Chapter 2:

Strategic Return

The morning after my impulsive visit to Josh’s room, I walked into the examination hall with calm confidence. As the top student in our year, I barely needed to revise. The calculus paper felt almost too easy. I finished well before the allotted time, double checking answers out of habit while other students around me scribbled frantically. When the invigilator collected my sheet, I smiled politely and left the hall feeling light.

Mia caught up with me outside, clutching her bag. “Emma! How did it go? You finished so early again. You are literally a genius. The rest of us were dying in there.”

I laughed,...