Mark sits alone in his dimly lit bedroom, staring at his reflection in the window. The soft glow of a streetlight outside casts shadows on the walls. He runs his hand through his hair, feeling the weight of his regrets. A clock ticks in the background, marking the passage of time.
Mark (muttering to himself): If I had just… done things differently. Gotten serious about school. Made better choices. Maybe then I wouldn't be stuck in this dead-end job, living a life that feels like it's... already over.
He turns and looks at the stack of unopened bills on his desk, his work computer powered off. He picks up a photo of himself from high
school, smiling with his friends. He's younger, filled with hopes and dreams.
Mark (sighing): I should've made it out of here…
He slumps onto his bed, still holding the photo, and closes his eyes. Suddenly, everything around him starts to blur and spin. His body
tingles, as if something is pulling him. A bright light flashes, and then, just as quickly, everything stops.
Mark (eyes wide, gasping): What the hell...?
--
Mark opens his eyes. The room is unfamiliar, but it's exactly the same as the one he remembered from his teenage years. His childhood bed. Posters on the walls. The same blue curtains.
He sits up, his heart racing.
Mark (to himself, confused): No way...
He looks down at his hands. His skin is younger, smoother. He touches his face, realizing he's back in his 16-year-old body.
Mark (shaking his head): This can't be happening…
He jumps up, stumbling over his old sneakers as he runs to the mirror. The reflection is unmistakably him—but younger, with a full head of hair and no gray streaks. His teenage self stares back at him, wide-eyed and
disbelieving.
Mark (muttering): I'm 16 again…
A wave of realization crashes over him. He's been given a second chance—a chance to rewrite the past, to make better choices, to become the person he always wished he could be.
---
Mark steps out of his childhood home, squinting as the sunlight hits his face. He looks around at his surroundings, everything seeming familiar, but a little off, as if it's been pulled from a memory. The school bus drives past, and a few students are walking to the nearby high school.
Mark (thinking): I can do this. This is my chance to fix everything. Go to college. Get a good job. Stop being stuck in a life I don't
want.
He walks slowly toward the school, but a voice calls out behind him.
Jake (shouting from behind): Yo, Mark! You ready for another day of torture?
Mark turns around and sees Jake, his best friend from high school, wearing his typical rebellious grin. He's still dressed in his usual
laid-back style, wearing a band t-shirt and jeans that are too baggy.
Mark (smiling, trying to adjust): Yeah, sure. Feels weird though, doesn't it?
Jake (laughing): What? The same school for the hundredth time? Yeah, I know. But hey, look at it this way—at least we're one day closer
to freedom, right?
Mark takes a deep breath, trying to hide his shock. This feels like a dream, but it's not. He's back in high school, and it's real. He's not sure how or why, but he's determined to make the most of it.
Mark (trying to sound casual): Yeah, freedom. That's what I need right now.
Jake gives him a sidelong glance, eyebrow raised.
Jake (grinning): Hey, you okay? You've been acting kinda weird lately, even for you. Maybe you need a little more of the "torture" to snap out of it.
Mark (nervous chuckle): Yeah, just… tired. You know how it is.
Jake (playfully): Come on, man. You're 16 again. Stop acting like an old man. Let's go grab some lunch before the bell rings. I'm starving.
Mark hesitates for a moment, then nods, trying to act as if nothing is out of the ordinary. He follows Jake toward the school, though his
mind is racing.
Mark (thinking): This is it. This is my second chance. I can do things differently. This time, I won't mess it up.
---
Mark walks down the hallway, surrounded by the noise of lockers slamming and students chatting. It feels surreal—like stepping back
into a time he's long since left behind.
He catches sight of Ellen, his teenage crush, walking down the hallway with her group of friends. She's just as beautiful as he remembers, laughing with her friends.
Mark (whispering to himself): Ellen...
For a moment, time seems to freeze. Mark is suddenly overcome with the weight of his past feelings for her, but now, in this moment, he's not the insecure teenager he once was. He's a 35-year-old man with the wisdom of age.
Jake (noticing Mark's gaze): You're looking at her again, huh? (He smirks) Still haven't gotten over that crush, huh?
Mark (shaking himself out of his trance): I, uh... no. Just... thinking. We're in high school again, man. It's all weird, you know?
Jake (grinning): Yeah, weird, right? But it's also kind offunny. You've got a second chance to be cool this time. Don't blow it, man.
Mark nods, but as he watches Ellen disappear into aclassroom, his thoughts drift back to the path he wanted for his life—a better future, more stable, more fulfilling.
Mark (thinking): I'm going to do this right. I'll make sure I get into college, get the job, and… maybe, just maybe, things will be different this time.
---
End of Chapter 1