Seventeen Again: This Time, I Win

I dreamed of perfect prom nights and Ivy League acceptance letters, with my ideal boyfriend, Kevin Johnson, by my side.

But that dream turned into a living hell when he systematically sabotaged my SAT scores, stole my chance at my top-choice university, and sabotaged a crucial scholarship.

The ultimate betrayal came when he coerced me into enduring a painful, life-altering medical procedure for his new girlfriend, Tiffany, condemning me to years of chronic pain, crushing debt, and a future that utterly derailed.

My life was shattered, reduced to a hollow, suffering existence.

I was nothing more than a disposable pawn in his cruel, calculating game, my body and dreams sacrificed so he could appease another girl.

The bitter injustice festered, scarring me to my very core.

Then, the familiar fluorescent hum of Northwood High' s hallway surrounded me, and I was seventeen again, knowing every single devastating move he was about to make.

This time, I wasn't the naive girl he could break.

This time, I knew everything.

And this time, I would rewrite my entire destiny.

The fluorescent lights of Northwood High' s hallway hummed, a sound I thought I' d never hear again, not like this, not as a seventeen-year-old.

It was the first day of senior year, again.

The metallic scent of old lockers, the squeak of sneakers on linoleum, it all rushed back.

But this time, I wasn't the naive Sarah Miller, head over heels for Kevin Johnson.

This time, I knew.

I knew about the SAT scores he' d "accidentally" mess up, costing me my first choice college.

I knew about the National Scholars Tournament, the scholarship I' d lose because he' d ensure I missed the deadline, all for Tiffany Hayes, the new girl who hadn't even arrived yet.

And I knew, with a cold dread that settled deep in my bones, about the "favor" he'd ask for Tiffany, a medical procedure that would leave me with chronic pain for years, while his life with her eventually crumbled anyway.

My past life, a miserable, derailed existence, flashed before my eyes.

No more.

"Sarah! Hey!"

Kevin Johnson' s voice, still smooth, still carrying that easy charm that once made my heart flip, cut through my thoughts.

He leaned against the lockers, all popular athlete confidence, a grin plastered on his face.

"Homecoming is next month, figured we'd make it official, you know? You, me, king and queen."

He winked, expecting me to melt.

In my previous life, I would have. I would have blushed and stammered a yes.

This time, I looked him straight in the eye, my voice calm, devoid of the adoration he expected.

"No, Kevin."

His grin faltered, confusion clouding his features.

"What? What do you mean, no?"

"I mean no, I won't go to Homecoming with you, and no, we're not making anything official."

I remembered the countless nights I cried over him, the opportunities I lost, the health I sacrificed.

The bitterness was a solid lump in my throat, but my voice remained steady.

He pushed himself off the lockers, his posture shifting from confident to affronted.

"Are you serious? Sarah, it's me."

As if "him" was a prize I should be grateful for.

"I am serious, Kevin. I'm focusing on myself this year, my studies, my future."

A future he had systematically helped destroy once before.

His face darkened, the charm evaporating, replaced by a petulant anger I knew all too well.

"Fine. If that's how you want to be, then give me back my stuff."

I almost laughed. "Your stuff?"

"Yeah, my varsity jersey, the concert tickets we saved, all of it. If we're done, then we're done."

He was trying to wound me, to make me feel the loss of "us."

But all I felt was a strange sense of liberation.

"Okay," I said, my tone even. "I'll bring them to your house later today."

I pulled out my wallet and took out a twenty-dollar bill.

"And this is for any miscellaneous things, snacks, movie tickets, whatever. Consider us even."

I placed the bill in his hand, his fingers slack with surprise.

Then I turned and walked away, leaving Kevin Johnson standing there, stunned and, for the first time I could ever recall, utterly speechless.

The weight of a thousand past regrets began to lift. This was my second chance, and I wasn't going to waste it.

A few days later, the whispers started.

I saw her before I heard them, Tiffany Hayes, the new transfer student, already a fixture by Kevin's side.

She was wearing Kevin's old varsity football jersey, the one I had cherished, the one he' d demanded back.

She was laughing, her head thrown back, as she showed off a handful of concert ticket stubs to a group of fawning girls, loudly proclaiming how Kevin had shared these "precious memories" only with her.

My memories. Our memories. Now, props in her little show.

Chloe, my best friend, saw it too, her eyes narrowing. Chloe was fiercely loyal, her temper a match for her bright red hair.

"That absolute jerk," Chloe seethed, grabbing my arm. "He gave her your stuff? After two days?"

She stormed over to Kevin and Tiffany before I could stop her.

"Seriously, Kevin? You took Sarah's gifts back just to give them to your new flavor of the week?" Chloe's voice cut through the hallway chatter.

Tiffany, ever the actress, immediately looked distressed, her eyes welling up.

"Oh, I didn't know," she simpered, clutching the jersey. "Kevin just said these were special things he wanted me to have."

She then turned to me, a malicious glint in her eyes. "Are you jealous, Sarah? That Kevin moved on so fast?"

Kevin wrapped an arm around Tiffany protectively.

"Lay off, Chloe," he sneered, then looked at me with disdain. "Yeah, Sarah, don't be so pathetic. It's just a stupid jersey."

"It was more than a jersey to me, Kevin, and you know it," I said, my voice low but firm. "It represented years of friendship, of what I thought was love."

"Well, you thought wrong," Kevin spat, his face uncomfortably close. "Tiffany's here now. Deal with it."

The casual cruelty in his voice was familiar, a painful echo of past hurts.

"I am dealing with it, Kevin," I said, meeting his gaze. "By realizing you're not worth another second of my time."

His eyes flashed with anger. He didn't like being dismissed.

"You think you're so much better than everyone, don't you?" he snarled.

And then, he shoved me.

Not hard enough to make me fall, but hard enough to send me stumbling back a step, hard enough for the a gasp to ripple through the students watching.

The shock on Chloe' s face mirrored the sudden, cold clarity in my mind.

This wasn't just about a jersey or hurt feelings anymore.

This was him, his true nature, raw and aggressive.

I straightened up, looking him directly in the eye.

"Thank you, Kevin," I said, my voice surprisingly steady. "You just made my decision to cut you out of my life completely a whole lot easier."

I turned, Chloe at my side, and walked away, leaving him standing there with Tiffany clinging to his arm, the murmurs of the crowd following us down the hall.

That shove, that single act of aggression, erased any lingering doubt.

He was toxic, and I was finally immune.