We stood in the schoolyard at night, secretly burying a time capsule. Jess barked orders while avoiding the digging—too worried about her nails. I stayed quiet, watching Brian, my boyfriend, who hadn’t spoken to me all evening.
When it was time to add our items, I dropped in a locket Brian had won for me. It felt heavy now. I approached him, asking what was wrong. He turned away, coldly muttering, “You ruined everything yourself.”
Fifteen years later, Malcolm emailed: it was time to unearth the capsule. I hadn’t been back to that town in ages, and the memories still stung—Brian ghosting me, Jess betraying me.
I returned. Most of the class was there, including Malcolm—but not Brian or Jess. Just as we found the capsule, they arrived. My heart clenched. Brian ignored me. Jess smiled like nothing ever happened.
Then I saw a letter with my name. It was from Jess—admitting she’d spread lies about me and Malcolm to steal Brian. She didn’t even love him—she just wanted something that was mine.
Furious, I confronted her. She confessed everything: jealousy, regret, and how short-lived their fling had been. “I wanted to be you,” she said. We sat in silence, old wounds still raw.
Later, I spoke to Brian. He wasn’t with Jess
—hadn’t been since high school. We talked honestly for the first time in years. He admitted he’d believed Jess’s lies back then and regretted it ever since.
“I live in New York now,” I said.
“So do I,” he replied. “Let me take you on a date.”
I hesitated, then smiled. “Only if you win me a new locket. The old one’s turned black.”
He laughed. “It’s a deal.”
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