Summer vacation flew by in a blur . Before I knew it , the first day of school was upon us . Denisse had already arranged for me to transfer to the same elite international school as Derek . It was the same school Dewitt and I attended in our previous life . On the first morning , I sat in the car , bubbling with anticipation . When Derek slid open the door , I flashed him a bright grin . " Hey , Derek ! Mom says we'll be going to school together from now on . " Derek froze mid - step , his hand lingering on the door . Then , without a word , he settled into the seat as far from me as possible . The next day , I greeted him with the same cheerful enthusiasm . The day after that , too . And so it went on for two whole months . One morning , I noticed something different . Though Derek never responded to my hellos , a subtle shift had occurred . That day , I'd lingered too long over breakfast . When I noticed the time , I rushed out to the courtyard , only to find Derek standing by the car , backpack slung over his shoulder , waiting for me . Swallowing my surprise , I beamed at him . " Derek , you're the best . " As usual , he flicked me a cool , fleeting glance before silently climbing into the car . But this time , when he slid into the seat , he didn't sit quite so far away . A small smile tugged at my lips . That was a change worth celebrating . One afternoon after school , I waited outside the classroom building for what felt like forever , but Derek never showed . My calls to him also went unanswered . Panic began to churn in my chest . 0.0 % 15:08 Chapter 3 Then , like a bolt of lightning , a memory struck me . In our past life , around this time , something major had happened at the school gates . Back then , I was buried in books , scrambling to keep up with the international school's rigorous pace . I vaguely remembered overhearing classmates buzzing about trouble involving the Benton family . Word was , their kids had been caught up in something bad . 288 Vouchers Many years later , I caught wind of another rumor : Derek , the head of the Benton Group , had been viciously disfig- ured during his high school years . A chill ran through me . " Could today be that day ? " Oh no . " Do I have enough time to change it ? " I snapped into action , firing off a text to the driver . I told him to head to the school entrance and , if he didn't see me , to come looking for us immediately. Then I bolted toward the alley behind the school . My heart pounded as I silently pleaded , " Derek , please be okay ! " When I reached the alley , my worst fears came to life . Derek was cornered against a wall by a group of rough - looking thugs . " Ha , so the great Mr. Benton's a mute , huh ? Doesn't even scream when he's getting his ass kicked . " " A mute won't snitch . What , you want the Bentons coming for you ? " " Damn it , this brat's still glaring at me ! " One of them , clearly a student , spat on the ground and whipped out a utility knife , aiming it at Derek's face . My heart seized . Out of the corner of my eye , I spotted a baseball bat lying on the ground . I took a deep breath , steeling myself , then charged forward , shouting at the top of my lungs . " I've already called the cops ! " I dove into the fray , swinging the bat wildly . Thankfully , my recent physical training had paid off . The thugs , caught off guard , scattered in a panic . When they heard me mention the police , they hesitated . 30.4 % 15:08 Chapter 3 " Damn it , this kid got lucky ! " Cursing under their breath , they started to slink away . Relieved they were leaving , I rushed to Derek's side to check on him . 288 Vouchers A shallow cut marred his face , blood trickling down , but it wasn't deep . His arms and legs , though , were bruised and battered . " Derek , hang in there . I'm getting you home ! " I helped him up , ready to leave . But a sudden , brutal force knocked me to the ground . " Son of a bitch . Trevor , I told you this brat was faking it ! Cops ? Yeah , right . " Little liar , pulling tricks with me . Huh ? " A mute and a con artist - what a perfect pair ! " The one called Trevor Lopez was spitting venom , his foot slamming into my back over and over . I bowed my head against the blows and met Derek's wide , terrified eyes . My lips trembled , but I forced a shaky smile , whispering , " Derek , don't be scared . " His gaze locked onto mine , frozen in place . I shielded him , refusing to budge , as the blows rained down harder . Just as another kick was about to land , Derek moved . Silent until now , he lunged at the nearest thug , sinking his teeth into the guy's hand with feral intensity . His sudden ferocity stunned Trevor and his crew for a split second . But we were hopelessly outnumbered . They quickly overpowered him , pinning him down . Fists and feet pummeled his head and chest , and someone even pulled out an iron rod . I thought bitterly , " So , I was really powerless to change this fate ? " Despair clawed at my heart , but suddenly , voices and footsteps echoed from the alley's entrance . Hope surged within me . " Could it be the driver ? " I expected . I forced my eyes open , peering through the haze of pain and blood . In my blurry vision , a pair of white sneakers came into view . 65.9 %