The girl who had just walked into the bookstore was my childhood friend, Alicia. My heart stopped. I was shocked because... I knew she had died at 25, in a train accident during a holiday in Indonesia. Over 200 people had lost their lives that day, including Alicia. I cried for days when I heard the news. But now, here she was, standing right in front of me, looking exactly as she did in high school. What confused me even more was the expression on her face—she looked just as shocked to see me.
"Alice? What's up? What are you doing here? And... why do you look like you've just seen a ghost?" I asked, curious.
"No, Klein, I was just surprised to see you here. I didn't know you liked books," Alice replied casually.
"Yeah, I do. I rarely go to the bookstore, but I was bored and decided to stop by for once."
Alice looked a bit nervous, but I couldn't figure out why. We were fine in high school—I didn't remember any problems between us. But right now, she seemed different.
A bookstore employee came over and asked, "Are you okay, ma'am?" Alice still looked nervous and replied, "I'm sorry, I just suddenly got a headache and accidentally dropped my coffee."
The employee nodded. "It's okay, ma'am. I'll clean it up. Excuse me, if you don't mind."
"Oh, sure. I'm sorry," Alice answered, her nervousness clear, and she gestured like she wanted to leave.
"Klein, we'll talk later, okay?" she said, her voice shaky.
"Are you alright? Do you want me to walk you home, just in case?" I asked, concerned.
"No, I'm okay. See you later, Klein."
"Okay, take care, Alice," I replied, still a bit worried.
Alice left the bookstore, her face filled with unease. I was still confused, but I didn't want to push. Maybe she wasn't feeling well. I decided I'd talk to her next time at school.
After Alice left, I browsed around and found the books I needed to remember or learn about major events this year. I stick to my plan to make as much money as I could to prevent any unexpected or unwanted outcomes when I eventually meet Matteo in the future.
Even after reading through the books and lying down on my bed at home, I couldn't stop thinking about Alice—what happened to her all of a sudden? Why did she look so shocked when she saw me?
I remembered the day before she passed away. She had asked me about souvenirs, and I had planned to propose to marry her after she comes back from vacation. Since she was single, and I was, at the time. We were just good friends, but at 25, I didn't think she'd even want to waste time dating as a girl and boyfriend. I still couldn't believe she was gone so early. But now, I was glad I could see her again.
The next morning, I woke up to my phone buzzing with notifications. I had received an email saying I'd been invited to a TV station after winning a 50 million USD lottery. I expected to win, but I never imagined I'd get invited to appear on national TV. I must have missed the news, but as I walked downstairs, it looked like my mom and dad had already seen it on TV.
"Klein, when did you buy the lottery ticket? We just saw your name on TV. You won 50 million!" My dad asked curiously at the breakfast table.
"And what's your plan with the money?" My mom chimed in, her curiosity evident.
"Of course, a new car for your dad," Dad added with a grin.
"Don't spoil him, James," Mom replied with a playful eye roll.
"I don't know, maybe for college?" I answered randomly, not really caring about this topic.
"That's a stupid plan. You don't even need that much for college," my brother muttered, clearly annoyed.
"That's fine, honey. Focus on your studies first. After you finish, it's up to you how you want to handle the money," Mom responded with a supportive smile.
What I remembered from my previous life was that the person who won this lottery back then was an adult man who spent all his winnings on drugs, alcohol, and parties. He lost everything within a year—such a waste. This time, though, I planned to use the money wisely. But hey, sorry, I stole it from you, lol.
"I got invited to national TV tonight, but I don't know what to say," I shared with them about the invitation.
"Just speak from the heart, honey. They'll understand since you're so young and didn't expect this kind of event," Mom replied wisely.
"I can't believe my son is richer than me in a single night," Dad said with a surprised laugh.
They had no idea that I'd already made 15 times more than this from stocks and bets.
This was my first time being invited to a national TV show, and, of course, I was a bit nervous. But I had to go through with it anyway.
Night came. I prepared myself well, dressed in a sharp suit. The talk show host was giving his monologue before he introduced me. After he finished, the music played, and the crew signaled me to walk onto the stage. The host welcomed me and asked me to sit down.
"Klein, be honest, what does it feel like to become a millionaire in a single night?" Jimmy, the host, asked curiously.
"Well, of course, I didn't expect anything. I was busy thinking about exams. When I woke up this morning, I got notifications that I'd won the lottery. My first thought was, 'I don't have to worry about college expenses anymore.' That's all I thought." I answered, a little awkwardly, knowing it sounded like a generic response.
"Hahaha, I think you can do more than just pay for college with that kind of money. Anyway, did you ever think about maybe having a little party with your friends and family? Or buying a nice car?" Jimmy asked again, clearly expecting a more typical teenage response.
"No, of course not. Maybe just have a nice dinner with my family at a restaurant, treat my good friends," I said honestly, "but I'm not really into parties. Never have been."
"Wow... We've got a good kid here, everyone."
After talking a bit more about my plans and future on the show, I was immediately swarmed by the media as soon as the shooting ended. Newspaper and online media outlets were there, asking me a bunch of questions. It was my first time dealing with this, so I was a bit nervous, but I think I handled it well.
When I got home and rested on my bed, I checked my phone as usual. There was one email notification that caught my attention.
"You did great on TV. I think you'll use the money more wisely than that old drunk guy who wasted it all in a year. I just wanted to say congratulations on your... second chance."
Matteo.
I was shocked. After reading it, I felt a mix of emotions, and my heart was racing. How did Matteo get my email? And how did he know?
Should I reply to this email? So many questions were running through my head, but I decided to stay calm.
Finally I decided to reply: "Can't wait to see you."
"Sure, I feel the same." He replied right away.