Rewriting My Score

I forgot to bring a No. 2 pencil, so I filled out my SAT exam with a red pen.

The proctor warned me it would count as cheating, and I just shrugged and told him it didn't matter.

Tyson Jenkins, the school heartthrob who ranked near the bottom of the class, suddenly got anxious.

In my last life, we went back to school to pick up our acceptance letters.

I already had a guaranteed spot at Kingsford University. And yet, I was the only one who didn't receive a letter.

Tyson had used a system to swap our exam scores.

Because my score showed up as zero, Kingsford University revoked my guaranteed admission.

I demanded a review of the scoring, but Tyson, who had suddenly become the top scorer out of nowhere, sneered at me.

"Kieran, couldn't cheat your way through the exam this time, huh? Everyone knows you only got that guaranteed spot by cheating. You've got some nerve playing the victim!"

I went to our homeroom teacher to clear my name.

I never expected her to cry on camera and say, "I tried to talk Kieran out of it in private. It's not fair to the other students if he does something like that, but he used his family's influence to pressure me into staying out of it."

Overnight, I was at the center of a storm.

Before I could even explain, a group of fanatics dragged me up to the roof and shoved me off.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day before the exam.

"Big day tomorrow, so try to relax. I hope every one of you pulls off a miracle."

The moment I saw the teacher standing at the podium, my chest tightened.

I couldn't believe it. I had been reborn on the day before Tyson Jenkins used his system to steal my SAT score.

"Please, let me be the one who shocks everyone this year."

"It's got to be Tyson. He's been grinding for three straight months."

Their voices blurred together.

Tyson gave a modest smile. "No way I can beat Kieran. He's already locked in at Kingsford University."

I was just about to say I wouldn't even be taking the exam, but Tyson beat me to it.

"Kieran, you're doing this with us, right? There are 56 people in this class. No one gets left out."

He had said the exact same thing in my last life.

I didn't have many friends to begin with. After getting guaranteed admission, people started treating me differently.

Tyson told me they just felt like I wasn't part of the group anymore since I didn't need to sit for the exam. He said if I joined more class activities, things would get better.

So when he asked me to take the exam with everyone else, I agreed without thinking. I just wanted to fit in.

I didn't realize I was walking straight into a trap.

Tyson needed me in that exam so he could use the system to switch our scores. He took my results and became the top scorer.

As for me, I got his blank paper.

A zero.

By the time I figured it out, my guaranteed admission was already gone.

I tried to explain. After my homeroom teacher Lydia Graham spoke to the media, however, they decided I must've cheated my way into that spot, too.

For three days straight, I got ripped apart online.

I went back to school, trying to find proof. Instead, I found them celebrating.

"Good thing you were ready, saying Kieran cheated!" Tyson said. "If they kept digging, they might've found out I used the system to swap scores."

Lydia laughed. "The system only works once. Of course, we had to make it airtight."

I kicked the door open and demanded to know why they did it.

Tyson barely looked at me.

"You're the one who had to show off with that guaranteed admission. I was just going to teach you a lesson. Now that you know, I can't let you walk away."

They tied me up, dragged me to the roof, and shoved me off.

I died on the spot.

The memory still made my body go cold.

I looked at Tyson now and let out a quiet, humorless laugh. "I already have a guaranteed spot. I'm not taking the exam."

He didn't expect that. His face darkened on the spot.

"You can't do that! We've been classmates for three years. You went behind everyone's back for that admission, and nobody said anything. If you skip the test, you're messing with everyone's head."

Paul Dittman, Tyson's lapdog, snorted.

"Figures. Took the easy way out and doesn't care about anyone else. That 'guaranteed admission' isn't even that impressive. Don't know what he's so proud of."

Right before I died last time, I found out that this whole idea that the guaranteed admission was some cheap shortcut came from Tyson.

People were already jealous. He just gave them the excuse they needed.

Paul slung an arm over Tyson's shoulder and smirked.

"If he won't take it, it just means he's scared. He's supposed to be a Kingsford admit. What if he scores lower than you after all that studying? That'd be humiliating!"

He shot me a look.

"Don't worry, Kieran. Even if you bomb it, Kingsford will still take you. Perks of being 'guaranteed,' right?"