Chapter 5: Top of the Class, Bottom of the List

I was placed in the honors class and ended up sitting next to Carter Lin.

He was the kind of kid teachers loved—quiet, polite, always prepared. He wore wire-rimmed glasses and carried a stack of textbooks everywhere he went. I remembered him from my last life, and I knew he was my ticket out.

I remembered Carter well from my last life—he was the top student at Maple Heights High, always ranked first, and later got into MIT for aerospace engineering.

He was a legend, even back then. People whispered about his perfect SAT scores, his science fair trophies, his early admission letters. He was the one everyone wanted to beat, but no one ever could.

Before I lost contact with the outside world in my previous life, I’d seen the news about him becoming the youngest deputy chief engineer in the country.

He was on the front page of every major newspaper—“Local Boy Makes Good.” I clipped the articles, dreaming of a life where I could be free like him.

My mom’s company was getting on track, but it still wasn’t enough.

We had a few clients, a trickle of revenue, but nothing that could stand up to the Whitakers. I needed more—more connections, more skills, more time.

Carter came from a family of aerospace experts. I planned to follow his lead into the aerospace field.

His dad worked at NASA, his mom taught physics at the university. If I could get close to Carter, maybe I could find a way into their world.

Once I became a nationally recognized talent, I’d have an extra layer of protection.

It was a long shot, but it was the best plan I had. If I became indispensable, even the Whitakers would have to think twice before crossing me.

That way, I wouldn’t end up like last time, when Mason hacked my college application and forced me to enroll at a university in Maple Heights.

He’d hacked into my account, switched my choices, and trapped me in his web. This time, I was determined to break free.

“Hey, I’m Emmy Whitaker. You’re Carter, right? Top of the class?”

I flashed him a friendly smile, hoping to break the ice. He barely glanced up from his notebook, his expression unreadable.

“Mm.”

His response was barely more than a grunt. He scribbled something in the margin of his calculus book, not even bothering to look at me. I stifled a laugh—he was exactly as I remembered.

So cold...

But that’s okay. I’m definitely sticking with him.

I made a silent promise to myself. If I had to camp outside his house to study, I would. Nothing was going to stop me this time.

After the first period, Mason ran to my class.

He burst through the door, ignoring the teacher’s warning look. His eyes searched the room until they landed on me. For a second, I saw a flash of something dark, but it vanished as quickly as it came.

“Emmy, how’s the new class? You getting used to it?”

He plopped down in the seat in front of me, grinning like we’d been apart for years. His voice was loud enough for half the class to hear.

He sat in front of me, patted my head, and put a big bag of snacks on my desk.

The snacks were all my favorites—cheddar popcorn, sour gummy worms, a pack of Oreos. He ruffled my hair, acting every bit the doting big brother. The girls at the next table giggled, whispering behind their hands.

“It’s great, thanks, Mason.”

I lowered my eyes, playing the part of the shy, obedient sister. My voice was soft, almost timid. I could feel Carter watching us, his brow furrowed in confusion.

I slipped into my meek-at-home act, which caught Carter’s attention. Just moments ago, I’d been seriously discussing physics competition problems with him.

He glanced between me and Mason, clearly puzzled by the sudden shift. I forced myself to keep smiling, even as my stomach twisted with unease.

“Good, then. I’ll wait for you at the school gate after class. If anyone bothers you, come find me right away.”

He winked at me, his tone playful but with an edge I couldn’t quite place. The message was clear: I belonged to him, and everyone else needed to back off.

“Okay.”

I nodded, clutching the bag of snacks like a lifeline. I could feel eyes on me from all sides, but I kept my head down, pretending not to notice.

Over the years, I’d grown more and more withdrawn, making the Whitakers look bad more than once.

I skipped family events, avoided school dances, turned down every invitation. Mrs. Whitaker complained to her friends, blaming my “sensitive temperament.” Dad just shrugged and said I was a late bloomer.

I wasn’t their real daughter, and I wasn’t the image they wanted, so I wasn’t exactly cherished.

I was an afterthought, a shadow in the family photos. No one noticed when I disappeared for hours, or when I stopped coming home for dinner.

I made it through my first year of high school without any real trouble. Maybe because top students recognize each other, my relationship with Carter gradually improved.

We started studying together after school, swapping notes and challenging each other with extra problems. He opened up, just a little—enough for me to see the person behind the perfect grades.