The parents waiting outside fixed me with looks sharp enough to draw blood.
The police restored the screen quickly enough, but the damage was done. No one could look away.
Every step toward the exam hall felt like wading through concrete.
When I finally walked into the classroom and took my seat, the students who were already there looked up. Their expressions ranged from complicated to openly disgusted.
The security officer did a double-take when she saw me, then proceeded to pat me down roughly.
I spoke up carefully. "Ma'am, I don't have anything hidden in my clothes. Could you be a little gentler?"
She didn't care. "You had the nerve to take photos like that. How do I know you're not hiding some cheating device somewhere creative?"
Every pair of eyes in the room landed on me. Snickers rippled through the crowd.
Christina sat in a chair nearby, a cold smirk on her face as she watched me squirm.
I don't know how I made it through the exam. It took everything I had not to let that whole mess get to me.
The test questions hadn't changed from before.
I let out a small breath of relief.
In my last life, I'd beaten Christina by two points.
This time, I was going to do even better.