Second Life, Different Choice

The day we submitted our college applications, the school beauty, Hayley Law, suggested we all go rafting to unwind.

Every single person in class raised their hand in agreement.

In my previous life, as the class monitor, I did everything I could to stop them. Wild rafting was far too dangerous. Without any safety measures in place, accidents could easily happen.

In the end, everyone made it back safely and got into the colleges they wanted.

But before the semester even started, news came that Hayley had gone rafting alone, slipped into the water, and drowned.

When Terry Vargas, my boyfriend and the most popular guy in school, heard what happened, he took the lead in organizing a memorial at sea.

Then, when the waves were at their worst, he shoved me into the ocean.

Later, when the police questioned them, they all told the same story as if they had planned it.

"Katrina insisted on a sea burial for Hayley. During the storm, she got swept away by the waves and disappeared."

They even produced fake evidence to clear Terry's name.

My parents were shattered. They went to Terry again and again, desperate for the truth, but he had them set up and locked away in a mental institution, where they were tormented to death.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day Hayley first suggested the rafting trip.

I stood there quietly, watching my classmates pile into the bus she had rented, heading off to that same reckless trip.

This time, I would just look out for myself.

The light in front of me dimmed, fading out bit by bit, until the crashing waves swallowed my weak cries whole.

I reached out, fingers straining for the life ring just a few feet away, only to see Terry Vargas step in and puncture it with a needle, destroying my last chance.

His eyes burned with hatred as he stared me down.

"You killed the girl I loved most. I hope you enjoy this living hell."

When he saw me stop fighting, finally going still, he turned and walked away, satisfied.

A sharp pinch twisted into my arm, and I slowly opened my eyes.

"Katrina, why are you just sitting there? You've been ignoring us forever!"

"Hayley was nice enough to suggest a rafting trip for the whole class, and you're over here with that attitude. You really think you're something, huh?"

"I heard you messed up your answer sheet during the exam. Instead of owning it, now you're taking it out on us?"

The complaints buzzed around me, and I froze.

It hit me all at once. I was back to the day we filled out our college applications.

I bit my lip hard and forced myself to steady.

"The exams are over. We get that you're upset, Katrina, but you can't stop everyone else from having some fun."

Hayley Law, the campus beauty, frowned slightly, looking at me like she didn't know what to do.

Terry stepped in front of her without hesitation, shielding her as he shot me a mocking look.

"You practiced hundreds of times and still messed up your answer sheet? With nerves like that, you could repeat a few more years and still end up the same! Honestly, you should just give up now. Getting into any school at all would already be a win for you."

The others jumped in right away, laughing along with him.

Right before the exam, Terry, the most popular guy in school, broke up with me.

The pendant hanging around Hayley's neck caught my eye, almost like it was laughing at me, too.

I climbed thousands of steps to a hillside chapel before his SAT, just to get him a good-luck charm, praying it would help him.

At that moment, my mind went completely blank.

I forced myself to focus on the test, but my vision blurred with tears. When I filled in the answer sheet, I shifted one line off without realizing it.

By the time the 15-minute warning sounded, I saw the blanks and scrambled to fix everything.

Hayley had watched the whole thing. After the exam, she made sure to mock me in the class group chat for everyone to see.

My fist clenched without me noticing, nails digging into my palm until the sting snapped me back.

I gave a small nod.

"Hayley's right. Now that the exams are over, it makes sense to relax. I'll sit this one out."

When I didn't blow up the way they expected, their interest in making fun of me faded fast.

They turned away, crowding around Hayley to talk about where to go.

"I heard the spot near Hayley's place is super quiet, and the water's really clear. Sounds perfect."

Quiet and clear, sure.

But it wasn't an official site. There were no safety measures, no protection. The news had warned about places like that more times than I could count.

In my last life, I had tried everything to stop them, just to keep everyone safe.

This time, I wasn't getting involved.

I turned to leave.

Terry suddenly grabbed my backpack and yanked me back.

"Katrina, you're the class monitor. You're coming with us."