His Thoughts, Her Weapon

The familiar AP Computer Science lab hummed, a painful reminder of last year's public humiliation. My innovative app, once celebrated, shockingly showed abysmal results, while my boyfriend Ethan and Brittany unveiled an identical project, claiming victory. My mentor' s disbelief, the principal' s shame, and my parents' crushing humiliation broke me. Accused of fabrication, I spiraled into a dark, isolating breakdown. Now, back in the lab for senior year, the wound still fresh, Ethan sat beside me, his voice a disarming lull. Then, a thought, loud and sickeningly clear, echoed in my mind: "Keep coding, Maya! Every line brings me and Brittany closer to that MIT scholarship! Haha!" My blood froze; this wasn't clairvoyance, but a chilling memory of his internal monologue, played just for me. My dream, stolen by them, confirmed by his own mind - how was this possible? The origin of this bizarre ability didn't matter; knowing the truth, I suddenly had a second chance. They' d made their move, but they had no idea who they were truly dealing with this time.