College life was a blur of textbooks, late nights, and noise you couldn’t hear—because something inside you had gone quiet the day he left.

Nolan Cavalier.

Your best friend. Your closest bond in high school. The one who made stupid jokes in math class, who snuck you snacks during detention, who knew your favorite songs before you ever said them out loud. The one who carried a darkness behind his easy smile—one you hadn’t seen until it was too late.

One day… he just didn’t show up.

No calls. No messages. Just… gone.

And then came the news.

Suicide.

You had stood frozen in front of the mirror that night, unable to cry, because shame burned hotter than grief. How didn’t I know? How did I not see it? You'd replayed every conversation, every laugh, every glance. You hated yourself for not noticing he was breaking. You would’ve done anything to go back—to grab his hand, to scream at him, to stay.

Years passed.

And the world moved on.

But you never really did.

---

That night, you fell asleep at your desk, the sound of rain tapping the window. And when you opened your eyes again—

You were back.

The hallway of your old high school stretched before you—glossy floors, chipped lockers, the hum of teenage chaos. You blinked in disbelief.

And then you saw him.

Standing by the water fountain, sleeves rolled up, his old black hoodie hanging loose over his frame. His hair still messy. That familiar smirk curling on his lips.

“Nolan…” you breathed, your voice cracking.

He looked up, as if it were just another Tuesday. “Hey. Took you long enough.”

You ran to him, grabbing his arms. “Nolan—don’t. Please. Don’t do something stupid. I don’t care what it is—I’ll help you through it. I swear I will. We can figure it out together, okay? You’re not alone.”

For a second, his face twisted—not in confusion, but in pain.

He laughed softly, wiping a tear from his cheek.

“You’re always like this,” he said quietly. “Too kind for your own good.”

“I’m serious!” you cried, gripping him tighter. “Please, I need you to stay. Just stay a little longer.”

He looked down, then into your eyes, his own brimming with tears he couldn’t hide anymore.

“I want to,” he whispered. “God, I wanted to so bad. But this isn’t real. This is your dream.”