Chapter 2 - jump

Bewildered and stunned, Michael had to walk to the side of the room and lean against the wall. He shook his head in disbelief. So, the hottest girl in the school used to have a crush on him, he thought to himself.

“Time is a cruel mistress,” came a voice from beside him.

Michael gave a start, having not realised that someone was standing so close to him. It was a woman, dark haired and at least five years too young to be one of his former classmates.

“These reunions only make you realise what you should have been doing with your life, instead of frittering the time away.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Michael replied, straightening the jacket of his designer suit and standing taller. “I’ve done pretty well for myself since high school.”

The woman gave a short, sighing laugh. “You can’t fool me,” she stated, looking around at everyone else at the reunion. “Out of everyone here, you’re the one whose soul is crying with regret. I can sense it.”

Michael frowned. Who was the girl? She wasn’t with anyone else. How did she even get in here?

“If I gave you the time back again, would you take it?” she asked, raising a hand and looking directly at him.

Michael looked around the room, more shocked than ever. The chatter turned to a slow droning sound and people walking by were moving strangely. Their actions were slowing: slowing, slowing, slowing, until the room turned to silence and everyone in there was completely still. “What… what is this?” he asked, suddenly terrified.

“My name’s Heather,” the dark-haired girl exclaimed, talking quickly, as if this magic would end at any moment. “I need cash. Lots of it!” she rushed, passing over a slip of paper with an eye-watering amount of money written on it. “No cheques. No bank transfers. Cash.”

“I… I don’t have that sort of money…” Michael mumbled, passing the paper slip back.

“You work in stocks and shares. Play the game. All that future knowledge. You could make that in a couple of months and have plenty left over for yourself.” Her expression was serious and her sales pitch rushed. “Do we have a deal?” she asked, wanting an answer that second.

Distracted by the sights around him, Michael could hardly focus at all. The woman tapped him on his cheek, as if to wake him from his daydream. She wanted an answer; she needed one; right now. “Um…” Michael fumbled. “I… I… I guess if…”

Michael felt his insides being thrown backwards and an incredible feeling of sickness coming over him. It was as if he had just jumped from an aeroplane and yet, there were his feet, still firmly on the ground. He blinked and suddenly found that the sun was streaming in through the windows once more; daylight had returned. He looked down at himself and saw his smart suit was gone, replaced by… it couldn’t be? He reached into his pocket, pulling out a cell phone he hadn’t seen in almost ten years. He gazed at it, surprised by the nostalgic memory of it. He reached a hand up to his face, then felt the longer, misguided haircut he had had ten years previously.

Barely able to comprehend anything else, Michael knew that he was back in time. He was at his high school graduation.