Rebirth: No More Rules for Me

The night before the final scholarship exams, the school's golden girl, Sienna Huntington, suggested we head to the bar for a wild night.

She filled a glass with straight tequila and flashed a wide, sugary smile as she leaned into my space.

I've heard our Class President can hold her liquor better than anyone. If you don't drink this, you're totally blowing me off, Yara.

The rest of our classmates started cheering and shouting along.

"Come on, Yara! We finally have a chance to relax. Don't be a buzzkill now."

In my past life, the moment she said those words, I immediately called our homeroom teacher.

The teacher arrived and shut down the party, which resulted in Sienna getting a major disciplinary mark on her record.

She skipped the finals the next day out of spite, becoming the only one in our class who didn't get into college.

After the results came out, the whole class cornered me in the girls' restroom and shoved my head into a toilet.

"Sienna was just trying to help us destress, you bitch! Why did you have to call the teacher?"

"If it weren't for you, she wouldn't have been disciplined, and she wouldn't have drowned in that river after getting drunk and depressed!"

They ignored my desperate thrashing and held my head under the water until I drew my last breath.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back in that dimly lit bar. Sienna was standing right there, holding the glass out to me.

This time, I took the glass from her hand and gave her a genuine, bright smile.

"Sure thing. Whoever heads home first tonight is a total loser!"

The music seemed to thud in the background as the entire booth went silent for a second.

Sienna's hand, still holding the empty air where the glass had been, froze mid-air.

The classmates surrounding us exchanged confused glances.

"Did I hear that right? The Class President actually agreed?"

"Isn't she the one who lives by the rules? She was literally memorizing SAT vocab during our spring break trip..."

"Is the world ending tomorrow?"

I laughed, took the tequila shot from Sienna, and downed it in one go. The burning sensation slid down my throat, feeling strangely like victory.

"The finals are tomorrow morning. You're right, Sienna, we really need to let loose tonight. You're so thoughtful."

Sienna's face stiffened. Her lips parted, but she couldn't find the right words to say.

The atmosphere shifted into something awkward and tense.

Suddenly, a strong arm reached out and pulled Sienna into a protective, possessive embrace.

It was Jasper Sterling, my childhood best friend.

We grew up right across the street from each other. My mom used to bring over casseroles for his family, and his dad helped mine fix the plumbing.

We had eighteen years of history, but the way he looked at me now was colder than ice.

"Yara Hansley, what kind of game are you playing now?"

"I don't care what twisted plan you have this time. I'm going to make sure she stays safe from you."

The surrounding classmates nodded fervently, looking at me with righteous indignation.

"Jasper is right. We need to keep a close eye on her tonight."

I stared at Jasper, feeling a dull ache in my chest.

The sheer hatred in his eyes was all too familiar.

In my previous life, in that disgusting restroom, he had looked at me with that exact same gaze. He was the one who gripped the back of my neck and forced my head into the toilet water.

The icy water had filled my nose and lungs. I had clawed at the porcelain rim until my fingernails bled, gasping for air that never came.

And behind him, my entire class had stood watching.

No one stopped him. No one called 911.

They even recorded it on their phones and posted it to the class group chat with the caption: "Justice for Sienna."

I suddenly felt like laughing out loud.

In my past life, I had practically killed myself caring for this class. I collected assignments, tracked attendance, and organized study groups. I followed every rule the teachers set.

Three days before the finals, I was still staying up until 2:00 AM organizing study guides for Sienna, showing up to school the next day with massive dark circles under my eyes.

I lowered my gaze to hide the mockery in my eyes and forced an apologetic smile onto my face.

"Why would you say that? I really think Sienna is right. However..."

I pressed a hand to my stomach and frowned slightly. "That shot was a bit strong. My stomach feels a little weird. I'm going to hit the restroom."

"Hold on."

Sienna poked her head out from Jasper's chest and grabbed my wrist firmly.

I turned back to look at her.

Her eyes were already turning red, making her look like a victim who had been horribly wronged.

"Yara, that drink wasn't strong at all."

"You're in such a rush to leave... Do you just think you're better than me?"

I stood there, momentarily stunned by her performance.

Sienna's tears started falling right on cue, one by one, like a perfectly timed movie scene.

"I know you've always looked down on me..."

"I have the worst grades and I drag the class average down. You make sure to post the rank list right next to the blackboard every time just to watch me get humiliated."

"And those practice sets. You forced me to rewrite the wrong answers ten times each. I couldn't even finish them by 3:00 AM..."

She sobbed, her voice dropping to a pathetic whisper.

"I really thought you were trying to help me. But then I realized, you just enjoy watching me crawl at your feet."

Jasper whipped his head toward me, his glare sharp enough to draw blood.

"Yara, are you even human? How can you bully a classmate like that?"

I took a deep breath, keeping my voice steady.

"The practice sets were an assignment from Mr. Jordan. Every student below the average had to do them."

"The rank list is a school-wide policy for every classroom. I don't get a say in that. As for the ten repetitions..."

I looked Sienna straight in the eye.

"You were the one who said you couldn't remember anything and asked me for a solution. I told you that repetition was the most effective way. You chose to do it."

Sienna's crying intensified.

"So you're admitting it! You only treated me that way because my grades were bad!"

She clutched Jasper's sleeve, her body trembling with her sobs.

"Jasper, she's never respected me..."

I closed my eyes, realizing that explaining anything was a waste of time.

Trying to reason with people who have already decided you're the villain is the stupidest thing you can do.

I turned to walk away, but Jasper grabbed my arm with a crushing grip.

"You think you can just leave?" Jasper's face went cold. "Apologize to Sienna. Now."

I looked back at him.

His face was partially obscured by the flickering neon lights of the bar.

The booth went silent for a heartbeat.

Then, the other classmates started chiming in.

"Yeah, Yara. You went way too far this time."

"If she wants to leave, let her. We don't need a buzzkill here!"

My face hardened. "I haven't done anything wrong. I'm not apologizing for shit."

Jasper's expression turned truly vicious.

"If you don't apologize, you aren't leaving this booth tonight!"

The others joined in the chorus of threats.

"Exactly! Don't let her go!"

"She's such a teacher's pet. If she leaves now, she's definitely going to snitch to Mr. Jordan!"

Jasper snatched my phone and tossed it into a dark corner, then signaled to two guys sitting nearby.

They immediately stood up and blocked my path, dragging me back toward the corner of the leather booth.

Jasper sat back down next to Sienna, grabbed a beer bottle, and bit the cap off with his teeth before chugging half of it.

"Come on, Sienna. Let's keep going."

The party atmosphere roared back to life.

The sound of clinking glasses and raucous laughter filled the air. Sienna wiped her tears and started giggling.

They surrounded the school's golden girl, tossing back drinks like they were celebrating a massive victory.

I tried to get up three times, and every time, they shoved me back down.

The last time they were especially rough. I slammed back into the sofa, and my vision blurred for a second.

Nobody cared.

I clenched my fists so hard my nails dug into my palms.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Fiona Miller, the quiet study rep, sitting next to me. She was staring down at her phone.

She was the only one who hadn't joined in on the harassment.

I leaned in and lowered my voice.

"Fiona, the finals are tomorrow. Are you really going to spend the whole night drinking here?"

"Your goal is an Ivy League scholarship. You worked so hard for this!"

Fiona's fingers faltered. She looked up at me, a flicker of hesitation crossing her face.

"I..."

"Fiona."

Sienna tilted her head toward us. Her smile didn't reach her eyes.

"Are you planning on being an outsider like the Class President?"

Fiona's face went pale instantly.

She quickly looked back down at her phone and didn't spare me another glance.

Just then, my phoneDlying in the cornerDlit up.

The name Mr. Jordan flashed across the screen.

Jasper's face darkened immediately.

He grabbed the phone, swiped to reject the call, and then turned his glare toward me.

"Yara, you actually had the guts to text the teacher?"

"You really are a piece of work, aren't you?"

Several guys stood up, looking at me like I was a traitor to the pack.

I clenched my hands, trying to keep my voice as calm as possible.

"You guys have studied for twelve years. You've done thousands of practice problems and pulled countless all-nighters. The finals are tomorrow. If you get wasted now, how are you going to even function at the testing center?"

A few people in the booth lowered their heads, their glasses hovering mid-air.

Fiona's hand twitched as she quietly pushed her beer bottle away.

"The President actually has a point..."

"Tomorrow is the big day, after all..."

Sienna suddenly let out a soft laugh.

"Yara, like you said, the test is tomorrow. We can worry about tomorrow when it gets here. It's only 10:00 PM. We have plenty of time."

She took a dainty sip of her drink, her tone airy and light.

"Are you so desperate to get everyone to leave because you care about their grades, or do you just love bossing us around?"

Jasper immediately jumped in. "Exactly. She's just trying to scare everyone. Sienna is right, it's early. Stop being such a drag."

The hesitant classmates looked at each other, then picked their glasses back up.

I took a deep breath and realized I was done talking to these lunatics.

"Move."

I pushed past the guy blocking me and headed straight for the exit.

"Yara, stop right there!" Jasper lunged forward and blocked the door. "You're going to snitch, aren't you?"

"I'm not telling anyone anything."

I looked him dead in the eye. "I just want to go home, sleep, and take my exam tomorrow."

"Who are you lying to? A girl like you? The second you step out that door, you're making a phone call!"

Sienna sobbed and added, "Yara, if you don't have something to hide, why are you so desperate to leave?"

My patience finally snapped.

"I leave when I want to. I don't need a permit from you people."

I shoved Jasper's arm aside and reached for the door handle.

"The hell you are!" Jasper snarled, grabbing my shoulder and throwing me back toward the sofa with all his strength.

The back of my head hit the frame, and my vision went black for a moment.

"SLAM!"

The heavy door to the VIP booth was suddenly kicked open.

Mr. Jordan stood in the doorway, his face red and dripping with sweat.

"Sienna Huntington! What on earth are you doing here with the whole class!"

He marched into the room, snatched the glass out of Sienna's hand, and smashed it onto the floor.

"The night before the finals! You brought the entire class to a bar to get wasted? Are you even students!"

"Underage drinking is a crime! Do you have any idea what you've done!"

He pulled out his phone, his fingers shaking as he started dialing.

"I'm calling the police right now. I'm making sure a degenerate like you ends up in juvie."

Sienna's face drained of all color.

Jasper stepped forward, shielding Sienna with his body.

"Mr. Jordan, you've got it all wrong. This wasn't Sienna's idea. Yara Hansley is the one who dragged us all here."

My pupils constricted in shock.

The surrounding students froze for half a second before they all caught on.

"Yeah, that's right! The Class President insisted on coming!"

"She said she wanted to help us relax..."

"We told her we shouldn't, but she practically forced us to come..."

Fiona opened her mouth as if to say something, but then quickly looked back down.

Sienna peeked out from behind Jasper, looking at the teacher with tear-filled eyes.

"Mr. Jordan, Yara said it was her treat. I was too scared to say no..."

The teacher frowned, turning his gaze toward me.

"Yara Hansley? Did you really organize this?"

I looked at Jasper.

He was staring at me with a vicious, threatening glare that told me exactly what would happen if I denied it.

Sienna bit her lip, her tears ready to overflow.

Suddenly, I smiled.

"Yeah. It was me."

"I had nothing better to do, so I figured I'd buy everyone some drinks."

Mr. Jordan's face fell. "I am so incredibly disappointed in you, Yara!"

"Everyone else, get out! Go home and study! You have an exam tomorrow!"

Jasper grabbed Sienna's hand and led her toward the door.

As he brushed past me, he leaned in and hissed, "Smart move."

I leaned against the wall and watched their silhouettes vanish through the doorway.

Through the glass door of the bar, I watched them cross the street and enter another bar with even brighter neon lights.

I didn't follow them.

The next morning, on my way to the testing center, I saw a post Sienna had made on social media at 3:00 AM.

The video was a blur of flashing lights. She was holding a drink, her cheeks flushed red, practically hanging off of Jasper.

Jasper had his arm around her waist, their faces inches apart.

The rest of the class was cheering and clapping in the background. The loud audio made my ears ring.

Then, they locked arms and downed their drinks together in a messy toast.

Sienna drank too fast, and the liquid spilled from the corners of her mouth, dripping down her chin and neck into her shirt.

Jasper's throat moved as he swallowed, and then he reached out to wipe the spill from her chin. The gesture was so natural it looked like he'd done it a thousand times.

The whistling in the background was deafening.

"Jasper is the man!"

"Sienna and Jasper are the perfect couple!"

"Get a room already!"

The video was clear up to that point, then the quality turned grainy.

The camera was shaking violently, probably because the person filming was also wasted.

The final frame showed a trashed table with a dozen empty beer bottles and a massive puddle of spilled liquid on the tablecloth.

Then it ended.

The timestamp was 2:47 AM.

I turned off my phone and let out a cold snort.

I walked into the testing center, my steps steady and firm.

This was the moment I officially walked away from my past life.

Meanwhile, back at the bar, Jasper finally jerked awake.

His face was as white as a sheet, and his head felt like it was being split open by an axe.

Classmates were passed out all over the booth. Sienna was curled up on the sofa next to him.

The door to the booth was wide open, and the hallway outside was dead silent.

Jasper's voice trembled as he spoke.

"What time is it?"

The clock on the wall let out a soft chime.

It was 10:00 AM.

The final exams had already started an hour ago.