Chapter 2

I walked back to the classroom just as morning homeroom was starting.

Serena was standing at the podium, holding my physics worksheet.

"Take a good look, everyone. This is the work of our former number-one student."

She held my paper up high.

"She couldn't even draw a basic force diagram correctly on the last bonus question."

"Chloe, is your brain turning to mush?"

The classroom erupted into a wave of laughter.

Naomi swaggered over and swept my backpack off my desk, letting it crash to the floor.

"Serena is trying to teach you how to do the math. You should be groveling in gratitude."

I bent down, picked up my backpack, and patted off the dust.

"Serena, do you actually understand physics?" I asked, tucking the early admission form inside my textbook and looking up at her.

Serena’s face stiffened.

"Cut the crap. I got a perfect score!"

"Then let me ask you: how do you determine the direction of the Lorentz force?"

The classroom fell dead silent.

Serena opened her mouth, but not a single word came out.

Her face flushed a deep, angry red.

"Why should I have to answer your stupid questions?" she snapped, trying desperately to save face.

"You’re a loser who just got beaten by me. You don't have the right to test me!"

"Exactly! Serena doesn't waste her breath on losers!" Naomi chimed in quickly.

I didn't bother arguing. I just sat down.

Serena really didn't know a thing.

She still slept through classes and scrolled through TikTok all day.

She couldn't even memorize basic formulas.

She relied entirely on her cheat system to automatically rewrite her grades when the papers were graded.

But I wasn't in a hurry.

The higher you climb, the harder you fall.

I pulled out my pen and solemnly signed my name on the early admission form.

Over the next few weeks, I completely checked out.

I slept through lectures and read web novels in class.

I didn't write a single word of the homework assignments.

Then came the fourth mock exam.

I deliberately scribbled nonsense on my paper and handed in a blank sheet.

When the results were posted, the entire school went wild.

My total score was a flat 0.

Mr. Harrison dragged me into his office and screamed at me until he was red in the face.

"Chloe! What on earth are you doing?!"

"Your early admission hasn't even been officially processed yet, and you're already throwing your life away?!"

I kept my head down, pretending to be meek and apologetic.

But in my head, I was counting down the seconds.

Right on cue, the office door was violently slammed open.

Serena burst in, clutching her report card, her face a mask of pure panic.

"Mr. Harrison! There has to be a mistake on this report card!"

Her voice was shrill, laced with terror.

Mr. Harrison frowned.

"What's wrong, Serena?"

He glanced at his computer screen.

"A total score of... thirty?"

"Ranked second to last in the entire school?"