Chapter 1

The last thing I remembered was pain, then cold, then nothing.

A fall, an accident, after Tiffany Vance and her new boyfriend cornered me at our high school reunion.

Years after Mark Olsen and Tiffany had destroyed my life the first time.

Now, my eyes snapped open.

Sunlight. My old bedroom.

The "Hang in There" kitten poster I hadn't seen in over a decade.

I sat up, heart pounding. My hands, they were smooth, young.

I scrambled out of bed, to the mirror.

Staring back was seventeen-year-old Sarah Miller.

Senior year. Months before the SATs, before college applications.

Before Mark and Tiffany.

No. Not before.

A cold dread washed over me. If I was back, what about them?

The thought was a punch to the gut.

My first life, they ruined it. Mark, my childhood friend, and Tiffany, his queen bee girlfriend.

He blamed me for getting them in trouble, for "snitching" about them skipping class, drinking.

It got him benched from a key football game, scouts were there.

His revenge was vicious.

They doctored photos, created a fake social media profile. Spread rumors. Promiscuous. Cheater.

I lost my scholarship interview. My record was trashed. Community college. Dead-end jobs.

The reunion. Tiffany, still vindictive. Her thug boyfriend. The shove. My death.

I was reborn.

This was a second chance. A chance to fight. A chance for MIT.

But if I was back...

The school bell. I was late.

I threw on clothes, grabbed my backpack, ran.

The hallways of Northwood High buzzed. Familiar, yet alien.

Then I saw them.

Mark Olsen, leaning against the lockers, Tiffany Vance practically draped over him.

They looked... smug. Too smug.

Mark caught my eye. A flicker. Not surprise. Recognition.

A cold, knowing smirk spread across his face.

Tiffany turned, her eyes, usually just vapid, held a sharp, predatory glint. She whispered something to Mark. They both laughed.

They knew. They were back too.

My blood ran cold. This wasn't just a second chance.

It was round two.

The morning announcements crackled over the PA system.

Principal Thompson' s voice: "...and a big welcome back to all our students! Let's make this a great senior year!"

Great. Just great.

Later, at the first pep rally of the year, the cheerleaders finished their routine.

The gym was loud, hot.

Suddenly, Mark Olsen grabbed the microphone from a stunned cheerleader.

"Yo, Northwood!" he yelled, swaggering to the center of the court.

Tiffany beamed from the bleachers, preening.

"I've got a very important question for a very special lady!"

He dropped to one knee, a ridiculously oversized plastic ring in his hand.

"Tiffany Vance! You made my past life amazing, and I know you'll make this one even better! Will you go to prom with me, again, and forever?"

The crowd, mostly freshmen and sophomores who didn't know their history, "awed" and cheered.

Tiffany shrieked, "Yes! Oh, Mark, yes!"

She ran down, they embraced in a disgustingly public kiss.

I watched from the top bleacher, my stomach churning.

"Past life?" He actually said "past life."

He wasn't even trying to be subtle. He was flaunting it.

Their delusion was astounding. They thought this "reborn" status was a VIP pass to success.

Mark, who lost his athletic scholarship first time around due to his laziness. Tiffany, who only cared about status.

They thought they could just waltz back in and claim everything.

He caught my eye again, over Tiffany' s shoulder. That same arrogant smirk.

A challenge.

Fine. Challenge accepted.

This time, I wouldn't break. This time, I would win.