Buried Alive by the Girl I Saved

The new transfer student was a cripple.
When the other students bullied her, I was the one who protected her, risking everything.
I thought she would be grateful.
Instead, she fell for the school's king, the top jock, the resident bad boy.
To make him happy, she did the unthinkable.
The day before our SATs, she lured me out, straight into an ambush by his thugs.
As I lay there, beaten and bleeding, my mouth full of blood, I heard her on the phone.
Her voice was a careful whisper to him.
"I did what you said. I lured him out. He won't be making it to the SATs tomorrow."
"So... can you be with me now?"
A pause.
"If that's not enough... I can kill him. Would that work?"
I was buried alive.
When I opened my eyes again, I was back.
Back to the day she first transferred to our school.
The new transfer student had a limp.
She walked with a pronounced stagger, but her face was exquisite, her skin as fine and white as porcelain.
She stood on the stage in front of the class, her hands clutching the hem of her shirt, looking completely lost.
The teacher asked her to introduce herself.
She hesitated for a long moment before stammering, "My name is... Lilith. Lilith Moreau."

Instantly, whispers broke out across the classroom.
"Look, she's disabled."
"And a stutterer, too."
"Haha, look at her. Pathetic."
"Let's mess with her after class. You copy how she talks, I'll copy how she walks. It'll be hilarious!"
Their words were knives.
In my past life, I couldn't stand it.
I felt sorry for her, so I stood up and defended her.
From that day on, I became her shadow, her self-appointed guardian.
But I didn't know then what she truly was.
A poison mushroom.
Beautiful on the outside, deadly to the core.
Touch it, and you're doomed.
That was the fate I met in my past life.
So this time, as I watched them target her again, I stayed silent.
Lilith heard their taunts.
Her grip on her shirt tightened, her face flushed with humiliation.
Heh.
Humiliating, isn't it?
The shame must be eating you alive.

Good, I thought.
This time, I won't save you.
Our homeroom teacher cleared his throat.
"Quiet! Show some respect for your new classmate. Physical disabilities are not something to be mocked."
"From now on, Lilith is one of us. Who has a free seat next to them and is willing to share? Raise your hand."
The room fell silent for a few seconds.
No one moved.
I was one of the few students with an empty desk beside me.
In my past life, I had eagerly volunteered to have her sit with me.
But this time, I didn't.
I said nothing, just kept my head down, pretending to work on my assignment.
Suddenly, a voice piped up.
"Sir, who'd want to sit next to a cripple?"
Another student chimed in, a smirk in his voice.
"What do you mean? Kaelan has a spot. He's a top student, always willing to help. Right, Kaelan?"
Every head in the room turned to me.
Including Lilith, who looked at me with a flicker of hope.
But the helpful Kaelan she was looking for was long dead.
I looked up, a slow, deliberate smile spreading across my face.
"No, no, no," I said, my voice dripping with false cheer. "I'm good."

"I don't want to sit next to a cripple either. What if she brings me bad luck?"
"I've got to get into a good college, you know."
Since no one was willing, and the teacher couldn't force the issue, Lilith was sent to an isolated desk at the very back of the room.
This was just the beginning.
This was where the line between us was drawn.
We were destined to be strangers.
Lilith's face was a mask of misery as she limped down the aisle.
As she passed my desk, she bumped into me, whether intentionally or not, I couldn't tell.
I recoiled dramatically, brushing off the spot she had touched as if it were contaminated.
Someone snickered.
"Jeez, that cripple is so annoying."
"Even Kaelan, the nicest guy in school, can't stand her."
"But seriously, Kaelan, don't you think you're overdoing it? You just met her. Why so hostile?"
My eyes snapped towards the speaker, my gaze sharp and cold.
"You all get to hate her. Why can't I?"
"The fact that I have to breathe the same air as her makes me sick to my stomach."
My words made Lilith's face drain of all color.
And this, I thought with grim satisfaction, is only the beginning.
No one knew what she had done to me in our past life.
This life, I would have my revenge.

In my previous life, Lilith was bullied relentlessly.
They tormented her in class, day after day.
And I was the one who stood up for her, every single time.
When they threw dirty water on her, I was there with tissues to help her clean up.
When they tore up her homework, I gave her mine to copy.
I thought my sincere efforts would be met with sincere gratitude.
I thought I had saved her, that she would remember my kindness for the rest of her life.
But I was wrong.
I forgot that not all hearts are made of flesh and blood.
Then came the day before the SATs.
A message from Lilith popped up on my phone.
[Kaelan, the exams are almost here. There's something important I need to tell you.]
My heart skipped a beat when I read it.
I thought I had finally won her over.
That day, I went to meet her, happier than I had ever been.
But waiting for me wasn't Lilith.
It was a group of thugs.
They pinned me to the ground, tied me up tightly with ropes.
They tased me. They whipped me.
And Lilith... Lilith just stood there, watching me with contempt in her eyes.

A sneer played on her lips.
"What a nerd," she sneered. "So easy to fool."
"Did you really think all that stuff you did for me would make me grateful?"
"Let me be clear. Your 'kindness' disgusted me."
"Kaelan, don't ever think you're that important."
I coughed up blood, the pieces of my shattered heart scattered on the ground as I listened to her venomous words.
Then, she dialed a number.
It was Ronan Slade, the school's king.
"Ronan," she said, her voice soft and pleading. "I did what you said. I lured him out. He won't be making it to the SATs tomorrow."
"So... can you be with me now?"
"If that's not enough... I can kill him. Would that work?"
A cold voice answered from the other end of the line.
"Sure. Bury him alive, and I'll be yours."
And so, they did.
I felt the dirt piling on top of me, handful by handful.
I felt death creeping closer, second by second.
Despair. Fear.
A tidal wave of horror washed over me.
It's a feeling I will never, ever forget.
All my sincerity, all my kindness, was repaid with this.

After class, the room was buzzing with the usual chaos.
A few students were about to head over and give Lilith a hard time.
Suddenly, a commotion erupted outside the classroom door.
I glanced over.
Through the window, I saw a guy in a leather jacket and a silver chain swaggering down the hall with his crew.
It was Ronan Slade.
Our school's undisputed king.
Arrogant, defiant, the only one who dared to defy the school's dress code, talk back to teachers, and skip class whenever he wanted.
He was an object of fear and respect for the guys, and an object of adoration for many of the girls.
In my last life, he was the one who ordered Lilith to kill me.
He was the reason my future was stolen from me.
As soon as he stepped into the classroom, the students who were about to bully Lilith immediately scurried over to him, bowing and scraping.
"Ronan, man! What brings you here?"
Ronan toyed with a Zippo lighter, a lazy smirk on his face.
"Heard you guys got a new transfer student. A cripple. Came to check out the freak show."
"Oh, you mean Lilith? She's super stuck-up. Won't even talk to us."
"Yeah, that's her. In the back row."
Ronan's interest was piqued.
He strode over to her desk and delivered a vicious kick.
The force of it sent her books and water bottle crashing to the floor.

Lilith didn't dare make a sound.
She just knelt on the floor, picking up her books one by one.
But as soon as she picked one up, Ronan would knock it out of her hand and back onto the floor.
Over and over again.
She trembled with suppressed rage.
Ronan just laughed.
"Hey. I came all this way to see you. You're not even going to say hello?"
Lilith kept her head down, silent.
Ronan continued, his voice mocking.
"Looks like you've got more than one disability. You're not just a cripple, you're a mute too."
The classroom erupted in laughter.
"I said, look at me."
He hooked a finger under her chin, forcing her to look up.
But when he saw her face, his words caught in his throat.
He stared, as if in disbelief, taking a closer look.
"Damn. I'll be damned. You're actually hot for a cripple."
He smirked, then wrapped an arm around her, pulling her into his embrace.
"How about you be my girlfriend?"
His voice wasn't loud, but everyone heard it.
A chorus of protests rose from the crowd.

"No way, Ronan! You're into this cripple?"
"There are so many hot girls at this school!"
"Yeah, I'm not bad looking, and you never even gave me a second glance! How could you fall for a cripple like her?"
"So what if she's a cripple? Her face is pretty. That's what matters. Makes it more interesting, you know?" Ronan's words were lewd and dismissive.
Lilith was mortified.
She shoved him away, her voice tight with anger.
"I will not be your girlfriend."
Everyone knew Ronan Slade.
His family was rich and powerful.
Girls threw themselves at him.
No one had ever rejected him before.
Lilith's words were like stepping on a tiger's tail.
Ronan's face darkened, and the atmosphere in the room turned to ice.
No one dared to breathe.
Lilith, oblivious or defiant, continued to pick up her books.
Ronan snatched a can of soda from a nearby desk.
He popped it open and poured the entire contents over Lilith's head.
"Oops. Sorry about that," he said with a malicious grin. "Just wanted a drink. My hand must have slipped."
As the soda dripped from her hair onto the floor, Lilith bit her lip so hard it could have bled.
Ronan laughed out loud.

"Now the floor's all sticky. Why don't you lick it clean?"
"You..." Lilith finally looked up, her face a mask of pure fury.
The whole class roared with laughter, enjoying the show.
"Ronan's the best at putting people in their place. He's got this cripple totally under control."
"Hey, Ronan, you want me to make sure she licks it all up? Hahaha."
Ronan's face was still smiling, but his eyes were cold as ice.
"Where's the fun in that? I'll supervise her myself."
He turned back to Lilith.
"Come on, little pet. Start licking. My patience is limited."
But Lilith didn't move.
Ronan's patience snapped.
He grabbed her and forced her to the ground. His cronies moved in to help.
I had seen enough of this twisted play.
I decided to get some fresh air.
As I walked past Lilith, she suddenly grabbed my leg.
Her eyes were filled with desperation.
"Kaelan, save me. Please..."
Ronan shot me a look.
"I'd stay out of this if I were you."
As if.

I had my own problems, and meddling in this wasn't one of them.
Especially not for the person who murdered me.
So, under the watchful eyes of the entire class, I kicked her hand away.
I brushed off my pant leg with a look of disgust.
"Don't worry," I said, my voice loud and clear. "I have no intention of getting involved. You guys carry on."
The room erupted in a fresh wave of shock and excitement.
Someone whistled. The drama was escalating.
I walked out of the classroom but stopped by the window.
I watched as they held Lilith down.
Her face was a mixture of defiance and humiliation.
But then, she did it.
She stuck out her tongue and began to lick the soda off the filthy floor.
Like an animal.
Everyone was stunned.
Even Ronan looked surprised for a moment, before a slow, cruel smile spread across his face.
"Good girl," he purred. "You're a very obedient little dog."
Lilith said nothing.
She simply finished her task and climbed back to her feet.
She looked at Ronan, her expression unreadable.
"Are you satisfied now?"

Ronan, looking thoroughly amused, actually reached out and smoothed a stray strand of her hair.
"Not bad. You've got some backbone. I like that. From now on, you're my property."
After school, everyone else left, but I stayed behind to study.
In my last life, I was murdered before I could take the SATs.
It was a wound that had never healed.
So, this life, I was going to study hard and get into the college of my dreams.
But I hadn't been studying for long when an unwelcome visitor entered the classroom.
It was Lilith.
She was limping towards me.
The sight of her made my stomach turn.
I quickly swept my books into my backpack and stood up to leave.
"Kaelan!"
She called out to me.
I didn't want to talk to her. I ignored her and walked out.
But she grabbed my arm.
"Kaelan, what did I do to you? Why do you hate me so much?"
"I need to know why you're treating me like this."
I didn't understand why she was asking me this now.
In this timeline, we barely knew each other.
I let out a small, humorless laugh.

"Everyone else hates you. Why don't you go ask them?"
"Because you're different. You're not like them."
"And today... when Ronan came for me... did you really feel nothing at all?" she asked, her voice tinged with bitterness.
This was ridiculous.
In my last life, I was good to her. I gave her my heart, and she had me killed.
Now, I was avoiding her like the plague, and she was the one chasing after me.
"We're not friends. You could drop dead in front of me, and I wouldn't feel a thing."
I yanked my arm out of her grasp and walked away without a second glance.
On the outside, I was calm.
But inside, a seed of doubt had been planted.
There was something different about Lilith this time.
It was like she d known me for a long time.
Pleading for my help this morning, and now saying all this.
It was almost as if... as if she had been reborn, too.
In my past life, my parents had signed me up for an SAT prep class that met every weekend.
A lot of students from my school were there, including Ronan, though he rarely showed up.
I thought I could study in peace.
I was wrong.
Lilith was there too.
She sat a few rows behind me, and I could feel her eyes on me the entire time.

Today, the instructor announced that we would be taking a practice test to re-sort the seating arrangement.
Students with similar scores would be seated together to help each other out.
As the test papers were handed out, I glanced back at Lilith.
She was staring at me.
Her gaze was intense, the same look she had in her eyes when she had me killed.
A chill ran down my spine.
I quickly turned back around and focused on my test.
The test was easy, and the results were announced quickly.
The instructor began reading out the new seating chart.
The first name he called was mine.
"Kaelan Sterling and Lilith Moreau, you two will sit together."
"Lilith is a new student, so Kaelan, I expect you to help her out."
My heart sank, but I kept my expression neutral.
After class, as Lilith moved her things to the desk next to mine, I caught the flash of triumph in her eyes.
"I won't be coming back to this class next week," I said quietly. "So you don't have to go through all this trouble."
"And if I had to guess, you intentionally got a few questions wrong so you could sit next to me."
In my last life, Lilith had aced every test after she transferred.
Her grades were better than mine.
And this prep test wasn't particularly difficult.
So, I figured she had thrown the test on purpose to get a lower score and be paired with me.

I just didn't know why she was so desperate to get close to me.
My words seemed to shock her.
"You... you figured it out."
"I don't like you. You should be able to tell that by now. I don't understand why you keep pestering me. It's disgusting."
My words were harsh, but Lilith didn't seem to get angry.
"I know why you hate me."
"There's a reason I did this today."
My heart pounded in my chest.
It seemed my suspicions were correct.
Sure enough, she continued, her voice barely a whisper.
"You came back too, didn't you, Kaelan? Otherwise, you wouldn't hate me this much."
I played dumb.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
She clutched her pen tightly.
"Stop pretending. You were reborn. Just like me."
"I'm so sorry, Kaelan. I never meant to hurt you in our last life. I was just... I was listening to Ronan. He manipulated me."
"Can you ever forgi "
Her words were cut off by a loud slam.
It was Ronan.
He had come in at some point and was now standing over Lilith, a cigarette dangling from his lips.

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