Chasing Memories

Chapter four

I had butterflies in my stomach, and I felt like I was going to throw up. I walked on to the stage and looked out over a gym/cafeteria thing where people are sitting on blankets. I can see a young couple watching me, and I'm self conscious. I'm singing "somewhere over the rainbow" from the Wizard of Oz. I hated it. I never wanted to perform again. As soon as I was done, I told my mom that I didn't want to do the talent show anymore. We went home and she called the lady in charge of it to tell her I was out. I was in third grade.

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The play ended and I knew I was happy performing, despite my past experience with it. It made sense that I was afraid to audition in middle school. I told Greyson and Lilly what I remembered.

"That's good...you're remembering things through association. Good sign," Greyson says. "That means it's not permanent." He didn't have go say what 'it' was for me to know he meant the memory loss.

"Ok well we need to try and trigger more memories," Lilly suggests. "Do we have any more videos of her around?"

"No...but I have the last three plays!" Greyson replies, jumping up from his seat on the couch and pulling three more clear DVD cases out of the shelf. He holds up Suessical jr., Beauty and the Beast jr., and The Little Mermaid jr. He puts in Suessical first. "You're not in these, Jade, but you were on stage crew, and you were there."

"Ok." I say, hoping to recognize someone in this.

'What an unusual hat! I wonder who could own a hat such as that. Maybe a creature, they call it Gazat. Or maybe a hat wearing...cat!'

I didn't remember anything, besides that the music was familiar, and I had fond feelings attached to them.

'Better look out, better look out, Horton, better look out or someone's gonna steal your clover...'

Greyson and Lilly were looking at me expectantly, but I didn't notice. I was being thrown into another memory.

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We were sitting in the auditorium, taking up the aisle and a few seats on the left side, not far from the stage. We're all laughing hysterically. It obviously wasn't recent, but I recognized Greyson, as well as Lilly. There was two other girls there too. I couldn't remember who though. This was the first time I had a conversation with Greyson. We couldn't stop laughing! He was so easy to talk to, and I knew we would be good friends. Lilly was sort of shy...she didn't really say much. I was in seventh grade.

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I come back to reality with a gasp, and then pull both of them into the tightest hug ever. "I remember you..."