Chapter 3: A Different Path for Sarah

'Ryan, wake up. Your classmate came to see you.'

When I opened my eyes again, I was already lying on a hospital bed, getting an IV. The ceiling tiles above me spun slowly, the antiseptic smell sharp in my nose. I reached up, self-conscious, suddenly aware of the hospital gown bunched at my shoulders and my hair sticking up in all directions. Did I look as pathetic as I felt? Was Sarah here out of pity?

Sarah, whom I had messaged, stood awkwardly at the door of the room. She clutched my homework folder, her backpack slung over one shoulder, shifting from foot to foot.

'Mrs. Carter, hello, I’m Sarah. Ryan messaged me saying he was sick and asked me to help hand in his homework.'

After all these years, seeing this gentle and well-behaved girl again made my heart ache. Her brown hair was pulled into a neat braid, her glasses slightly fogged from the cold outside.

It’s good—this time, she wouldn’t get dragged into trouble because of me. I could see the relief and the concern mingling on her face, and I was grateful she’d come.

'Good girl, come in. Let me get you some fruit. Sorry to trouble you.'

My mom warmly invited Sarah in. She smoothed the blanket over my legs, fussing in that way moms do, always wanting to feed someone.

Sarah quickly waved her hand. 'Thank you, Mrs. Carter, but there’s no need. I still have to go to school.' Her cheeks pinked with embarrassment.

Sarah lives in the next neighborhood over, so we usually take the same route to school.

To save time, we always took a shortcut straight to school. It wound through the backwoods and old baseball field, a path only locals knew.

But today, Emily would be dragged into the woods by Jason on that shortcut.

In my previous life, Sarah was the kind classmate who called the cops for me.

She also secretly recorded a video as evidence. Otherwise, on that path with no security cameras, it would have been hard to defend my rights.

Afterwards, Sarah was severely harassed by Jason’s friends and his grandmother. They sent nasty notes, spread rumors, even slashed her family’s tires. She started flinching at every knock on the door.

When I woke up from the ICU and wanted to thank her, the top student had already been forced to drop out and was taken away by her mother to another city. We lost contact after that. I remembered the empty desk beside mine, the ache of loss sharper than my injuries.

So, pretending to be sick was not just to avoid Emily and Jason, that pair who were both willing participants.

It was also to give Sarah a reason to take a different route today.

Sarah is gentle, kind, and warm-hearted.

I was certain that after receiving my message, she would come to the hospital to help me.

This way, she would only take the main road from the hospital to school, and wouldn’t go back to the neighborhood or take the shortcut.

It’s good. In this life, both of us avoided those jerks. I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding, grateful to have spared Sarah that pain.