Well, I didn't expect to be back here so soon.

  Kaitlyn stepped onto the paved pathways of Hartland University, watching the throngs of students stream around her to either side. The majestic red-brick buildings of lecture halls and dorms loomed overhead, sunlight gleaming off of windows and pristine white crenellations. Excited conversations and the rustling of trees just beginning to change their leaves filled the air.

  She breathed in, the scents of roses and oaks mingling in her nostrils. The whole scene felt oddly nostalgic, as though she were stepping back into her childhood home or her old elementary school classroom. It was an odd feeling, considering the fact that she hadn't even been gone a whole loop.

  Guess I meant those goodbyes more than I realized. Which is kind of silly, when you think about it. I'm obviously going to have to start here after every reset, so it's not like I'll ever REALLY be done with the place…

  Ever since her hardcore studying phase had allowed her to ace her exams for the first time, Kaitlyn had made it a point to always do the same in every loop that followed. It gave her a sense of satisfaction to demolish the tests in a way that she never could have dreamed when all this started. That, and it really wasn't too much additional effort to manage. Not when she'd always been on campus.

  Leaving the campus behind had also meant saying goodbye to that small example of petty revenge against the game. But now, it seemed like her efforts would make one final encore appearance.

  Kaitlyn cracked her knuckles. Oh, yeah. All that hard work is about to pay off big time. I can't wait to see Vinny's face…

  "Hey! Kaitlyn!"

  She looked over in surprise, scanning the crowd for the source of the voice. Heather waved enthusiastically in her direction, her blonde curls bouncing as she jogged over.

  "Omigosh, hi! You're back!" Heather stopped in front of her, eyes alight with excitement and interest. She half expected her roommate to go in for a hug, but it didn't happen. Evidently, a single brief meeting wasn't enough for that level of familiarity. "How've you been, girl? It's been ages! How's your friend doing? Are you back for good?"

  Kaitlyn weathered the initial flurry of questions and smiled. "Hey, Heather. Nah, I'm just here for midterms, that's all. But everything's been pretty good otherwise."

  "Oh, that's awesome!" Heather grinned. “I'm gonna be honest, Kate, I thought you were gonna drop out or something when you said you were leaving! I'm like, sooo glad I was wrong!"

  Her smile turned a little forced. Not you too, Heather. I know what it looks like, but really?

  It was probably better that Heather didn't know the full extent of her situation in that respect. If she knew that she hadn't been to a single class…

  Kaitlyn shifted the conversation away from herself. "What about you? How've you been?"

  "Oh, I've been great! I mean, classes have me, like, totally swamped, but everything else? It's awesome! Oh you probably wouldn't know, but there's this girl on our floor…"

  Heather's words burst forth, attempting to get Kaitlyn up to speed on two months' worth of events and social interactions all at once. At this point, the deluge of information felt less like a firehose aimed at her head and more like a warm bath. Comfortable, not particularly demanding of her attention, and almost relaxing in its familiarity.

  A few minutes into their conversation, Kaitlyn checked her phone. "Ah, sorry. I should probably get going. I've got my Stats midterm in just a few minutes."

  "A few minutes?! Where's it at?"

  "Morrison Hall."

  Heather gaped at her for a moment before hurriedly gesturing her forward. "Omigosh, Kate! What're you doing here then?! You gotta go!"

  "It's not that far. A couple minutes walk at most—"

  "And you've only got a couple minutes to get there! Go, go, go!" Heather shooed her on. "Good luck, Kate!"

  Chuckling, she waved goodbye to her roommate and continued on. She hadn't been kidding about the walk. Even with the unexpected delay, she still arrived at the lecture hall with plenty of time to spare. A throng of students had already gathered outside, most of them poring over notes or flashcards in a last-ditch attempt to cram more knowledge in their heads.

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  Kaitlyn watched on with detached interest, taking in the nervous faces around her. At one point, she'd been like that too. Stressed, uncertain, and downright afraid of the immense consequences that a subpar grade would bring. But at this point, she was well past all of that—and not just because she knew these tests better than the back of her hand. They also just seemed less significant than before. Why waste time worrying about an exam when she had bigger concerns?

  She took a seat on one of the nearby planters to wait. Guess exposure therapy really worked wonders in my case. I kind of wonder if all this has made me a better test-taker in general, or if I'm only confident on these ones?

  That made her think. Looking back, her software exams had certainly gone better than her first attempts at midterms in this world—even on her first runthroughs. Not just grades-wise, but also mentally. She didn't feel that same paralyzing fear and indecision that had afflicted her so long before.

  Maybe it's because I felt so much more confident in the subject. Or maybe it really is just experience. She shrugged. Either way, I'm not complaining. If I never have to feel that kind of panic again, it'll be too soon.

  A flash of fiery orange caught her eye. Looking over, she spotted a tall figure striding down the nearby pathway, clad in a loose flannel and worn jeans. His hands slipped into his pockets, a long ponytail of wavy red hair hanging down his back as he walked.

  Elliot passed by the lecture hall without slowing. This wasn't his exam, after all. But he was just close enough for her to see a small bracelet tied around one wrist. A simple red cord with a single yellow bead the color of sunshine threaded onto it.

  The lecture hall doors opened. A throng of exhausted students poured out from the double doors, their expressions ranging from relieved to haggard and anywhere in between. Her Statistics class parted to let them through before surging into the emptied room like a receding tide.

  Kaitlyn stood from her perch, following them inside. As she merged into the tail end of the crowd, a wistful smile found its way to her face. Then, the doors closed behind her.

  ***

  "Cheater."

  Vinny sprawled on the couch, the pink case of Kaitlyn's phone in one hand. Next to him lay a discarded pile of paper exams, each with a neat number one-hundred circled on its front. He had eyes for neither of them. Instead, he was glaring daggers at Kaitlyn where she stood, a huge shit-eating grin written plain across her face.

  "I didn't cheat."

  "Yes you did. No shot you actually aced all four of these damn things."

  "Five, if you count the paper for Writing," she pointed out. "Which you really should. I'm pretty proud of it."

  "It's stupid. You gotta be cheating."

  Kaitlyn just shook her head, still smiling. "I told you, I didn't need to. I already know the material. And besides, what're the chances that I manage to cheat this well on five different midterms without getting caught?"

  "I dunno, maybe you had some kinda genius mastermind plot or somethin'!" He waved the phone for emphasis. "You do programming shit, so you prolly just hacked the system to change your grades or somethin'."

  "That's exactly why I brought you the physical copies, too. It really sounds like you just don't want to admit you lost the bet."

  Some small part of her felt a little bit bad, boasting like this. But even the blonde's withering look could do nothing to tamp down her mood. She'd won a flawless victory, one that Vinny would be hard-pressed to contest. And now…

  …Now he'll FINALLY have to get a bed. Thank goodness.

  "What's this about Vinny losing a bet?" Ryan called over from the kitchen. The fridge door closed behind him with a whumph as he finished rummaging about.

  "None of your damn business."

  "Aw, come on! At least tell me the stakes. What've you gotta do, clean the bathroom? Or maybe…" He gave a scandalized gasp, "Was it something spicy?"

  "Shut the fuck up, Ryan."

  Kaitlyn chuckled. For a moment, she considered telling him the details despite Vinny's protests. However, she'd already done quite enough to the poor guy already. Adding insult to injury seemed like just a step too far.

  The fratboy shrugged, a cheeky grin spreading across his face as he headed up to his room. Vinny's scowl just deepened. After a moment, he tossed the phone back to Kaitlyn, who bobbled it for a moment. "Damn. I never knew you could be such a bitch, Lynn."

  "Hey!" She objected. "I warned you I could do it. You're the one who doubted me."

  "C'mon, who would buy a claim like that? Even if you are a mega-nerd, shouldn't you have missed one question or somethin'? That woulda been more believable!"

  "Don't try to back out now. We shook on this, remember?"

  He pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance and let out a long sigh. "Fine, fine. You win."

  Kaitlyn smiled, slipping her phone back into her pocket. "Great! Then we can go shopping this weekend."

  "What's this 'we' bullshit? The fuck do I gotta go?"

  "Because it's gonna be your bed. We have to make sure you like it," she pointed out.

  "Lynn, I've been sleepin' on the floor for weeks. I ain't picky, here."

  "Ok, fair," she conceded. "But still. If I'm already gonna buy one, why not get you something you really enjoy? Something that makes you want to sleep in it. I'm sure your back wouldn't mind."

  The blonde grumbled in protest. She folded her arms in front of her. "Unless you really don't want to go. Then… I suppose I could just buy you a racecar bed. Oh! Or a pretty pink princess one!"

  His blue eyes snapped to hers with a fierce intensity. "You wouldn't."

  Her smile turned sinister. "Wanna bet? I won't mind. I'm always down to keep on winning."

  Vinny just groaned.