Chapter 2

The next day at school, the air buzzed with pre-SAT tension and party gossip. I tried to focus, but the ghost of my past life haunted every corner.

As I was packing up after the last bell, Kevin appeared in the doorway of my classroom. Mark loitered behind him, a smirk plastered on his face.

"Miller," Kevin said, his tone hard. "A word."

I tensed. "What is it, Kevin?"

He strode towards me, his eyes narrowed. "You were weird last night. Telling me to go to Tiff's party. You're not going to call my parents, are you? Try to stop me?"

Mark snickered. "Yeah, Miller. Don't be a buzzkill."

"I already told you, Kevin. Go have fun," I said, trying to keep my voice steady.

He didn't look convinced. "You always try to control things."

He lunged, not at me, but at my backpack. He yanked it off my shoulder, the contents spilling onto the floor. Books, pens, my phone... and my SAT admission ticket.

"Hey!" I yelled, scrambling for my things.

He snatched the ticket before I could. "What's this? Still planning on taking it?"

"Give it back, Kevin!" I reached for it, my heart pounding. That ticket was my future, or so I thought.

He held it high. "Why? So you can follow me to some fancy college? You just can't let go, can you?"

"It's my test!" I pleaded, desperation rising.

His eyes flickered, a moment of something, maybe doubt. But Mark chimed in.

"Don't let her guilt trip you, Kev. She's trying to mess with your head."

Kevin's face hardened again. We struggled for the paper. My fingers brushed it, then his.

Rip.

The ticket tore in half.

He stared at the two pieces in his hand, then shoved them at me.

"See what you made me do?" he snarled. "This is your fault for trying to control me!"

He and Mark stormed out, their laughter echoing down the empty hallway.

I sank to my knees, the torn pieces of paper clutched in my hand. The edges were jagged, like the broken pieces of my past life.

Tears welled, hot and bitter. It felt like it was happening all over again, that sense of doom.

But then, a different thought cut through the despair.

UC Berkeley.

I' d almost forgotten. Weeks ago, I' d received a full scholarship offer for their engineering program. It was my backup, a safety net I' d secured just in case.

At the time, I was still focused on the same Ivy League dreams as Kevin. But now...

I stood up, wiping my eyes. I picked up my scattered belongings, leaving the torn ticket on the floor.

I walked straight to Ms. Evans' office, the guidance counselor.

"Ms. Evans," I said, my voice surprisingly firm. "I'd like to formally accept the scholarship offer from UC Berkeley."

She looked up, surprised. "Sarah! That's wonderful news. But what about...?" She trailed off, knowing about my previous ambitions, my history with Kevin.

"Berkeley is where I want to be," I said.

Later that evening, I told my parents. David and Linda Miller exchanged a look. I saw relief in their eyes, a subtle easing of tension I hadn't noticed before.

"That's great, honey," Dad said, his smile genuine. "Berkeley has an amazing engineering program."

Mom hugged me. "We're so proud of you, Sarah. Whatever you choose."

They were relieved I wasn't pinning all my hopes on the same path as Kevin. They didn't know the half of it.

A new path. Maybe this time, it would lead somewhere different. Somewhere safe.