Fifteen years after high school, I came back to my hometown to open our time capsule. What began as a nostalgic reunion raised up old emotions, especially when I saw Brian and Jess again.
Brian had ended a relationship with me without explanation back then, and Jess, my best friend, disappeared from my life soon after. The night we hidden the capsule had left me depressed and puzzled.
As we exhumed the capsule, I found a letter addressed to me in Jess’s handwriting. In it, she revealed to starting a rumor about me and Malcolm, forging messages to make Brian believe I che:ated.
She declared that she only did it out of jealousy, wanting to take something from me—even Brian, whom she didn’t even love.
The treachery stung, but the truth helped me finally know what tore us apart.
I met Jess, and for the first time, she apologized sincerely. We talked, not just about the past, but about what might still be saved of our friendship. Brian, too, approached me and apologized for never giving me the chance to clarify. We both admitted we’d carried our feelings all these years, and despite everything, there was still a spark.
Brian asked me on a date, and though I hesitated, I said yes—with one condition: he’d have to win me a new locket, just like the old one he’d given me. It was a small, promising moment, a new beginning built on old memories and looked-for truths. Maybe some things, even after all this time, earn a second chance
