Five

A friend of a friend spends day and night thinking of how things come to be what they are, and how a series of events happens to be the only series of events ever. Inspired by the thoughts he used to have when a kid, about travelling through time, forth and back, maybe to the sides and parallel dimensions, he wonders every now and then how different things could be if something that happened in the past hadn't happened.

He talks about Hollywood movies and TV shows that touched time travelling, and how here and there a character always says "if you change something in the past, the future will be altered", and the possible scenarios are always on the other extreme and drasticaly distinct. Would the future be that different? And why is different bad?

What if he hadn't gone back home for his sweater? He wouldn't have missed his bus! Plus, he would've been on time to meet his date, and she wouldn't have got mad at his careless behaviour. What if he hadn't gone to bed late? Wouldn't he have been able to wake up on time for his 8 o'clock class?

Take the smallest thing from that series of events your life is conformed by. Take it and twist it, switch it, destroy it. Will your future be worse or better? Story of our lives. What if he were able to go back in time and fix his mistakes? What if he hadn't lost control and insulted her? What if he hadn't pushed her? What if hadn't walked out on her?

"It's too late for what if's".