The bell rang loudly, ending first period. As students filed out of the classroom, Jason could hear whispers following him down the hallway.
"Did Jason DuPont just ace a chemistry question?"
"Since when does he know anything about science?"
"Maybe he's finally growing a brain or something."
Jason made it through second and third periods without any major incidents. AP History felt easier when the events being discussed felt like things he'd lived through somehow, and English was straightforward when you understood how to analyze text properly.
By fourth period, word had apparently spread throughout the school that Jason DuPont was acting different today. Teachers who usually ignored him completely were calling on him more often, and students who'd never given him a second look were staring at him in the hallways.
The calculus teacher, Ms. Rodriguez, was writing equations on the blackboard that Jason found himself solving automatically in his head before she even finished writing them. Years of analyzing financial crimes and money laundering schemes had sharpened his mathematical skills, even though he couldn't remember when or how he'd learned to apply them so naturally to high school problems.
The bell rang loudly, signaling the end of fourth period. Jason grabbed his stuff and headed toward the cafeteria, joining the stream of students rushing to get lunch before all the good food was gone.
He found himself studying the faces of his classmates as he walked, trying to remember who would succeed after graduation and who would struggle. Some of these kids would go on to do amazing things with their lives, while others would peak in high school and spend the rest of their time talking about the good old days.
'If I'm really back here, maybe I can help some of them make better choices. Or maybe I should focus on helping myself first.'
Jason pushed through the cafeteria doors and immediately spotted Marco at their usual table by the windows that looked out onto the parking lot. His best friend was already halfway through eating a sandwich that looked like it contained an entire deli's worth of meat and cheese.
Marco Rossi. Even now, Jason could picture him clearly—the same Marco who had become a police officer, who had stayed loyal through everything, who had been one of the few people Jason trusted completely before... before whatever had happened to bring him back here.
"There he is," Marco said as Jason approached their table. "The boy genius himself."
Jason looked at his best friend and felt something familiar wash over him. Marco's terrible spelling in text messages, his loud voice, the way he devoured sandwiches like he was afraid someone would take them away—it was all exactly the same. Here was someone who would still be exactly the same person in eighteen years, and somehow that was both comforting and strange.
"Shut up, Marco."
"No seriously, Peterson was apparently telling everyone in the teacher's lounge about your amazing chemistry answer. Word is you actually knew what you were talking about for once in your life."
Jason sat down across from his best friend and unwrapped the sandwich his mother had packed for him. Peanut butter and jelly on white bread. He hadn't eaten one of these in what felt like years.
"I've been studying more lately, that's all."
"Studying?" Marco laughed loudly. "Dude, you haven't cracked open a textbook since freshman year. What the hell changed?"
'Everything changed. My entire world changed and I don't understand how or why.'
"I just realized I don't want to be stupid forever, you know?"
Marco stared at him with wide eyes. "Okay, seriously, who are you and what did you do with the real Jason DuPont?"
Before Jason could come up with an answer to that question, the cafeteria doors burst open loudly and three seniors walked in like they owned the entire building. Brad Morrison, Kevin Walsh, and Danny Chen—the unofficial kings of Bay Ridge High School.
Brad was the quarterback of the football team with a full scholarship to some college upstate. Kevin's dad owned half the restaurants in the neighborhood and everyone knew the family had money. Danny's family had some kind of import business that everyone suspected involved more than just legitimate importing.
Jason's eyes narrowed as he focused on Brad Morrison and Danny Chen. He remembered both of them clearly now—not as high school bullies, but as the men he'd prosecuted years later. Brad for attempted murder and drug possession. Danny for smuggling drugs through his family's import business. Funny how different people looked when you knew what they'd become.
'So that's where it all started for both of you.'
"Uh oh," Marco muttered under his breath. "The holy trinity approaches our table."
Brad Morrison strutted over to where they were sitting, flanked by his usual entourage of followers and wannabes. "Well, well, well. If it isn't Jason fucking DuPont, the boy genius we've been hearing so much about."
"What do you want, Brad?"
"Heard you've been showing off in class today, acting all smart and impressive." Brad leaned down and put his hands on their table. "Trying to impress someone special, you little bitch?"
'You have no idea that in fifteen years, I'll be the one putting you behind bars, do you?'
Instead of looking down at his sandwich like his teenage self might have, Jason met Brad's eyes directly. "Just answering questions when teachers ask them. You should try it sometime instead of just sitting there looking confused."
Brad's cocky smile faltered for just a moment. "What the fuck did you just say to me, you piece of shit?"
"You heard me perfectly fine."
The entire cafeteria was starting to notice what was happening at their table. Conversations died down as students turned around to watch the confrontation unfold. Marco looked like he wanted to disappear completely under the table.
"Jason," he whispered urgently. "What the hell are you doing right now?"
'I'm done being afraid of assholes like Brad Morrison. That's what I'm doing.'
Jason stood up from his chair, meeting Brad's eyes without backing down. "Is there something specific you wanted, or are you just here to practice your intimidation routine on someone?"
The cafeteria went completely silent.
Brad Morrison stared at Jason DuPont like he'd suddenly grown a second head right there in front of everyone. In four years of attending the same high school, the skinny Italian kid had never once talked back to him or his friends. Had never even made direct eye contact during their previous confrontations.
"You feeling especially brave today, DuPont?"
"Just feeling honest for once."
Kevin Walsh stepped forward with an ugly look on his face. "Maybe we should teach this motherfucker some manners after school."
"Maybe you should sit down and eat your lunch like a normal person."
Now even the teachers were paying attention to what was happening. Ms. Rodriguez had stopped grading papers at the faculty table and Mr. Peterson was halfway out of his seat, ready to intervene if things got physical.
Brad Morrison's face was turning red with anger and embarrassment. In front of the entire cafeteria, he was being challenged by Jason DuPont—Jason fucking DuPont, who usually spent his lunch money on comic books and couldn't bench press his own bodyweight.
"You know what, DuPont? I think you and me need to have a serious fucking conversation after school today."
"I'm looking forward to it."
Marco grabbed Jason's arm hard enough to leave bruises. "Dude, what the hell are you doing? He's going to kill you."
Jason looked at his best friend, sweet and loyal Marco who would spend the next several years making terrible decisions because he was afraid of confronting guys like Brad Morrison.
"He's going to try."