsense. He had absolute faith in Noah's character and furiously accused me of lying.

After all, my record was a mess, my morals were questionable, and I was a certified delinquent.

But when he actually brought Noah in to confront me...

Noah just looked at me quietly and said softly, "Maya isn't lying. It's mine."

I looked away, consumed by guilt. Meanwhile, Noah absorbed the screaming, the insults, and the physical blows from my parents.

The counselor looked like his world had collapsed, storming off in anger.

Noah received two major infractions. The school revoked his guaranteed admission to Stanford and gave it to the runner-up.

And on the day of the SATs, I died on an operating table.

Just like that midterm, he turned in a blank test.

...

"I'm sorry, Noah. I'm really, really sorry."

Emotions choked my throat, making my nose sting.

I offered him a heartfelt apology.

Noah frowned and walked toward me. "What did Principal Davis say to you?"

I forced my tears back. "He told me to stay away from you and stop bothering you."

"And you agreed?"

I nodded.

I had personally dragged Noah into hell.

I ruined his reputation, made him miss his SATs, and destroyed his future.

But now, there was still time.

As long as I drew a hard line and stayed far, far away from him, I wouldn't ruin him again.

There was still time.

Noah's gaze darkened. His fingers clenched and unclenched.

"Maya, since when does a rebel like you listen to teachers?"