Chapter 4 Turning the Tables
I paused at the doorway. "Sometimes it's advantageous to be underestimated."
Max stared at me, his expression shifting from confusion to suspicion.
"That could've been a lucky guess," he said, reaching for another textbook. "Let me try something else."
He flipped through several pages before stopping at a problem marked with a red star. "This is from last year's MIT Physics Competition. Even our physics teacher couldn't solve it without looking up the approach."
I glanced at the problem. Electromagnetic field equations with multiple variables and constraints. Child's play.
"You want me to solve this?" I asked, not bothering to hide my boredom.
Max nodded, watching me intently.
I didn't even reach for a calculator or paper. "If you apply a Taylor series expansion, the electromagnetic field equations simplify to a second-order differential equation. The resulting force vector equals 347.82 newtons per square meter at the boundary conditions."
Max's jaw dropped. He frantically worked through the problem on paper, his pencil flying across the page. After several minutes, he looked up, eyes wide.
"That's... exactly right. How did you—"
I shrugged. "I told you, I'm just too lazy to bother with school."
"But this is advanced theoretical physics! You could—"
"I'll make an effort when it matters," I cut him off. "For college applications."
Max studied me for a moment, then reached into his desk drawer and pulled out a small container. "Here," he said, offering me a box of chocolate chip cookies. "I've noticed you barely eat anything lately."
"Thanks," The gesture caught me off guard. In my previous life, gifts always came with expectations. I hesitated before taking one.
Max nodded, then turned back to his homework, clearly still processing what had just happened.
Back in my room, I stared at the ceiling, thinking about my situation. I'd been Shadow, the world's deadliest assassin, with a perfect record of eliminations. Now I was trapped in the body of an overweight, underachieving high school girl.
My memories of both lives existed side by side. The original Jade had been weak, allowing herself to be bullied by everyone from her family to random classmates.
That would change now. I had the knowledge and skills of the world's top assassin. I just needed to recondition this body.
The next morning, I woke before dawn. The house was silent as I slipped into the baggy sweatpants and oversized t-shirt that constituted Jade's workout clothes. Pathetic, but they'd do for now.
Outside, the cool morning air hit my face as I began a slow jog through the neighborhood. My muscles screamed in protest after just half a block. This body was in even worse shape than I'd thought.
I pushed through the pain, maintaining a steady pace. By the time I circled back to the house thirty minutes later, I was drenched in sweat and gasping for breath. A pitiful performance by Shadow's standards, but it was a start.
After a quick shower, I changed into Jade's school uniform – a shapeless combination that did nothing for her figure. Not that it mattered right now. Soon enough, I'd have this body in prime condition.
When I stepped out of my room, I was surprised to find Max waiting by the front door. According to Jade's memories, this had never happened before.
"Morning," he said, shifting his weight to his good leg.
I nodded in acknowledgment as we walked out together.
"You smell like soap and sweat," he observed as we headed down the street. "Were you exercising?"
"Morning jog," I replied. "I'm working on getting in shape."
Max glanced at me with newfound interest. "That's good. You'd be really pretty if—" He stopped himself, looking embarrassed.
"If I weren't so fat?" I finished for him, unbothered by the truth.
"I didn't mean—"
"It's fine," I said. "I know what I look like. I'm working on changing it."
He nodded, then reached into his pocket and pulled out a five-dollar bill. "Here. Get something healthy from the school cafeteria for breakfast."
I took the money, examining his face for signs of an ulterior motive but finding none. "Thanks."
I studied him as he walked away. This brother was actually kind of sweet.
In the school cafeteria, I used Max's money to buy a protein-heavy breakfast – a whole grain wrap and a bowl of cereal with fruit. As I carried my tray to an empty table, I heard snickering behind me.
"Look at all that food," a girl's voice stage-whispered. "No wonder she's so huge."
"I don't know why she bothers," another voice replied. "Even if she lost weight, someone like Orion Miller would never look at her. He's tall, handsome, gets perfect grades, and comes from money."
I could feel their eyes on my back, waiting for me to hunch my shoulders or hurry away like the original Jade would have done. Instead, I turned slowly, meeting their gaze with the cold, unblinking stare that had made hardened killers back away.
The girls fell silent, their smiles faltering as I held their eyes. I didn't say a word – just looked at them with the calm, calculating gaze of someone who had ended lives without hesitation.
After a few uncomfortable seconds, they looked away, suddenly very interested in their own food. I turned back to my table, satisfaction coursing through me. No threats, no violence – just the promise of them in my eyes.
I ate methodically, enjoying the quiet that had fallen around me. This body needed protein and nutrients to rebuild itself. I wouldn't deny it what it needed because of some teenage gossip.
My peace was short-lived. As I finished my meal, someone bumped into me from behind – deliberately, based on the force. I felt the momentum that should have sent my food flying, but my reflexes kicked in automatically.
My hand steadied my healthy wrap before it could fall, while my other hand caught the cereal bowl that had begun to tip. At the same time, I registered the girl behind me – her tray tilting, salad remnants about to spill onto my back.
In one fluid motion, I kicked out with my right foot, striking her shin with precisely calculated force. Not enough to break bone, but sufficient to disrupt her balance.
She stumbled, her tray flipping upward and dumping its contents onto her own head. Lettuce, dressing, and carrot shreds rained down on her hair and face as she shrieked in surprise.
The cafeteria erupted in laughter as she stood there, humiliated and dripping. Her eyes locked on mine, filled with embarrassment and fury.