Fifteen years after graduating, I returned to my hometown to open our high school time capsule. What seemed like a nostalgic reunion quickly turned into something deeper. By digging up old memories, I discovered the truth about the betrayal and heartbreak that marked my life so many years ago.
We were in the school yard, under the dark sky, our class gathered in secret. I felt nervous, hoping no one would find us.
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“Dig faster!” ordered Jess, my best friend, in a high-pitched, impatient voice.
“If you’re so smart, do it yourself!” Malcolm snapped, stopping his shovel in mid-air.
Jess rolled her eyes. “I have a manicure and white sneakers. You know I can’t. These guys are useless,” she added, looking at me.
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I smiled weakly, trying to hide my discomfort. My eyes stayed fixed on Brian, who was standing a few steps away, staring at the ground.
He was my boyfriend, but tonight something wasn’t right. He hadn’t said a word to me, no explanation, nothing. I had tried to ask him what was wrong, but every time I did, he turned his back on me.
“Done!” Malcolm shouted, snapping me out of my thoughts.
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The capsule was open. Everyone threw in little mementos and letters. I held the medallion Brian had won for me at the fair.
It was special to me, but it weighed on me now. I shoved it inside and turned back to Brian.
“Why aren’t you talking to me?” I asked, moving closer to Brian. He remained silent, his eyes fixed somewhere far away. “Brian, what’s wrong? Can you explain to me what’s going on?” I insisted, my voice shaking.
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Without saying anything, he turned around and began to walk away.
“You promised to love me for the rest of your life! Now those words have no meaning?” I shouted after him, my voice breaking.
Brian stopped and turned around. His eyes met mine, cold and distant. “You’ve ruined this yourself,” he said, his tone flat. Then he turned away again.
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“What do you mean? What do you mean? I don’t understand what I did wrong,” I screamed, my chest tight with panic.
Brian kept walking. I fell to my knees, tears streaming down my face. Jess ran up and put her arms around me.
Fifteen years later…
I sat in front of my laptop, looking at Malcolm’s email. It was strange to hear from him after all this time.
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The email was simple, it reminded me that in two days we had to dig up the time capsule we had buried as teenagers.
I tried to remember what I had put inside, but I couldn’t. That night had left a scar on me.
I had lost Brian, my first love, in a way I never fully understood. Then Jess, my best friend, had betrayed me, leaving me completely alone.
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I sat back in my chair and let out a long sigh. Maybe it was time to face the past. My fingers fluttered over the keyboard before I finally typed, “I’ll be there.”
I hadn’t been back to my hometown for a lifetime. When I left for college, my parents moved away and I never found a reason to go back.
But here it was. The memories of this place were filled with pain, and he felt no need to relive them.
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As I approached my old school, I was overcome with unease. The building seemed smaller than I remembered, but the memories were still vivid.
I was about to face people who had once been an important part of my life, people who had also caused me so much harm.
I greeted some of my colleagues who had already gathered, including Malcolm. He smiled warmly, his face full of nostalgia.
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There was still no sign of Jess or Brian. We decided to start looking for the capsule without them. Neither of us remembered the exact location, so the digging dragged on.
Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jess and Brian walking towards us. My heart tightened before I could stop it. Were they still together?
I didn’t expect to care after all these years, but I did. When Brian came closer, my pulse quickened.
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But he didn’t look at me, he walked right past me as if I wasn’t there. Jess, on the other hand, greeted me with a smile, acting as if nothing had ever happened. It stung.
Finally, someone shouted, “I’ve found her!” Everyone ran towards her, full of excitement.
The capsule opened and memories poured out. I grabbed my locket, the one Brian had won for me.
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As I held it, my eyes caught something else: a letter with my name on it. My hands shook as I took it and stepped away.
When I opened the envelope, I immediately recognized the handwriting. It was from Jess.
Hello, Amelia,
If you are reading this, it has been fifteen years, and perhaps this letter will clear things up, although I doubt it will improve anything.
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I don’t even know how to begin to explain to you why I did what I did. I don’t really have a good reason. I don’t even feel guilty right now, not at all.
I know why Brian stopped talking to you. It was me. I started a rumor about you and Malcolm.
I even faked messages to make it look real. It was cruel, I know, but I loved Brian. I didn’t care about the consequences. I wasn’t thinking about you or anyone else.
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I’m not asking for your forgiveness. I just hope you understand.
Your not so great friend,
Jess
My hands shook as I read the letter. Tears blurred my vision, but I kept reading, each word hitting me like a punch. I didn’t realize Brian was standing next to me until he spoke.
“Amelia, I saw the locket in the capsule. I… I don’t know why, but when I saw you today…” he began, his voice soft and unsure.
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I looked up and saw Jess in the crowd. Anger replaced my tears. “I’m sorry, Brian. I need to talk to your girlfriend, Jess,” I said, my tone curt. I walked away without waiting for his response.
“Not my…” Brian yelled at me, but I didn’t care to hear the rest.
I walked over to Jess and showed her the letter. “Do you want to explain this to me?” I asked in a firm voice.
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Jess looked at me, a guilty look on her face. “Amelia, I… I don’t even know where to start,” she said.
“How about the truth?” I replied, my words firm.
Jess hesitated and sighed. She took my hand, surprising me, and led me toward the school steps.
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Those old seats held so many memories of our friendship. We used to sit there and dream of the future. Now, it seemed like a place to discover the past.
As we sat down on the old, worn bleachers, Jess took a deep breath, her shoulders slumped. “I’m sorry,” she said, her voice grave.
“Sorry isn’t enough,” I replied, my tone sharper than I intended. “Why did you do it?”
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“Why?” He let out a bitter laugh. “Don’t you understand? I wanted to be you.”
I stared at her, confused. “What? That’s ridiculous,” I said, laughing in disbelief.
“You don’t understand,” Jess said, her eyes meeting mine. “You were perfect, Amelia. You had everything. You were smart, you had great parents, and you had Brian. I wanted something from you, anything. I didn’t even like Brian that much.”
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“You didn’t like it? Then why…?” I started, but she cut me off.
“I wanted to take something away from you. It made me feel better, like I mattered,” Jess admitted. “We broke up three weeks later. It wasn’t even worth it.”
I shook my head, trying to process his words. “I thought you two were still together,” I said.
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“No,” she said, wiping her face. “He just brought me here today. That’s all.”
I looked down at my hands, my voice softening. “I wanted Brian. I thought he was the one. I thought I would marry him.”
Jess nodded. “He loved you, Amelia. That’s why he reacted the way he did. I made up the rumor about you and Malcolm. I didn’t care what happened as long as he doubted you.”
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I shook my head again. “Malcolm is married now. To his husband,” I said firmly.
Jess let out a shaky laugh. “No one knew then.” She paused, her voice calm. “I don’t know how to make up for it. I don’t think I can.”
“You can’t change what happened,” I said.
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Jess hesitated. “I’ve missed you.”
I looked at her. “I’ve missed you too,” I admitted after a moment.
“Is it okay if I start reaching out to you? I don’t expect you to trust me yet. I just want to try,” he said.
I studied his face and saw that he was sorry. “I still have the same number,” I finally said.
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Jess smiled. “Thank you,” she said softly.
We sat there for a while, not saying anything. Then Jess nudged me, pointing out into the field. “He’s not looking for me,” she said.
I sighed and walked down the steps, my steps slow and unsteady. When I reached Brian, my mind raced and I almost forgot how to speak. Before I could say anything, he started.
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“Amelia,” he said firmly. “First, I want to make one thing clear. Jess is not my girlfriend. I haven’t seen her since high school.”
I nodded. “I know,” I said, my voice quieter than I intended.
Brian looked at me and then looked down at the ground. “The medallion you put in the capsule, is that the one I gave you?” he asked.
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“Yeah,” I said. “Funny. I thought we’d be married by the time we dug him up. I imagined it as a sweet moment.” I paused, my chest tight. “But…”
“I was an idiot,” Brian said, cutting me off. “I didn’t give you a chance to explain yourself. I allowed myself to believe something that wasn’t true.”
“We were kids,” I said, trying to sound nonchalant, though the pain still lingered.
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“But we’re not kids anymore,” he said, his tone softening. “Amelia, I’ve been thinking about you for years. I told myself it didn’t matter anymore, but seeing you today made me realize I was wrong. I felt something I hadn’t felt in a long time.”
“Never mind, Brian,” I said quickly. “I live in New York now.”
“Me too,” he said, a small smile forming. “And I’d like to take you on a date.”
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I hesitated. “I don’t know…”
“Just one date,” he said, looking at me seriously.
I sighed and smiled a little. “Okay. But only if you win me a new medallion. This one has turned black,” I said, holding it up.
Brian laughed and his face lit up. “Deal.”
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