I Won’t Stop Those Brats From Going To Famous Schools

In the final minute before the university application deadline, my boyfriend’s girl best friend, Makayla Jaycox, claimed she had an inside scoop from an admissions consultant. She said several elite universities had unexpected openings in their least popular majors due to insufficient applicants. So, they would likely accept students with low scores. Many students were swayed and actually planned to change their majors, hoping to get into those universities. In my past life, I stopped her instigation by threatening to report her. In the end, everyone submitted their original choices, and everyone was admitted to their chosen universities. But the very next day, news broke out that someone had indeed gotten into an elite university with a low score. A classmate who only got into a community college saw the news, went mad, and pushed me off a building. “It’s all your fault for stopping me from getting into a top school! You completely ruined my life!” I fell to my death and died in resentment. When the police came into our class to carry out an investigation, Makayla rallied the whole class to defend the killer. “My intel was correct, but she just had to go and crush everyone’s dreams of getting into a top university.” “Exactly! If it weren’t for her, I could’ve gotten into Harlad University! That trash deserved to die!” “She did it on purpose. She just couldn’t stand the thought of anyone doing better than her.” The entire class signed a petition for leniency, and the killer was also diagnosed with bipolar disorder. He was sent to a psychiatric facility instead of prison. Makayla took advantage of this by visiting him daily at the hospital and livestreaming it to build her kind and caring persona. She made a fortune out of it. When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the day Makayla urged everyone to change their universities and majors. Watching everyone cheer and dance in excitement, she smiled and said, “Go for it! Switch it up. Who knows? Shoot for the moon, and you might just land among the stars.” Chapter 1 At first, I did not understand why my boyfriend’s best friend, Makayla Jaycox, hated me so much. I finally learned the answer three months after my death. She went to the psychiatric hospital every day to fawn over the person who had killed me. She constantly urged him to kidnap my parents. My parents were beaten bloody, and all of their limbs were broken. She merely watched coldly and said cruelly, “I told them to change their majors to get into elite universities because I wanted fewer competitors. But that trash Sylvia had to go and ruin everything! “She got what she deserved. I heard you two still want to fight for her case. Don’t even think about it! Today, I’ll send you two old geezers straight to hell!” My parents let out heart-wrenching screams as they were drenched in gasoline. Flames consumed them while Makayla laughed maniacally. She clapped and cheered at the sight. She broadcast herself playing the role of a Good Samaritan, pretending she had coincidentally shown up and helped put out the blaze. My soul witnessed all of this. I cried out in agony, but it was utterly futile. The next second, a familiar accusatory voice rang in my ears. “Sylvia, can you just mind your own business? My intel is correct. Who do you think you are to stop everyone from changing their universities and majors?” I opened my eyes and looked at Makayla. She looked impatient. I was somewhat in a daze. “My dad’s the head of the State Department of Education. He told me that a bunch of elite schools didn’t fill their spots this year, and there are tons of openings. If we don’t switch our options now, it’ll be too late! “I’m clearly doing this for everyone’s good. Why shouldn’t we be allowed to change our majors if there’s a real chance to get into an elite university with a lower score?” “Sylvia, don’t be selfish,” my boyfriend, Clement Gale, said resentfully with a frown. “Sylvia, look, we put up with you being a control freak most of the time. We even give you some leeway because you’re the class president. “But do you seriously not get how huge this application decision is? What gives you the right to block us from a better future?” A better future? Yeah right. College application was already a brutal competition. It was survival of the fittest, but choosing a major was no less cutthroat. We came from a small town where there were not many good local universities. Most of my classmates were applying to universities out of state. Those out-of-state universities only had a limited number of spots for non-residents. If we aimed too high without a safety net, we could easily end up with no acceptances at all, or we might have to settle for a community college. In the past, I tried desperately to dissuade everyone because I did not want them to take that risk. I never expected that my entire family would end up dying horribly because of it. Seeing that I was silent, Makayla became impatient. She pointed at the clock and shouted, “The deadline is around the corner. If we don’t switch now, the chance to sneak into a top university with a lower score will be gone for good! “Don’t you all want to shoot your shot? Don’t you want to get into an elite university and make your families proud?” At that moment, a tall figure stepped forward and shoved me hard. He was none other than Kendrick Ziegler, the person who killed me in the past. His face was chubby and greasy, and he sprayed spittle as he jabbed a finger at my nose and hurled insults at me. “You trash! I see exactly what you’re doing! You’re scared that someone’s going to get into a better university than you, so you’re trying to sabotage us! “We can list up to twenty schools on our application this year. There’s no way I’m not getting into at least one of them! “High school’s over. Quit acting like you’re still in charge!” Watching Kendrick act as if he were destined for greatness, I clenched my fists so hard that my nails dug into my palms. In the past, he convinced himself that despite his very low SAT scores, he could still sneak into the elite Harlad University. In the end, he barely managed to get into a community college. He blamed me for all of it. He let Makayla manipulate him and killed me and my parents. Then, he used his bipolar diagnosis to evade the law. This time, I had no intention to stop him from walking straight into his own ruin. I looked around and was met with nothing but venomous glares from every single person there. My heart ached, but I forced out a bright smile and said, “You know what? You’re right! Since everyone wants to take a risk, go ahead and change your universities and majors.” Chapter 2 Makayla looked like she had not expected me to agree. She asked doubtfully, “Sylvia, are you seriously not going to stop everyone from switching their universities and majors?” She gave me a skeptical look, and I nodded. Tuning out the whispers around me, I grabbed my things and started walking away. “Go ahead and make your changes.” Clement froze. He instinctively reached out and grabbed my hand. He said unhappily, “Sylvia, what’s that supposed to mean? Aren’t you going to switch with the rest of us? “We promised to go to the same university. Our options have to be exactly the same!” I yanked my hand away from his grip. “I can’t switch, and I don’t want to.” He frowned and assumed that I was just throwing a tantrum. “What’s with the attitude? I’m only looking out for you. “You’re my girlfriend. If I get into an elite university and you end up at some random one, that’d be embarrassing, don’t you think?” I scoffed. Clement’s grades had always been below average. If he had not sat next to me in senior year and pestered me to tutor him, he probably would not have stood a chance at getting into a decent university. How dare he even look down on me? In the past, the person who lucked into an elite university at least scored a 1,480 on his SAT. Meanwhile, Clement was sitting there with a 1,350 SAT score and picturing himself on some elite campus. Just as I turned to break up with Clement in front of everyone, my phone buzzed with an alert. Clearly, I was not the only one who had received it. The entire class got the same text. [Watch out for “college admission guarantee” scams. Fraudsters use fake inside info to pressure students into sending money or changing universities and majors. Please stay vigilant.] As everyone read the text, they froze and looked at Makayla suspiciously. She sighed and looked totally unbothered. “My dad’s the head of the State Department of Education. I only leaked this highly confidential information because I actually care about you guys. “Man, I try to do something nice for once and get treated like a con artist! “Fine! Do whatever you want. But when you don’t get into an elite university, don’t come crying to me.” Seeing Makayla play the victim, they hesitated and were at a loss. Clement immediately jumped in to vouch for her. “Kayla and I grew up together. Her dad really is the head of the State Department of Education.” Kendrick also chimed in, “Kayla isn’t like certain people! She’s always been good to everyone. She’s not even charging us for this!” Everyone mulled it over and felt reassured. “I was so stressed before the exams that I couldn’t sleep. Kayla gave me some miracle pills that helped me rest.” Another person added, “Someone that kind would never lie to us.” She looked at everyone in satisfaction. “Good! You get it. But don’t say a word about changing your universities and majors to anyone, not even your parents. “Otherwise, my dad could get reported for leaking classified information, and your summer road trip will be as good as gone.” Before the exams, Makayla had announced that her father was organizing a summer road trip around the country for outstanding graduates and had invited the whole class to join. Everyone happily signed up and had been buzzing with excitement for days. The first stop of that road trip, however, was in the southeast part of the country. I had worried about their safety and tried to talk them out of going, but all it did was get everyone to turn on me. The entire class had been scheming behind my back, and I only found out today that they were set to leave next week. Those who were still planning to discuss the matter with their parents quietly turned off their phones. Quite a few people still had their doubts and voiced their concerns. “Sure, an elite university might take a chance on low scores, but there can’t be that many spots open, right? What if we don’t get in? “If we switch all our choices and get shut out, then we’re stuck taking a gap year or settling for some community college.” Kendrick, however, pointed at them and laughed loudly. “Look at you, sorry bunch of cowards! Don’t you get it? You need to take a risk for a big reward. “If you don’t want to switch, fine by me! I’m doing it. I’m heading to a top-tier university. “When we have our class reunion years from now, I can’t wait to see who has the last laugh! You are all losers!” Hearing this, I nearly laughed out loud. Even setting aside the fact that Kendrick had always ranked at the bottom of the class and could only pass tests by cheating, his habit of cutting corners and taking petty advantages showed he was never going to amount to much. Yet the more everyone looked down on him, the more they feared being surpassed by someone like him. That fear instantly stirred up their competitive urges. Seeing that some people were still hesitating, Makayla called someone. Soon after, our homeroom teacher, Alex Reid, walked in with a panicked face. “Why haven’t you changed your universities and majors yet? The head of the State Department of Education already said there are plenty of spots open. “If you make the switch, you’re guaranteed to get into an elite university! “A golden opportunity like this is staring you in the face — don't blow it!” Chapter 3 All our classmates erupted into an uproar in an instant. If Makayla was the only one claiming such things, then some of them might still have had their suspicions. But Alex was a teacher, and everyone trusted him. He had spoken up about it, so they had nothing to fear. “Wait, is Kayla’s dad really the head of the State Department of Education? Well, maybe he can guarantee that we’ll get into elite universities just by switching our majors!” “Holy moly, am I dreaming?! Having Kayla in our class is like hitting the jackpot!” “Jackpot? Please! Kayla’s straight-up the lucky charm of our class.” I watched them indifferently as they praised Makayla. If I had not already known from my past life that her father was not actually the head of the State Department of Education, I probably would have been fooled. That raised another question. As a teacher, Alex had to know that getting into an elite university with a low score was less likely than winning the lottery. How could he buy into such an obvious scam? The few students who were still hesitating joined the hype of this incredible opportunity. Watching everyone grin from ear to ear, Alex swiftly told them to log into the portal and change their universities and majors. He added with a beaming smile, “This year, we’ve got twenty universities you can list on your application. Make sure you fill every single slot with elite universities! “Don’t stress about it. Sure, your scores aren’t exactly outstanding, but if you manage to slip in through the cracks and even if it’s a less popular major, it’ll still count as a win on your record. “At this rate, our class’ acceptance rate into elite universities is going to hit over 95% for sure! Sending that many kids to elite universities is going to make me look like an awesome teacher!” Everyone in the class breathed a sigh of relief after hearing that. A few even pictured themselves walking around on some elite campus. But Alex’s demeanor sent a jolt of panic through me. I checked my phone. There were only ten minutes left before the application deadline. At this point, I could not worry about anyone else. I had to get out. Amid the clatter of keyboards as people changed their universities and majors, I dashed to the door, ready to leave. Alex blocked my way. I frowned and said firmly, “Mr. Reid, I don’t care if they want to change their universities and majors. I don’t want to do it.” Sensing my reluctance, Alex did not step aside. Instead, he dragged me to a computer. “Sylvia, as class president, how can you make yourself the exception? “Go ahead and change it. I’m going to stand right here and watch you do it.” Makayla looked at me with a smile. “Yeah, Sylvia. Isn’t it better if we all get into elite universities together?” I got goosebumps when I met her cunning gaze. A terrible thought surfaced in my mind. Could Alex and Makayla be working together? Suppressing my fear, I said in a trembling voice, “I’m not changing anything. Let me go right now, or I’m calling the police.” They were all betting on a long shot, hoping to hit the jackpot. I just wanted to be practical. My family did not have much money. My scores might not be outstanding enough to get into an elite university, but I could still take my pick of decent ones. I spent three years working hard to score well on the SAT. My parents and I spent several weeks carefully reviewing my application choices. With only two minutes left before the deadline, I absolutely could not let these people ruin my future. Seeing that I still refused to log in to the portal and change my universities and majors, Alex kept manipulating and pressuring me. Clement, who had been sitting nearby, grew restless and said, “Kayla, try 071125 as the password. That’s Sylvia’s birthday. She uses that for everything.” My blood ran cold. I never thought Clement, the person I trusted, would betray me like this. He put on a helpless expression, walked over, and started preaching to me in that earnest, patronizing way of his. “Syl, I know you’re only going against Kayla because you’re jealous of her and me. “But don’t be so unreasonable at a time like this. Mr. Reid and Kayla are just looking out for you. Quit being so stubborn!” Watching him put on the “I’m doing this for your own good” act made me so furious that I screamed at him to get lost. I honestly did not know what I was thinking in the past, falling for such a fake, two-faced snake. Kayla, however, smirked coldly. She snatched the keyboard from my hands and immediately typed in 071125. Sure enough, she logged into my portal. Alex beamed with a satisfied smile and moved to change my universities and majors for me. I panicked and pulled out the keychain nail clippers. “Don’t change anything on my application!” Everyone was startled by my reaction. “Forget it! If she doesn’t want to change, don’t force her. Just let her do her own thing.” Alex broke out in a cold sweat and instantly stopped what he was doing. Makayla glared at me. Then, her eyes darted away with a sneaky gleam. The second I let my guard down, she lunged for the keyboard and deleted all my applications. I shrieked and dropped the nail clippers from Alex’s neck. I snatched the mouse and frantically checked the monitor. “Are you crazy, Makayla?!” Makayla put on an innocent expression and said, “Sylvia, I’m doing this for your own good! “Relax! If we get into elite universities, we’ll all get in together. I’d never leave you behind.”