Stolen Genius, Reclaimed Fate

was almost in my grasp, a ticket out of this small New England town for me and Mom. Mom worked two jobs

academic star, future astrophysi

n the edge of town. He was outside, sweeping the stoop with an

times means bottom of

pavement. I just nodded politely, thinking he was jus

riend since middle school, bounced up t

got you

r locket. It was heart-shap

For good luck on the real

y something clunky like that for a

hloe. It'

t felt heavy a

results. My score had dropped, significantly. I stared at the paper,

harder than a pop quiz, started getting A' s. She ev

rks!" she chirped, tapping

y mind, "Top of the class sometimes means bottom of the

eded for a full scholarship, far below anything I' d ever scored. My dream fe

and it. I studied,

e little bell above the door jingled mournfully as I entered. The a

unter, polishing a t

g a little, "you said something to me the oth

knowing eyes seeming

tent, fortune, misfortune." He gestured vaguely around the shop. "

affection, or what one believes to be affection. Sometimes, they can shift burdens, or b

ptain of the football team, the town' s golden boy who' d always been there for us after Dad died... it made me f

than to him. "That' s not p

old wives' tales. There had to be a rational explanation. Maybe I was

an wouldn' t hurt me. They w

ptic words and the cold feeling the locket gave me. I

door was slightly ajar, and I heard voices. Chlo

o smart, she' ll figure something out. You

od ran

Chloe asked. "It really works. I

I felt like Sarah was too focused on academics, you know? Not enough

, my childhood friend, the boy I might have loved. They had deliberatel