That was fine with me. I knew from my previous life that Juliette would try to avoid her promises. My goal was to make her uncomfortable. I had plenty of opportunities to deal with her later. Most importantly, her denial meant she couldn't complain to Joel about our bet, so I wouldn't need to waste time explaining things to him. After all, if Joel didn't experience the same pain I had before, it wouldn't be true revenge.
After the Fourth of July festivities, my reputation surged across campus. Almost no one remembered the old story of Erica Contreras, the student who got by on financial aid and collected recyclables for a year. Now, whenever my name came up, it was met with awe and praise.
But I didn't let it go to my head. I remembered my humble beginnings and the painful end of my previous life. Now, I was using my foresight to improve myself and raise my family's living standard. Every step I took, I made sure to be grounded and steady.
By evening, I declined Joel's invitation and hurried outside with some cat food, heading toward the southeastern part of the campus.