The next few days passed in a quiet blur, but Jared could feel the weight of his choices settling in. He had cut ties with Tyler and his old friends, a decision that, while painful, had already begun to lift a burden from his chest. But as much as that felt like a step in the right direction, there was still a lot left to do. He hadn't just abandoned his friends. He had abandoned himself.
His grades, for one, were a disaster. Jared had been so focused on distractions for the last couple of years that he had barely kept up with schoolwork. Homework was something he only did when it was absolutely necessary, and most of his tests were filled with rushed answers or ignored completely. He'd gotten by, but barely. Now, he was back in time, at the beginning of his sophomore year. The future was still ahead of him, and he had no intention of letting it slip through his fingers again.
He pulled out the stack of papers from his backpack—the test scores, the assignments, the reports that told the truth. The grades were a mess. C's, D's, and one F. A storm of failure that reflected the mess he had created for himself.
He sighed, rubbing his hand over his face. This wasn't who he wanted to be anymore.
It wasn't just about his grades—it was about taking his life seriously, being someone who could face the future with pride instead of regret. Jared knew what he needed to do. It was time to start over.
The following morning, Jared set a new plan into motion. He woke up early—an hour before he would usually drag himself out of bed. The sun was still low, casting a soft glow across the room, but Jared felt awake, more awake than he had in years.
He stood in front of the mirror, taking a long look at himself. The face staring back at him was familiar, but different. He could see the faint remnants of the boy who had cared about nothing, and the man he was becoming. His hair was still a little messy from sleep, his eyes still clouded with uncertainty, but there was something new in the set of his jaw—a resolve that hadn't been there before.
I can do this, he thought.
His first stop was his room. He sat at his desk and opened his notebook, flipping through the pages of unfinished assignments and forgotten notes. His heart sank when he saw the stack of incomplete homework assignments from the previous month. This was going to take work.
He grabbed a pencil and started writing.
"Focus. Do the work. Fix the mistakes."
He had to start small. Just a few pages of math homework, a couple of essays for English. Jared had always been good at English, at least—his essays usually earned him decent grades—but math was another story. He had always struggled with it, and his attention span had never helped. But this time, things would be different. He wasn't just going to skate by. He would learn.
He spent the next hour working, and it wasn't easy. Each question was a challenge, but he pushed through, one answer at a time. He didn't check his phone, didn't get distracted by anything. The world outside could wait. Right now, it was just him and his schoolwork.
By the time the clock read 7:30, he had finished an entire assignment. It wasn't perfect, but it was complete. And that was a victory.
The next hurdle was his body. Jared had spent years neglecting his health, choosing sleep and video games over exercise. His body had been the last thing on his mind, and as a result, he had gained weight, felt sluggish, and had no real energy to do the things he wanted to do. But Jared knew that if he wanted to make a real change, it wasn't just about his grades. It was about his entire self. He needed to take care of his body, build strength and endurance, and stop hiding behind excuses.
After a quick breakfast of eggs and toast, Jared laced up an old pair of sneakers he found in the closet. He didn't have any fancy gym equipment, but he didn't need it. He had a few dumbbells in his room, a pull-up bar in the doorway, and his own body weight to work with. It was time to get moving.
He started with the basics: push-ups, sit-ups, and squats. Simple movements, but ones that would build the foundation for something bigger. At first, his muscles burned, and he was out of breath after only a few sets. But Jared didn't stop. He kept pushing, counting each repetition, forcing himself to do one more.
One more.
By the time the morning sun was high, Jared had completed a full workout—a combination of strength training and cardio. His legs felt like jelly, his arms sore from the effort, but he felt… alive.
It had been a long time since he had pushed his body like this. The soreness was a reminder that he had neglected this part of himself for far too long. But the feeling of accomplishment, of doing something that required effort, made every second worth it.
Over the next few weeks, Jared kept at it. Every day, he worked on his schoolwork and his fitness. There were times when he wanted to give up, when the grades seemed like an impossible mountain to climb, or when his muscles ached and he was tempted to skip a workout. But each time, he pushed through. Slowly, his grades began to improve. Math tests that had once felt impossible started to make sense. Essays were written with more confidence, and teachers began to notice.
His body, too, began to change. The extra weight he had carried for so long started to fall away. His strength increased, his endurance improved. Jared found himself standing a little taller, walking with more energy, and feeling stronger in every way.
One afternoon, after a particularly grueling workout, Jared stood in front of the mirror again, but this time, he saw a different person. His face wasn't just the same—it was the face of someone who had worked for something, someone who was making a change. His body was stronger, leaner, and his eyes reflected something that hadn't been there before—determination.
It wasn't just about fixing his grades or working on his body. It was about fixing himself. Jared had taken the first steps toward real change, and it was harder than anything he'd ever done. But it was also the most rewarding. Every essay completed, every push-up done, every time he chose to stick with it instead of quitting—it all added up.
For the first time in a long time, Jared felt proud of the person he was becoming.
But he knew he couldn't stop now. He had to keep moving forward. He had a future to build, and this was only the beginning.