Lessons from the past

By Olisa Okigbo

Jim had always felt like life had dealt him a bad hand when it came to high school.  With

his average grades and no extracurriculars, he always thought he could get into a good

college without working hard or getting straight A’s and still end up rich. He rarely

studied. A party guy, he spent all of his time playing video games and trolling social

media.

Things would have been different had he listened to his dad's repeated warnings

about where he was headed. In his mind, he kept on hearing his dad's favorite phrase,

& quote; You will later realize,” but the question is, will it be too late? It was! The college

acceptance letters that came his way were less than thrilling. Among the rejections was

one from his dream school, Columbia University, where his sister attended. His only

acceptance was from a school at the bottom of the college rankings.

Sitting alone in his dimly lit room and staring at the ceiling he thought about how

different things could have been. It was then that he remembered the peculiar stories

his grandfather used to tell him about a mysterious watch that could turn back time. 

Desperate for a second chance, Jim rummaged through and under his messy bed

until he finally found it, dusty and tarnished, but still ticking. With a deep breath and a

flick of his wrist, he activated it and pulled the setter back, feeling a jolt of energy surge

through him as everything became blurry.

When Jim opened his eyes, the hallways of Crestwood High School surrounded him,

buzzing with the familiar sounds of laughter and lockers slamming shut. At first,

everything overwhelmed him, but soon, the gravity of his situation settled in. He had

returned to the last week of his junior year, a critical time to make choices that could

alter the trajectory of his life. Determined to redeem himself, he reached out to Lucy, the

intelligent Asian girl who he used to think was a geek and was pretty sure

made it to a top college. She had always sat a few desks away. With her help, Jim

planned to ace his exams and strengthen his college applications. 

Together, they formed a study group, pulling in other classmates. Jim quickly

discovered that he had a gift for rallying people around him. As the nights grew longer

with their study sessions, Jim and Lucy spent countless hours reading over textbooks

and quizzing each other, leading Jim to feel an unexpected spark of friendship and

maybe even something deeper. As he worked hard to improve his grades, Jim became

more confident, destroying the insecurities he had carried throughout his high school

 years. He even decided to join the DECA club, a business club, pushing himself further

outside of his comfort zone while also impressing his classmates and teachers. With each passing

day, he felt the old version of himself fading away. However, not everything was going smoothly. 

As Jim’s grades began to improve, Greg, the school bully, started to take notice. He

confronted Jim one day after class, a menacing grin on his face. What's your game,

weirdo? You think you can just change everything and become Mr. Popular? Jim was

caught off guard. Instead of backing down, he stood firm and made it clear that he

would not let anyone ruin his chance for a better future. Greg smirked and warned him

that some things were not meant to change. Jim started to doubt whether his life could

turn around. As the finals approached, Jim received unexpected help from Lucy, who

not only supported his studies but also helped him prepare for the DECA competition

that would take place right after exams. Tensions were high, and to make matters

worse, whispers circulated through the halls about a secret prank that Greg was

planning against the smarter students during their finals. Distracted by the looming

threats and the growing love for Lucy, Jim suddenly found himself questioning if he had

truly fixed everything that he could. 

Was it possible that he would still end up making a big mistake? The pressure to

succeed pushed him harder, and he poured his heart into his studies and grades. The

day of the finals arrived. As the last exam came to a close, Jim breathed a sigh of relief,

feeling that he'd given it his all. However, as he stepped out of the exam room, he was

immediately pulled aside by Lucy, her face pale with urgency. Jim, you need to see

this!; she exclaimed, handing him a note that Greg had dropped. The note contained a

detailed plan that revealed not only the pranks but also something shockingly personal

about Jim, a secret from his past that could destroy his chances at rising above high

school life once and for all. Just as anger and doubt set in, the watch on his wrist

pulsed, and the thought of his dark future flashed before him. Something was coming,

and Jim was about to discover if he had really changed his fate or if he would have to

embrace another round of time travel to fix what was about to go horribly wrong.