His face was pale, drenched in sweat.
When he looked up and saw me, he assumed I was worried about my classmates and rushed to reassure me.
"Don't be scared. It might not be anyone from your class. I'm heading over now—and even if it is them, I'll do everything I can to get them back on their feet. I won't let anything interfere with tomorrow's exam."
I looked at my father's anxious face, and my mind drifted to my previous life.
Back then, I'd been so worried that my classmates had actually gone out drinking that I'd dragged my father to the school bus stop with me the next morning. I just wanted him nearby in case someone showed up hungover—he could help them recover quickly.
But those ungrateful bastards had turned around and told everyone the same lie: that my father had come to help me threaten them.
That lie was why those deranged internet vigilantes—claiming to avenge Roger—had shown up at our door.
That lie was why my family was dead.
Not this time.
This time, I would never let my father get dragged into this mess.
The next morning, I ate the breakfast my father made with his own hands, then took the bus to school.
The minutes ticked closer to departure time, but the pickup point for the college entrance exam shuttle was eerily quiet.
The teachers' expressions grew darker by the second.
"What's going on? Is the Elite Track planning to skip the exam entirely?"
Mr. Bennett rushed over, looking like he hadn't slept in days. Behind him trailed a handful of students, their faces ashen.
The moment they saw me, their eyes darted away—guilty, regretful.
Principal Harrington's face was thunderous as he listened to Mr. Bennett's stammering explanation. His fury finally boiled over.
"I told you—told you—to watch what you eat before the exam! To get proper rest! And what do you do? Go out drinking at a bar the night before?!"
"Now only five of you can even sit for the exam! The rest are in the hospital getting their stomachs pumped—and some are in the ICU?!"
"Have you all lost your minds? You want to destroy your own futures, fine—but did you have to take my career down with you?!"
His shouting drew the attention of nearby parents and reporters.
"Good lord. We're over here cooking every meal with surgical precision, and these kids go and drink themselves into alcohol poisoning."
"Going out partying and drinking right before the biggest exam of their lives? Some 'academic elite.' They're no better than delinquents."
"My kid's grades aren't anything special, but at least she knows how to take responsibility for herself. These top students' parents must be losing their minds."
"I've been in media for years, and I've never seen an entire class drink themselves out of taking the college entrance exam." The reporters raised their cameras.
Principal Harrington's face had gone from red to gray. He clutched his chest, voice cracking with despair. "I'm finished. The school is finished!"
Ms. Parker—who had always favored Samantha and Roger—went pale. "Where are Samantha and Roger? They're our best shots at Stonebridge University!"
Mr. Bennett kept his head down, his voice rough. "We can't reach them. We've already called the police."
Principal Harrington staggered. His face darkened further, one hand pressed over his heart. Then his gaze landed on me, and something like hope flickered in his eyes.
"Daryl is a good kid—didn't get caught up in their nonsense. We might still salvage one Stonebridge acceptance this year."
I lowered my eyes, letting a look of regret cross my face. "Samantha was afraid I'd report her. She took my exam admission ticket. She still hasn't shown up... I might not be able to take the test."
Thud.
Principal Harrington collapsed.
Chaos erupted. Some rushed him to the hospital. Others herded the remaining students toward the exam site.
I boarded the bus. The atmosphere inside was suffocating. Someone had already started crying.
"My dad's going to kill me... I never should've gone to that bar..."
"What am I going to do? I'll never get into a top university now... This is all Roger's fault..."
I stared out the window, expression blank, listening to them weep.
Weren't you all geniuses? Didn't you say the exam was just a formality?
