Chapter 6: Fighting Fate, Fever and All

Soon, it was time for the second monthly mock exam.

The day before, I got slammed with a high fever. Even after popping medicine, I forced myself to study.

The system said, “Give it up. It’s pointless. Autumn Carter’s a villainess—always at the bottom, obsessed with drama and bullying, and doomed to die young. Why not just enjoy the ride?”

I shut my book. “System, do you even get what life means?”

“What?”

“Having a dream—that’s life. No dream, you’re just another couch potato. My time’s short, so I have to chase something.”

The system was quiet. I dropped my head and kept studying.

Okay, maybe I was lying—chasing meaning was just my excuse.

I wasn’t some hero. I just thought, what if hard work really could change fate?

Even if the odds were a million to one, I had to try.

I took the monthly exam with a 104-degree fever, bumping into Sebastian at the door.

He saw me and tried to bolt like I was the boogeyman.

I’d been tough on him lately—punishing every mistake with laps, frog jumps, and pull-ups.

He couldn’t do pull-ups to save his life, and I’d roast him and even record the fails.

He was terrified of me.

Dizzy and breathless, I leaned against a stone wall for support.

“What’s wrong?” His voice was suddenly close.

I looked up—Sebastian had come back.

He was finally growing into his looks—sharp jaw, handsome, eyes deep-set and serious. He looked like he belonged in a magazine, honestly.

His brown eyes were as clear as ever.

“I’m fine.” I shook my head. “You’ll be late. Go.”

He didn’t budge. Instead, he pressed his hand to my forehead. “You’ve got a fever. You should be at the hospital.”

“No!” I shook my head. “I have to take the exam.”

I couldn’t let fate win again.

No matter what, I was going to keep fighting.

Sebastian looked at me for a long moment. Then he squatted down. “Get on. I’ll carry you to the exam.”

He carried me piggyback into the exam hall.

It was weird—his back seemed skinny, but he was steady and warm.

People stared, the bell rang.

Lying on his back, feverish and confused, I mumbled, “Sebastian, I have to take the test…”

“Okay.”

“I want to get first place.”

“Okay.”

I giggled. “I’m really good at this, you know.”

He said, “I know. You tutor me every day—your grades are better than mine.”

I froze, chin on his shoulder, eyes stinging.

After the second monthly exam, I was second to last in the class.

Because of the fever, I couldn’t focus, couldn’t write, and missed the last test.

The system said, “See? I told you it was useless.”

I grinned. “Not useless.”

“How? You crammed all night, took the exam with a fever, and still only got second to last.”

I shook my head. “I was last before. Now I’m second to last—I moved up.”

“Is that really a win?”

“Absolutely.”

At least it proves that if I show up, I have a shot.

Maddie and Brianna were still at the bottom, but their year rankings jumped ten spots.

The real shocker was Sebastian—he cracked the top ten in class, top 500 in the grade.

The teachers lost their minds.

Sebastian was always smart—he just didn’t have time to study, with work and family drama. Once his mom got a better job, he quit working, and with me shoving test papers at him every day, his grades took off.

I didn’t want to be last, but every time there was an exam, I got sick or something went wrong.

My grades stayed at the bottom—perfect villainess material.

I’d be lying if I said it didn’t sting.

As exams piled up, Sebastian’s progress hit a wall at top 400.

Maddie and Brianna were stuck at tenth from the bottom.

No matter how hard we pushed, we couldn’t break through, and it was eating at us.

On the way home, the four of us walked under a blood-red sunset, heads down, silent.