Over and Over JenLisa AU

12/17/1964

"So that means Lisa screwed things up just by being there and going back again would be really stupid, she needs to stay here where she belongs" Nayeon said. Seulgi shook her head, "not necessarily it could mean that Lis has done some damage so needs to go back and set things on the right course again like how they were supposed to go". The group of girls burst into anger fuelled debate again as Jisoo buried her face in her hands. "Guys" Rosé interrupted but nobody was listening to her over their own arguing, "GUYS!" she yelled this time successfully gaining the girls' attention, "Lisa has gone" she sad sadly as she pointed to the empty seat on the couch. 

"Is everything alright Lisa? We don't have a class today, you don't have to be here you don't have any outstanding assignments or anything" the history teacher said as he entered his classroom to see the Thai sitting at a desk. "Oh I know" she answered softly, "I just wanted to talk to you about something". The teacher placed his things in the cupboard and took a seat at the other side of the young girl's desk, "I'm happy to help, I've been very impressed with your work actually I was going to write a note to your parents praising you after I heard other teachers were sending more negative letters to them but apparently they haven't received the letters anyway". Lisa smiled, "you know a lot about the 60s right? Particularly in America?". The teacher nodded. "Well um, how important was 60s America to the way the world has been shaped? Like not just the big stuff but little stuff too, do you think if something changed say someone could back in time and change something...would that be bad?" the girl asked nervously. The man brushed his hand through his hair as he leaned back in the chair, "I suppose it depends what the person changed, do you mean like trying to stop a political assassination or changing a presidential election result? I imagine they would have very large consequences yes". The Thai shook her head, "I mean more like just changing how an ordinary person's life went, like maybe they were supposed to die at a certain time but it got changed and then they didn't even go to the place where it was supposed to happen. Would that be good or bad?". 

The teacher looked at the orange haired girl with concern and puzzlement, "Lisa is everything alright, is something troubling you?". "No" she replied in a less than convincing tone, "it's just that...have you ever wondered how different the world might be if someone you loved was still in it but they're gone?". The man sighed deeply and removed his glasses, "Lisa, I don't tell many people about this, mostly because I don't want people pitying me but also because it is painful". Lisa leaned forward listening intently as the man continued, "I lost my wife 7 years ago, she worked for a charity that helped sick people in poor countries. While she was on a mission in a disaster area she picked up a disease from an insect bite, the symptoms were too subtle to detect for months until sadly she got very ill and by that point it was too late and she passed away" the man spoke calmly despite clear pain in his voice, "life after her passing was hell for a long time, had I been given the option back then to go back and save her, stop her from getting on that plane then I would of done so but that wouldn't be the right thing to do. What if I saved her from that disease just to lose her a year later in a car accident? Would I spend the rest of my life saving her because I refuse to let go?. I'm not a big science guy so I don't know much about how space and time works, whether it is non-linear or linear and the irony is not lost on me when as a history teacher I say it isn't healthy to cling onto the past. We can learn from it sure but life moves on and so must we. I still love my wife dearly and miss her every day but I have learned to cope with that loss, recently in fact I have started dating other women again". Sensing that Lisa was still feeling troubled he placed his hand on top of hers in a comforting manner, "I will give you a quote from Dr Seuss that I used to hate but have now drawn comfort from in recent years...don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened". 

"It isn't easy to lose someone Lisa but everyone dies eventually, it will come to us all" he lifted the Thai's hand up and pressed it lightly against her own chest, "we keep the good memories in our mind and those we love in our heart, that way even though they have passed they stay with us". The history teacher's words were comforting to Lisa but she still didn't know what to do next, whether she should go back or not .