Before I could finish speaking, Maggie had already hurled my phone out the window.
Then, as the bus door hissed open, she snatched my exam admission ticket—my only way into the test—and ripped it to shreds.
“This is what traitors get. Now get the hell off!”
I stood there in shock before bolting off the bus, scrambling to gather my things. My phone was beyond damaged and so did my admission ticket… it was ripped to bits.
Inside the bus, everyone crowded the windows and flipped me off.
“Didn’t you say the exam was so important? What are you waiting for? Run!”
“Total embarrassment. Don’t you dare say you’re from the Sky University prep class ever again.”
“Let her take one subject. Let’s see how well Little Miss Perfect scores now.”
Their taunts persistently pierced through my ears.
Then, just as the bus peeled away, it hit a puddle—splashing me with a spray of muddy water. But as I stood there, watching them race further and further from the test center, something unexpected bubbled up inside me.
It was relief. It wouldn't be long before they'd be crying out loud. By then, it’d be too late to fix anything.
I tapped my smartwatch—the one they didn’t know I had—and called my mom. Then I ran, toward the test center.
In my last life, they had also taken my phone. But no one realized I had a backup plan. Mom picked up instantly. She didn’t even waste time asking questions. She turned the car around to get me while telling Dad to rush to reprint my exam pass.
Meanwhile, at the entrance exam my school's principal, teachers and parents had gathered around the waiting area. They were wondering why hadn't our bus here yet?
That’s when my dad’s call came in.
The principal’s face darkened after he listened to my story. He was so furious he nearly fainted on the spot.
“Tell me! How was I supposed to predict this? A whole bus of students ditching the exam to go ‘rescue’ someone?! Have they lost their minds?!”
“Call the local police out in the suburbs—do whatever it takes to get them back here now!”
The parents who overheard the chaos were stunned. Some went weak in the knees, others broke down crying.
“Who talked my son into this?! Who ruined his future?! I swear I’ll make them pay!”
“There must be some mistake. Their bus is probably just stuck in traffic. My Jesse’s always been such a good kid—he’d never do something this stupid!”
“What are you all standing around for?! Start looking for them!”
Soon the parents walked to their cars, all racing to pick up their children for Sky University's entrance exam.
The scene had drawn such a crowd that even the media got attracted.
"Going off to rescue someone at a time like this? Why won't they call the police? What kind of ‘genius’ does that? Those kids are completely brainless."
"I've been in the media for years and I’ve never seen someone ditch Sky U's entrance exam just to save someone else's life. Are we sure this isn't some kind of abduction?"
"Let’s follow them! A rescue and a possible kidnapping? That’s guaranteed trending material!"
Cameras had been raised. Reporters had followed the trail.
I happened to pass by those reporters as I headed to my exam building.
I glanced at my watch—exactly 9:00 a.m. A round trip from this place to the town's outskirts took a minimum of 35 minutes. For sure, my classmates were doomed.
At that time, my dad waited nearby the gates, clutching my exam admission ticket. When he saw me, he’d burst into tears of relief.
"Gabe… thank God you’re smart and level-headed. What would your mom and I have done if you weren’t?" Their fear had been real. After raising me for over a decade, this was the moment they'd been waiting for.
My teacher, eyes brimming with tears, had personally walked me to the entrance. "Do your best in there. You're the only hope our school have left."
In the exam room, I’d taken my seat. I’d calmed my breath. And I’d answered every question with unwavering focus.
But halfway through the exam, the quiet had been shattered by a wailing storm outside the school gates.
“We’re only an hour late! Why won’t you let us in?”
“We’re top students! Sky University material! You can't just throw our futures away!”
“If you don’t let us take the exam, who’s going to take responsibility for ruining our lives?!”
