Remember me

Chapter 4

Nick

"Remember me?" She says.

Remember her? Of course I remember her. The girl who I hid from my hideous home life with. The girl who I spent summers with in the old treehouse, sharing cokes and reading boxcar children books out loud to drown out the yelling coming from the house. The girl who would make me stop a hundred times to pick wildflowers on our walk to grocery store. She'd weave them into crowns for the two of us and I would wear that crown of weeds like a damn smitten idiot.

My closest friend.
My only friend.
The girl I loved.
The girl I left behind.

"Sorry?" I replied with a shrug.

Im hit with a wave of self loathing. Why did I say that?

"Oh.." She looks dejected for a moment as I stew on what an asshole I am.

She looks up at me again and smiles, determination in her gaze.

And damnit if her smile doesn't make my heart catch.

"It's me! Mia. Marilee's daughter. We use to play together all the time. Remember the tree house? The piano?"

Of course I did.

"No. Sorry." I say casually, trying to shrug her off. "I try not to remember that time in my life."

"Oh.." she looks at her toes. I look too. They're painted yellow with white poke-a-dots. For some reason it makes me want to smile. I shake my head and frown instead.

She's silent for a moment, and I feel her eyes travel up my body. I try my hardest not to squirm under her gaze.

"I understand. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable" She finally says, her voice quieter than before.

I look back at her face, and damn she's hard to look at. She's staring at me and I stare back, transfixed.

The smile creeps back onto her face and I realize just how much trouble I really am in when that smile makes me want to sweep her into my arms. She's beautiful. Disarmingly beautiful. I always knew she would be. In a way that a kid knows, like someday I'm going to have to fight for her attention.

She starts talking again, undeterred.

That's my Mia.

No. She's not mine anymore. I can't start thinking like that again.

"Well," she says. "Did you just move back here? Would you like me to introduce you to some of my friends?"

I lift my hand to run it through my hair before realizing it's gone. I forgot I cut it close last night. Smooth.

"Uh, No. Thanks."

"Oh come on! They're great! Well, most of them.." she adds lowly while looking off towards the crowd.

The look on her face makes me want to ask questions.. Makes me want to know more about her and her life that I no longer belong in.

I shake away my thoughts. I need to get away from her. Too many memories and emotions are welling up inside of me and I don't like to lose control like this. I'm going to need to hit something or kiss her. Both of which are terrible ideas.

"Sorry, not interested.. Hey, uh, I've gotta go. See you around."