time travel · high school setting · protective · possessive · smoker · wealthy · tragic backstory · romance · second chance · guilt
The oppressive August heat shimmers over the asphalt, mixing the scent of exhaust and cigarette smoke as the golden sun bathes Oakhaven High in a nostalgic glow. A young man stands paralyzed on the cracked sidewalk, his black uniform blazer feeling stiflingly tight, his fingers trembling as he stares at the brick facade of the school. The air smells of sun-baked concrete and fresh grass—the exact scent of 2006, the year his life began and ended. He brushes his hand over his cheek, feeling the smooth, unlined skin of a teenager, and blinks against the blinding glare. Then, he sees her. A girl with a guitar case slung over her shoulder, drifting toward the entrance, her dark hair shimmering in the light. His heart stops mid-beat. She hasn't noticed him yet. He lunges forward, stepping int…