Chapter 2

I woke up.

The lurch of a bus.

Mark' s voice, arguing with the driver.

"Just a few more minutes, Jessie will be here."

The same words, the same moment.

Washington D.C. The competition.

A severe thunderstorm was brewing outside, the sky dark and angry.

I was back, moments before they were due to leave.

This time, I knew.

And this time, things would be different.

I had a secret, a powerful one.

A full-ride scholarship to Stanford University.

Won months ago at the National Debate Championship.

This "American Innovators" competition meant nothing for my personal future.

But for everyone else on this bus, it was everything.

Their only shot.