“Are you sure you are okay?” Yuri tried examining Jessica’s head again but Jessica dodged the attack.

“I am fine. Just a headache and the nurse already gave me aspirin,” Jessica said as they went down the hallway again. She was still confused to what the hell was happening but whatever it was, Jessica thought if she could just get back to her locker, she could fix this. Unfortunately, Yuri was the biggest pest, more so than she was at the coffee shop.

“Where are we going?”

Jessica rolled her eyes, “Back to my locker.”

“Why are we going there? We are already late for class.”

“I ah forgot my books.”

“It is art class.”

“I forgot my supplies.”

“We keep them in the room.”

Jessica stopped walking and turned to Yuri, “you can go to class if you want, but I need to go to my locker.”

Yuri frowned at Jessica’s attitude, “What has gotten into you? Just because you and Taeyeon had that stupid fight, don’t take it out on me too. The girls are already divided with you two mad at each other.”

Jessica bit her lip hating that she returned after the fight. That was when she drifted apart from her friends and Yuri was the only friend who really stayed by her side, “I am sorry…” Looking down Jessica didn’t know what to say. A few minutes ago she remembered making up with Taeyeon with a simple ‘I’m sorry’ but it seems like that won’t fix it now. Maybe she doesn’t have to fix it if she just returns to her locker, “I didn’t mean it that way Yuri, but can I go to my locker?”

Yuri moved aside, “I get it…I will give you some space. See you in class okay?”

Jessica gave the girl a brief smile and waited for Yuri to leave before sprinting to her locker. Quickly Jessica keyed in her code and opened it, but to her surprise, nothing happened. The locker was the same as when she decorated it in high school. There were magazine cut outs of dresses and clothing she admired and her books were lined up neatly with each corresponding notebook. Jessica reached out and ghosted her fingers across objects that brought along so many memories, “I am really back here huh…” Jessica looked around the hallway to see it empty and quietly shut her locker. She didn’t know why she was here, or how the hell she basically time traveled, but from every movie she watched, there must be a way to get back.

“Maybe I need to accomplish something?” Jessica wondered what she could do to return to the future?

There was nothing she could think of.

Instead of trying to wrap her head around what to do, Jessica slowly made her way to the art room, but as she was observing her surroundings, Jessica caught a glimpse of Taeyeon in class through the doorway.

Stopping, Jessica peered into the room to watch Taeyeon’s side-profile as she put her full attention to the teacher, “You didn’t age one bit in 10 years.” Sighing, Jessica kept her head down as she made her way to the class and slipped her hall pass to the teacher, “Sorry I am late.”

The teacher read the note, “I hope you are feeling better. Class is nearly over so take a seat.”

Sitting in the seat next to Yuri, Jessica saw something but she didn’t care. Jessica was trying to recall events such that if it is the day after her and Taeyeon had the big fight, that meant she just started her last semester in her senior year. There would be only 6 months until she doesn’t see Taeyeon for another 10 years, or the rest of the girls except Yuri.

“Miss Jung just because you came late that doesn’t mean to dose off the rest of the class period.”

Jessica straightened her pose looking at the teacher, “Yes mam.”

The teacher gave a small grunt in response before going back to teaching.

Jessica slouched forward in her seat as she went over past events in her mind. Her last year in high school as she remembered it was very uneventful. Since she had a falling out with basically all her friends, she studied and went home most days. This time in her life was not one she actually wanted to repeat. She’d rather go back to the beginning of high school when she was not so caught up with university and exams, when she had time to be with her friends…when everything was so simple.

“That was the bell, you coming to lunch?” Yuri stood over Jessica who was zoning out the rest of class.

Breaking from her daze, Jessica gave Yuri a small smile as she got out of her desk, “I am not that hungry.” Jessica wasn’t ready to see her friends again, “I think I will go for a walk.”

Yuri opened to say something but closed it for a second, “Alright…see you later then.”

Jessica walked the opposite way from Yuri as she found her way to the stairs and walked up to the roof. It seemed cliched that she would find solace here but she walked over the edge and looked over to see the street below, “why am I here?”

Just then the sound of a door closing behind her startled Jessica and she turned around quickly to see Taeyeon right in front of her. That was unexpected and it seemed like Taeyeon was just as surprised.

Neither girls knew what to do so they just stared at each other hoping the later would say something but they were both rendered speechless. However, Jessica being a little braver turned around and took a seat, “you can sit if you want.”

Taeyeon stayed rooted in her spot for a minute contemplating her choices but eventually made her way to an empty spot to sit. She was slightly behind Jessica where she watched her curiously. It seemed both girls wanted to avoid an awkward lunch together but found themselves still having an awkward lunch sitting on the roof not saying a word to one another.

Jessica was hesitant to look behind her where Taeyeon was sitting because she was afraid of how Taeyeon was feeling. It was long ago…well it just happened yesterday, but Jessica remembered the raw feelings of anger towards Taeyeon after the event. She avoided Taeyeon like the plague hoping to forget the fight and Taeyeon altogether. Jessica assumed Taeyeon must have similar feelings so she didn’t dare turn back. Although her talk with Taeyeon on the balcony during the reunion made Jessica wonder if the fight was such a big deal. Did she overreact? Taeyeon brushed it off so cooly, but her actions could be that they matured from being hormonal school girls to adult women.

Eventually the time passed and the lunch bell rang. Jessica turned around to leave and to her disappointment, Taeyeon was already gone. She didn’t hear her leave the roof…but knowing Taeyeon wanted to get away from her made Jessica’s heart sink.

Jessica shuffled herself to her locker and stopping short of opening to lean her head on it. Her whole body felt drained from her short 30 minute encounter with Taeyeon. In fact, she wanted to crawl up and into a hole so she could soak up this misery, “Why so glum?”

“I don’t know.”

Yuri was eating carrots, probably from an unfinished lunch, “Are you sure you aren’t hungry? What did you do during lunch?”

Jessica turned around to lean on her locker, “I went to get fresh air. I am not feeling that great.”

“I knew you were still unwell! You should go back to the nurse and get a note to go home.”

Jessica shook her head, “No…my head is fine. Maybe I am just tired.”

“Did you stay up all night studying again?”

Jessica thought back to her 18 year-old self, more than likely she spent her nights studying, “Yea?”

“You are such a lamebot. Take a load off and come hang out with me after school.”

“I don’t know…”

“Please!” Yuri begged as she clasped her hands together, “it has been forever since you went out to have some fun with your best friend.”

Jessica chuckled at Yuri’s pathetic eyes, “Fine…”

“Yes!” Yuri jumped around in joy, “I will find you after school.”

Jessica watched Yuri hop around the hallway in joy for a bit until she turned and opened her locker. Jessica pulled out a few folders looking for her class schedule. She was thankful that she was so organized because the third folder she went through had her whole class list for the semester. There were 2 more classes for the day. Right now she had math and then French. Jessica laughed to herself, “Oh goodness…I could probably speak better French than the teacher now.”

For the remainder of the day, Jessica nodded her head in and out of sleep wondering how she made it through the school days without being bored out of her mind. Going to class, Jessica was thankful that she didn’t have to spend another 6 months or so studying because she remembered everything and more. Math was a bit tricky but Jessica was a master in French after living there so she spent most of her time looking out the window wondering when the day would be over.

When that final bell rang, Jessica was sure to be the first one out of class, but as she reached in to pull out books to take home, Jessica put them back, “Do I really need to study?” Instead, Jessica took out her empty backpack but before she could sling it around her arm, Yuri came up and tackled her, “Got you!”

Jessica shook her friend off and gave her a sinister glare that made Yuri laugh, “you ready to go?”

Yuri examined Jessica’s backpack, “Are you really not going to take anything home? What about that history exam for next week?”

Jessica shrugged it off, “I studied already. Like you said, I should take a night off.”

Yuri was beaming with joy circling her arm around Jessica’s, “Great! Let’s go the mall. I have been eyeing out these new American brand sneakers for a while now.”

Jessica smiled in agreement and they made their way to the mall via public transportation. Yuri was busy people watching out the bus window as Jessica sat in the aisle seat filled with happiness. Jessica never admitted to Yuri during her adult years that she really enjoyed their high school life together. Sure Yuri annoys the heck out of her and always interrupts her alone time at the coffee shop, but Jessica secretly likes her hyper friend around.

Jessica leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes knowing she was having a much better high school life now than before. Jessica vowed from this moment forward she wouldn’t do a repeat of 10 years ago. She won’t pack her bag full of books and spend hours studying or going to after school lessons. Jessica was going to relive her high school life to the fullest and that would be for once, enjoying her youth.

“Wake up we are here.”

Jessica was just resting her eyes when Yuri shoved her to get out of her seat, albeit Jessica stumbled the rest of the way out of the bus lucky to not have fell flat on her face.

“Freedom!”

Jessica shook her head at her friend before walking past her, “We just arrived and I want to find a new group of friends to be here with.”

“Awww and here I was going to buy you frozen yogurt in the cafeteria.”

Jessica’s brows raised in excitement, “I will go find your shoes with you if you buy strawberry.”

Yuri giggled, “Okay. Strawberry it is.”

The girls walked around the mall looking for a shop that might sell Yuri’s shoes but they couldn’t find one, “Did you check to see where they were selling? Like are they even in our city or only available in the states?”

Yuri frowned, “how come the USA gets all the cool stuff? We basically get their leftovers.”

Jessica went over to pat her friend on the back, “Cheer up. We can go to that other mall across town on the weekend if you want. They have more foreign shops there.”

Yuri smiled at the suggestion, “You promised!”

Jessica laughed, “Yes I promised so how about we get that yogurt now?”

Yuri agreed happily, “Yep! Strawberry for you and mango for me!”

As the two women were making their way to the cafeteria, Yuri and Jessica spotted two other girls they knew from school, but Jessica was quick to hop behind Yuri and curse a silent, “.” But Yuri didn’t care that Jessica was clearly trying to avoid their friends.

“Yo Tiffany! Tae!”

The girls turned to see a rather pathetic attempt of Jessica using her short stature to perfectly stand and hide behind their taller friend, Yuri. Knowing it was rude to ignore their friend, Tiffany and Taeyeon came up to the pair, “You didn’t tell us you were going to the mall after classes.”

“You didn’t ask me to come either,” Yuri snapped back.

Tiffany gave Yuri a sly smile before turning her attention to Jessica who was trying desperately to not look at them, “It is a rare sighting to see Jessica Jung not in the library. What did you have to do to get her to come out Yuri?”

“It was simple,” Yuri shrugged, “I asked, jumped on her back and then she said yes. You just need to know how to make her say yes.”

Jessica rolled her eyes at Yuri, “I just needed to get out.” Eventually Jessica’s eyes scanned over Taeyeon who looked rather uncomfortable with the whole situation.

“We are getting frozen yogurt at the cafeteria if you want to join.” Yuri suggested which made Taeyeon’s eyes go wide in anticipation. Jessica laughed a bit at Taeyeon’s continued love for sweet treats.

Luckily, Tiffany also liked sweet things, “Yes! Oh I forgot that the mall makes the best!”

So the situation ended up again with Taeyeon and Jessica sitting at the same table not speaking a word to one another. In fact, Tiffany didn’t let really anyone talk as she chatted about this hot guy in her gym class, but Jessica knew the truth. She might be crushing over this guy now, but Tiffany in her future universe is going to be marrying someone completely different.

“I mean what guy at our age has muscles like that! He is really mature for his age.” Tiffany ate a scoop of her yogurt, “what do you think?”

Honestly Jessica had no idea who this person was. She didn’t pay attention to most of the people outside of her circle, “Have I met him before?”

Tiffany did a drastic eye-roll, “Come on Jess! He is on the football team. Don’t you go to the games?”

Did she go to the games? Jessica couldn’t remember so she shrugged.

Tiffany slammed her spoon on the table, “Okay that is enough. I hardly see you out of school Jess. We are kidnapping you on Friday to come to the game with us, right Taetae?”

Taeyeon looked up from her yogurt cutely with the spoon in , “Huh?”

Tiffany shoved her friend, “Tae said she will be delighted for you to come with us.”

Taeyeon and Jessica looked at Tiffany strangely, but both knew that Tiffany didn’t like her two friends fighting like this. Tiffany was the type to force people together and hope for the best, and Tiffany knew her two best friends were very stubborn. Secretly, Jessica was very thankful to Tiffany. 10 years ago, Jessica didn't like fighting with Taeyeon, but she couldn't bring herself to say she was sorry. Maybe now was her time to make things right?