Chapter 2

On the bus, Brie slid next to me, offering a small, gaudily wrapped box.

"A little something, Sarah, to say sorry for, you know, everything."

It was probably a ten-dollar trinket. I didn't take it.

Kevin leaned over the seat, his face tight, "Seriously, Sarah? She's trying to be nice."

I just looked out the window.

One of The Elites, Jessica, cooed, "Brie, those pastries you brought are amazing! Such a morale booster!"

Brie beamed, "Only the best for my friends!"

She' d brought a box from a high-end bakery, a calculated move to buy loyalty.

Then the bus stopped. Dead still.

Traffic, miles of it. Red lights stretching into the gloom.

The driver got on his radio, then turned to us, his face grim.

"Main highway's closed, flash flooding. Side roads are jammed. We're not making that exam, kids. No way."

Panic erupted. Shouts, accusations.

In my past life, my mother, resourceful and desperate, had arranged a private convoy of SUVs to get us through. They' d taken her help, then spat on her memory.

This time, I stayed silent, watching.

Brie clapped her hands, "Guys, guys! I know a shortcut! My dad used to take it all the time. It cuts right through the old county roads."

Kevin looked at her, adoration in his eyes, "Brie, you're a lifesaver!"

The Elites cheered.

I knew that "shortcut." It wound through low-lying areas, prone to even worse flooding.

Perfect.