The Time Weaver

Part 2 - Back to Uni

I took the bus and reached the Uni, a place filled with memories of my teenage years. The familiar sights and sounds flooded my senses, evoking a mix of nostalgia and excitement. It was surreal to be back, knowing I had a chance to relive these moments with my friends. I missed them all so much, my heart aching with a longing I couldn't fully describe.

As I walked through the corridor, I noticed that everything looked almost the same, except for the newly painted blocks, each one has a different color. It was a small change, but it made the place feel vibrant. Lost in my thoughts, I suddenly heard someone calling my name.

"Haze, where the hell were you? I waited too long at the bus stop. Since I couldn't find you, I took another bus. For God's sake, answer your phone when I call you!"

I turned around to see Jessica, my Jess. Seeing her brought a rush of emotions. I had missed her so much. Without thinking, I ran to her and hugged her tightly. I didn't care if she thought I was acting strange; I was just so happy to see her again. We hadn't been in touch much since she had her kid and got busy with life. Maybe I should warn her not to marry that guy she loved so quickly. Wait, if this is 2014, she hasn't even met him yet. That meant I haven't met Eric either. I'm in a safe zone. Maybe I can avoid him altogether.

"Haze, are you dreaming? Oh God, I don't know what's wrong with her. She's acting very strange," Jessica said, looking puzzled.

"Haha, Jess. You know...I missed you so much. I was just happy to see you again. Anyway, let's go to class now," I replied, trying to sound casual.

"See you again? FYI, we have only been apart for 15 hours, okay? We just met yesterday. Anyways, let's go. It's Mr. Smith's class today. I don't want to be late," she said, rolling her eyes but smiling.

As we walked to class, my excitement grew. I saw our girl gang - Nicola, Aleena, Sandra, Amara, Rini, and Susan. I missed them all and couldn't wait to hang out with them again. The thought of rekindling our friendship made me feel giddy.

"Ms. Hazel, is there any problem there? I wonder if you are too comfortable dreaming?" Mr. Smith's stern voice jolted me back to reality.

"Holy shit, no...no Mr. Smith," I stammered, feeling embarrassed.

"Listen here, if you can't focus, you can leave the class now," he said, clearly annoyed.

"What are you thinking? Oh God, do you have PMS? I don't get you, listen we will have a movie night after this, okay...girls are waiting" Jessica whispered, looking concerned.

What am I even thinking? I scolded myself. Hazel, you should listen in class. The only bad thing about time traveling is having to study all over again...

But even with that thought, I couldn't wipe the smile off my face. This was my second chance, and I was determined to make the most of it.

*Jess's Home*

As I stared at my reflection in the mirror—haggard, hollow-eyed, but undeniably alive—a sudden burst of laughter echoed from the living room. It was the unmistakable cackle of my closest friends, the girl gang I had leaned on through thick and thin.

Despite the turmoil inside me, their infectious joy seeped through the cracks of my despair. I pushed open the bathroom door and found them sprawled across my couch, Jess holding a bag of chips precariously close to spilling.

"Hey Hazel, you okay in there?" Jess asked with a mischievous glint in her eye, crumbs flying as she gestured wildly.

"Yeah, just a near-death experience, no big deal," I deadpanned, attempting to muster a smile. The tension of the moment dissipated in their presence, replaced by a shared sense of absurdity.

"You should've seen her face when she thought about missing out on our movie night," Mia chimed in, waggling a half-eaten slice of pizza in my direction.

"It's not funny!" I protested weakly, though the corners of my mouth betrayed me with a twitch.

Sophie, ever the pragmatic one, chimed in, "Well, if you're done almost killing yourself, can we get back to binging 'Badass Brides'?"

I rolled my eyes, but their banter was exactly what I needed. In that moment, surrounded by laughter and half-eaten snacks, I felt a flicker of gratitude. These were the moments that anchored me, reminding me that life wasn't just about the dark times, but also about the absurd, hilarious, and profoundly human connections we shared.

"Fine," I relented with a mock sigh, sinking into the couch beside them. "But only if someone gets me more chips."

Jess tossed me the bag, grinning from ear to ear. "You got it, Hazel. Crisis averted—now let's find out if Amber finally says 'I do' to Derek!"

And with that, we delved back into our marathon of melodramatic wedding reality shows, the laughter ringing out long into the night. In that moment, surrounded by my irrepressible girl gang, I knew I had made the right choice to be friends with them.