To help his struggling "apprentice" pass her exams, my boyfriend bombed his own SATs. Then, he secretly changed my college application preferences. He switched my top-choice Ivy League university to the same mid-tier state school he applied to. "We promised never to do long distance," he said, pleading. "I messed up this one time. Can't you just compromise for me?" Before I could speak, his "apprentice" started crying. "It's all my fault. I'm too stupid to get into a good school. But my mentor promised we'd go to the same college. I really can't make it without him. You understand, right, Zoe?" They thought the application deadline had passed and I had no choice but to accept it. Little did they know, I had already changed it back. 1 The day before the college application deadline, I discovered my top choice had been changed from Stanford to Southern State University. One is a top-tier institution; the other is an average state school thousands of miles away. My grades had always been top three in my year. I crushed the SATs, scoring 1580. I worked myself to the bone for years, day and night, just for Stanford. Staring at "Southern State University" on the screen, I broke into a cold sweat despite the summer heat. My hands trembled so much I typed the wrong password twice before finally logging in and changing it back. Our guidance counselor had stressed the importance of account security a million times. Every year, stories circulate about students sabotaging each other. My password? Only one other person knew it. My childhood sweetheart and boyfriend, Liam. The next evening, I went to find him. "Zoe! Why didn't you call first?" Liam had just showered. He walked towards me, towel-drying his wet hair, smiling. "Today is the deadline," I said. He froze for a second, then looked up with an unnatural expression. "Yeah, finally over. We can relax. Our hiking trip is finally happening." "Where did you apply?" "Huh?" He played dumb for a second, then looked sheepish under my glare. "Well, I didn't do great... so I applied to Southern State. It's a decent school..." "So you secretly changed my application?" I didn't have the patience to dance around it. My voice trembled as I shouted. "How is it 'secretly'? Zoe, that's harsh." I had imagined a thousand reactions—shame, apology, regret. But I never expected this shamelessness. "Didn't we agree to go to the same college? No long distance? Could you really bear to be apart for four years?" Liam stepped closer, looking into my eyes, trying to charm me. "But you could have applied to other schools nearby! We could still be in the same city!" He knew Stanford was my dream. Cornered, he got defensive. "Okay, okay, Zoe, don't be mad. I didn't think it through. But it's done. Southern State isn't bad, and your major is strong there. Better to be a big fish in a small pond. We can transfer later. You're smart; you'll be a top student anywhere." He reached out to hug me. I slapped his hand away with all my strength. "No!" Even though I was disappointed the moment I saw the change, hearing him say these things to my face felt like a physical blow. "Why? What about my three years of hard work? What gives you the right to decide my future? Changing someone's application is illegal, you know that?" I screamed, crying hysterically, ignoring the passersby. Liam clutched his red arm, stunned. "Mentor, are you okay? Zoe, how could you hit him? It's my fault! Hit me if you want, don't take it out on him!" Bella popped out of nowhere, throwing herself onto Liam, inspecting his arm with exaggerated concern. "Mentor made a bet with me. He tutored me before the exams, promising he'd go to the same college if I didn't get into a top-tier school." 2 Bella's eyes were red as she shielded Liam, looking at me with tear-filled eyes. "Zoe, I'm sorry. I'm just too stupid. Mentor helped me so much, but I still dragged him down. I wish I was smart like you, getting high scores without even trying." She turned back to Liam, sobbing. "Mentor, I'm so dumb." Liam hated seeing people cry. In the past, if I cried, he would panic regardless of who was right. But now, the person making him panic wasn't me. "Bella, don't say that. You worked hard. You went from regular classes to honors and got into college. I won't let you talk about yourself like that. My apprentice can't be this weak." Liam rubbed Bella's head, helpless but firm, like he was comforting a child. I knew that expression well. He used to do that to me when I broke down over math problems. But ever since Bella joined our class, that spot belonged to her. "How do you know I didn't work hard? What makes you think my scores came easily?" I stared coldly at their intimacy. Bella flinched like a frightened bird, then stammered an apology. "Sorry, Zoe, I didn't mean that. I'm just clumsy with words. I meant to praise you. Unlike me... Mentor helped so much, and I still failed." Her voice faded into sobs again. I seriously suspected Bella was a humidifier in a past life; she leaked water constantly. I was used to her act and wanted to ignore it, but Liam snapped first. He pulled Bella behind him, frowning at me. "Enough, Zoe. Bella is already sad about her scores. Can you stop rubbing salt in the wound?" "So, you're going to Southern State for her? And dragging me with you?" Hit by the truth, Liam lost his fire and looked down. "I don't care about your teacher-student bond. I scored 1580. Why should I go to a mid-tier school?" Something I said triggered him. He looked up, glaring. "Zoe, you've changed. We promised to go to college together. Just because I slipped up once, you're abandoning me?" They say you become who you hang out with. Hanging out with Bella turned Liam into a gaslighting victim-player. "If I wanted to abandon you, I would have done it when you were skipping school in middle school. Instead, I dragged you back to class and sacrificed my sleep to tutor you. I lost ten pounds before the entrance exams." Thinking of the past, I choked up, tears finally falling. Seeing me cry, Liam let go of Bella and reached for me. Instinctively, I took a step back. His arm froze in mid-air. He paused, then slowly clenched his fist. "Zoe, how long are you going to keep this up? Are we really doing this?" "Yes. We are." "Fine. Whatever. You've brought up breaking up so many times this year, and it always ends the same way. Calm down and think about it." With that, he turned, put his arm around Bella, and walked away. 3 The cicadas were deafening. The humid summer night air was suffocating. Watching them walk away, my heart sank. Liam and I grew up together. True childhood sweethearts. In middle school, Liam's dad gambled away their money and divorced his mom, who left and never returned. He was left with his grandma, who ran a small dessert shop. It was a rebellious age. Liam started cutting class, hanging out at internet cafes, smoking, drinking, riding motorcycles with thugs. I couldn't watch him ruin himself. I dragged him out of internet cafes and karaoke bars time after time. At first, he cursed me out. Until one day, some thugs harassed me while I was looking for him. Liam went berserk and fought them, getting pretty banged up. After that, he stopped skipping. He let me tutor him, looking at me with shining eyes, blushing when our gazes met. We were too young to understand love, but I remember him saying: "Zoe, I'll listen to you from now on. High school, college, grad school... I want to be with you forever." His confession was sincere and passionate, a pebble dropped into the spring of my heart, creating ripples that lasted for years. Liam was smart. Once he tried, his grades soared. We got into the same high school, the same honors class. The honors class was the top 40 students, taught by the best teachers, moving fast, aiming for Ivy Leagues. Anyone in the top 40 could get in, but in three years, only one person tested in from a regular class: Bella. 4 In the first semester of senior year, a pretty girl with pigtails transferred into our class and became Liam's deskmate. She was lively, beautiful, and completely out of place among the other 39 of us. She snacked in class, listened to music, read novels, and did her makeup. She couldn't keep up with the curriculum but didn't care. She just pestered Liam whenever homework was due. At first, Liam was annoyed and cold. Bella didn't give up. She announced to the class: "From now on, you're my mentor, and I'm your apprentice. Mentor, please accept my bow!" From then on, wherever Liam was, Bella was there. Liam's attitude shifted subtly. Whenever I discussed problems with Liam, Bella would appear, shoving a cold Coke into his hand, asking innocently: "Mentor, what are you talking about? Are you tutoring Zoe behind my back? Waaah, I'm your apprentice! You're biased!" She'd playfully hit his chest, giggling. And Liam... he would smile slightly. I felt a surge of annoyance, slamming my book shut. "Bella, wake up. I'm third in the grade. He's tenth." She didn't understand jealousy, she just weaponized her feelings. Liam's eyes darkened. He shoved the Coke into my hand and took Bella back to her seat. The cold bottle woke me up. I didn't drink it. It spilled in my desk later, sticky and gross. Liam fully embraced the "mentor" role, tutoring her day and night. Our study weekends became three-person events. One evening, Bella gathered candles and sparklers. On our way home, she staged a romantic confession. She stood in the candlelight, waving sparklers, shouting Liam's name. "Mentor, thank you for taking care of me. I know I'm trouble, but I really like you. I want to be with you forever. You don't have to respond, just let me follow your footsteps." A crowd gathered. Liam, holding my hand, instinctively let go. "What's happening? Honors class drama?" "Aren't Liam and Zoe a couple? Is Bella a homewrecker?" "Yeah, shameless. Heard she cheated to get into the honors class." ... The whispers grew louder. Bella looked like she was about to cry. Liam stepped forward, took her hand, and led her through the crowd, disappearing from view. I was left standing there, the center of attention. Pointing fingers, whispers, looks of pity, curiosity, mockery... it felt like death by a thousand cuts. The next day, Liam explained he didn't want Bella to be embarrassed. "What about me? What about my embarrassment?" He laughed like I told a joke. "Zoe, stop it. What's embarrassing? Someone confessing to your boyfriend makes you look good! Besides, I told her I like you. She agreed to just be my apprentice." He swore up and down, making me feel like the unreasonable one. I felt something detach inside me. The anger and hurt faded into numbness. Just like now, watching them disappear, my heart was still.
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