I woke up in bed, feeling oddly invigorated. My body felt better than it ever had, a huge contrast to the wrecked state I remembered after the accident. It was as if the car crash had never happened. The pain that had made breathing excruciating was gone, replaced by an almost euphoric lightness. Not an injury or wound in sight.
I was sure I'd died.
"I just don't feel 30 anymore," I murmured to myself opening and closing my hands. Have they ever been this soft since I left home?
I looked around and was immediately struck by the familiar surroundings. This was my room from high school, exactly as it had been back then. Posters of my favorite bands adorned the walls, and the shelves were cluttered with trophies and Power Ranger action figures. The bedspread was the same dark blue with white stars, and my old desk, covered in doodles and stickers, stood by the window.
Why am I here? Did my parents suddenly decide to take me back in?
Confused, I got up and walked over to the mirror beside the bed. Staring back at me was a boy's face, cute and youthful, with long, curly red hair, green eyes, and freckles—essentially a cuter younger version of my dad's face. This was me when I was a teenager. I touched the mirror and then my own face.
"What the fuck was going on?" I whispered. Have I been reborn after promising to live my life differently?
Just then, the door burst open, and my younger sister, Debbie, stormed into the room. She looked younger too, probably around 16. I stared at her in shock.
"Hey!" she exclaimed. "I just came to tell you something! I want your friend and you can't stop me from having him if I want!"
This can't be real!
I rushed up to her and grabbed her arms. "Holy shit, it's real!" I gasped, feeling the warmth of her skin. She was a living, breathing human being.
"What?! You gonna hit me or something?! I'll scream!" Debbie snapped.
"Wh-what's the date today?" I asked, my mind racing.
"What?!"
"What about my name?!"
"Jack Spencer," she said, eyeing me warily.
"What grade am I in?"
"Uh, you're a senior in high school. Did you hit your head or something, Jack? Are you sick?" Debbie looked genuinely concerned, a look I hadn't seen on her in years. This was before our feud, before she became the manipulative, heartless beast who had turned everyone against me. To her, I was still the brother who took care of her no matter what.
At least that's what I think she thinks of me. Now I don't know if I've ever really known her at all.
"No... no, I didn't. I'm sorry, what did you say?" I asked gently, forcing a smile.
"Have you finally come to your senses? I'm in love with Eli. I know you've had a crush on him for a long time, but I couldn't help the way I feel! I love him, and I know he likes me back!" Debbie declared boldly.
I remembered this moment vividly. In my previous life, this was the day Debbie declared war on me because I stubbornly refused to give up on Eli. She had turned everyone against me, including our parents. I lost my precious little sister that day, and she became the person who would ruin everything for me. Maybe I was brought back to this moment because it was the catalyst for my miserable life and painful death.
I was being given a chance to choose differently.
I grabbed Debbie's hands excitedly and smiled at her. "You should definitely go for it, Debbie! You're my most precious little sister, and you should get your way this time! First love is so exciting! And you two would look so cute together!" I said to her confused face. I would let her fantasy be destroyed before her eyes.
"You're... you're okay with that?" she asked skeptically.
"Of course!" I assured her. Once I stopped paying attention to Eli, their relationship would end anyway. Eli lived for being chased but could never really be held down unless trapped. "And you don't have to apologize to me, Deb. I'll help you. When he comes back from his trip to Australia, you take care of him!" I suggested.
"But you really liked him for years, Jack! You told me all about it," Debbie argued.
"There are plenty of other fish in the sea, but I only have one sister," I said. "You're way more important than some silly crush."
"Aren't you mad at me?" she pried.
She was always like that. "Debbie, have I ever been mad at you for anything?" I smiled.
"No."
"Then trust me. I'm not upset. I'm going to help you get the guy," I said. "Just keep it a secret from Mom and Dad. They still think you're too young to date anyone."
"I-I will!"
"Listen, I'm supposed to pick up Eli from the airport, but I'm just soooo tired..." I trailed off, hinting at what she should do. "Ah, I forgot to call for a backup driver."
Debbie's face lit up, and she threw her arms around my shoulders to hug me. "You're really the best big brother ever!"
"If I don't spoil you, who will?" I chuckled, returning the hug despite feeling repulsed by her touch. "Get going now. I'll text you the details. When he asks you out, I'll be the first to congratulate you!"
"Thanks, Jack!" Debbie kissed my cheek and ran out of my room as I texted her the flight plan details. Part of me wondered if she already had them though. She was always sneaky when she did anything.
I let out a sigh of relief. In my previous life, I picked Eli up from the airport, and we got blackout drunk at a bar. After spending a hot night in a hotel, he asked me out, saying he couldn't contain his feelings for me any longer. I accepted and rubbed it in Debbie's face. Now he could spout all that wishy-washy shit to her and keep me out of it. I didn't want to be within a mile of their love this time.
In two days, school would restart, and summer break would be over. I could use this chance to boost my grades and apply for scholarships far far away from this place. This way, my parents couldn't guilt me about where I went to school because they paid for my education in the last life. If I started now, I could walk a completely different path.
"Erwin!" I called out for the butler.
"Yes, young master," a man in his early thirties came into the room. Erwin was the only one who had ever taken my side and tried to defend me when my parents were unreasonable because of Debbie. Unfortunately, Debbie had framed him for stealing my mother's jewelry, and he was thrown in jail. He didn't last a day before his cellmate killed him.
Now, here he was, alive and healthy. "Can you give me a haircut?"
"Are you sure, sir? You've taken such good care of it over the years—"
"I'm sure. It has to go now. I'm actually sick of it," I said. I had only grown it out because Eli said he liked my long hair. If I cut it shorter than Debbie's, I could avoid looking like Eli's type.
"Yes, sir." I sat down, and Erwin cut off my ponytail first. Two feet of hair gone in one snip.
"Cut it very short," I said.
"Yes, sir." Erwin did a professional job, cutting my hair into a shorter cut, making me look a bit more masculine and handsome. With my hair like this, no one would dare say I was trying too hard to look like Debbie again.
That bitch could never look like me.
"May I ask what happened to prompt such a drastic change, sir? You loved your long hair."
"I just had a change of heart. A new mindset calls for a new look." I smirked, looking at myself in the mirror.
"A new mindset?" Erwin asked hesitantly, looking genuinely terrified. Debbie and I had been awful to each other but even worse to the servants. One mistake, and we'd get them fired. The employee turnover rate at our house was ridiculous.
To avoid everything crashing down on me, I had to get the house staff on my side before Debbie could. I still had quite some time before I could legally leave this house, and I had to survive.
"I'm apologize for being such a little shit these few years," I said. "I've reflected on it heavily and i'm going to change. Your job is secure as long as there's loyalty between us."
Erwin looked skeptical but nodded. "Yes, sir."
"Good. Listen to my warning when I say this: you can't trust anyone on Deborah's side," I warned him. "If her maids want to bring me something, it needs to be checked. Stop her from coming into my room as much as you can. If the other side does anything suspicious, you have to tell me right away. No delays. Got it?"
"Yes, sir! I won't let you down. Are you afraid for your life, sir?"
"No, but I'm smart, so I thought I should start using my brain a bit more," I smiled. Today, Eli would realize his love for Debbie when they drank, and I'd be off the hook from their messy doomed life to focus on myself. But it was better to be safe than sorry.
I'd block him everywhere for good measure.