Chapter 4: A Different Choice
1028 Words
When I stepped back into the classroom, the noise of my classmates immediately surrounded me again. Their voices were bright and full of excitement, as if the world ahead of them was a beautiful place filled with endless possibilities.
For them this day was simply the beginning of adulthood.
For me it felt like standing at the entrance of a completely new life.
I walked slowly toward my desk, careful to keep my expression calm even though my thoughts were moving rapidly inside my mind. The college selection form was still resting exactly where I had left it, waiting patiently for me to decide my future.
In my previous life I had filled it out within seconds.
This time I stared at the paper for a long moment.
My fingers gently brushed across the smooth surface as I studied the list of universities printed neatly in front of me. Each name represented a different path, a different set of opportunities, and a different life waiting somewhere beyond the walls of this school.
One name stood out immediately.
Westbridge University.
That was the university Ethan had chosen years ago.
I remembered writing those words eagerly on my form, my heart filled with excitement because it meant I would continue seeing him every day. At the time I believed that fate had finally begun to favor me.
Now the memory only made me feel foolish.
My gaze slowly moved down the list until another name caught my attention.
North Valley University.
The name felt strangely familiar.
For several seconds I searched through my memories until something finally surfaced.
In my previous life I had once heard someone mention that North Valley had one of the best business programs in the country. I vaguely remembered a teacher praising its academic environment during one of our classes.
Back then I had not paid much attention because my entire focus had been on Ethan.
I leaned back slightly in my chair as a quiet thought formed in my mind.
If I chose a different university this time, then my life would naturally separate from Ethan's path. The distance alone would remove many of the situations that once forced us together.
The idea felt both comforting and terrifying.
Comforting because it meant I could finally escape the shadow that had followed me for so many years.
Terrifying because it meant stepping into a future that was completely unfamiliar.
I had spent my entire previous life revolving around Ethan Blackwood.
Without him as the center of my decisions, the world suddenly felt much larger than I remembered.
My fingers slowly reached for the pen again.
The cool metal surface felt steady in my hand.
Before I could write anything, the classroom door opened once more.
A familiar voice drifted inside.
"Ethan, you should hurry before the teacher returns."
My body stiffened instinctively.
I did not need to look up to know who had spoken.
Sofia Lancaster.
My elder sister stepped into the room with the same graceful presence she always carried. Her long hair moved softly with each step, and several students glanced toward her with admiration as she walked toward Ethan's desk.
She had always been beautiful in a way that seemed effortless.
Even I could not deny that.
Ethan followed closely behind her, his attention focused entirely on her face as if the rest of the room did not exist.
I lowered my gaze quickly before their eyes could meet mine.
Despite everything I had told myself earlier, seeing them together still caused a dull ache to rise inside my chest.
Old emotions were difficult to erase completely.
Sofia spoke softly as she placed a paper on Ethan's desk.
"Have you finished your selection form yet?"
Ethan glanced down briefly before shrugging.
"It does not matter much. I will choose Westbridge anyway."
His tone was casual, yet confident.
Of course he would choose Westbridge.
That had always been his plan.
Sofia smiled gently.
"I thought so. It is the best choice for someone like you."
Her praise seemed to please him more than it should have.
I felt a strange sense of detachment as I listened to their conversation.
In the past I would have been watching them carefully, searching for any small sign that Ethan might look at me with affection instead of Sofia.
Now I simply observed them with quiet understanding.
Nothing had changed.
Their dynamic was exactly the same as I remembered.
Ethan's attention always leaned toward Sofia.
And Sofia allowed it.
Whether she did it intentionally or not, I could never fully tell.
My fingers tightened slightly around the pen.
I looked down at the blank space on my form once more.
Westbridge University.
The name that once represented my greatest hope now felt meaningless.
Without hesitation I moved the pen across the paper.
North Valley University.
The ink flowed smoothly as the letters formed beneath my hand.
When I finished writing, a strange sense of relief spread quietly through my chest.
It felt like closing a door that had been left open for too long.
For the first time since waking up in this second life, I felt certain about something.
This choice belonged entirely to me.
I placed the pen down carefully and folded my hands together on the desk.
At that moment the classroom door opened again and our teacher walked inside.
The conversations around the room slowly faded as everyone returned to their seats.
The teacher clapped his hands once to gather our attention.
"Please finish filling out your selection forms," he announced. "They will be collected shortly."
Several students began writing quickly.
Across the room Ethan leaned back lazily in his chair, completely relaxed as if his future had already been decided.
Sofia stood near his desk speaking quietly with a group of students who admired her.
Neither of them paid any attention to me.
And for the first time in years, I did not want them to.
A quiet smile touched my lips.
This life would not be a repetition of the past.
This time my story would follow a different path.
And Ethan Blackwood would no longer be the center of it.
- Writer
