Remembering Us

Cross My Heart

"Blakely!" Someone yells and wraps me in a warm hug. I stand there awkwardly not moving a muscle. The guy pulls away and I get a good look at him for the first time. He's definitely the guy from the picture sitting on my desk but he looks older and physically bigger, but also gives the impression of someone worn out.

I have no idea what to say. I don't know him. I could take a guess and say Carson but I'd be lying to him. His smile fades and he looks down at his feet.

"Your Carson right?" I ask him and he looks up. "Jasmine mentions you quite a bit." He signs and runs his fingers through his hair.

"You remembered Jazz?" He asks.

"No, she came to my house Sunday and my parents explained to me later who she was." I said back. If this Carson guy was really my boyfriend then I must have trusted him once before and I owe it to him now because he seems like a good guy. "I don't really remember much to be honest with you. I didn't know my parents when I woke up." I say lightly and he attempts to touch my shoulder but I shrug away. "I should be getting to my next class." I say turning around.

"Well hold on let me see your schedule. I'll help you find it." I reluctantly hand him the paper and he scans it and finds out I have choir last hour of the day. Did I even like singing? I follow him down the hall and down some stairs until we reach the choir room. I mumble a thank you and blush as be opens the door for me before walking in the other direction.

I'm the only one in the room when a short, roundish man, with a grey beard and glasses walks out of his office.

"Blakely." He stops short, "I didn't think you were coming back so soon."
I give a small smile and reply, "I didn't think so either."

"Well this is great! Our choir could use a strong voice like yours! I remember junior year when you sang a solo to Set Fire to the Rain by Adele and I was speechless! Speechless I swear!"

"I sang solos?" I ask. I would have never guessed that about my past self.
"You inspired me!" He shouts and I flinch a little he walks closer and puts both of his hands on my shoulders, "Your still inspiring me." He whispers. "I'm sorry for all that you have lost." He lets go and closes his eyes almost like he is praying then turns and almost prances away. He's an odd one.

Class flies by and I find myself enjoying everything about choir. By the end of class I have the urge to learn how to play piano. I "meet" more people like Addison who plays on my basketball team. Some asked me about the accident, most were disappointed when I told them I didn't even know myself. One girl asked me what it was like to sleep for 5 months and I had no idea how to reply. The choir director, I learned preferred to be called his first name, Geo. He was different, his name fit him and his style and I couldn't help but like him.

After class he came up to me and handed me a note.

"It's good to have you back kid. Give this to your parents and tell them I wish them the absolute best and that my prayers are with your family."

"I'll do that." I respond a little confused. I'm OK now, why would he pray for us?

Walking out of the room I see Andrew walking just a little ahead of me. I speed walk a little so I'm next to him. He looks to his side and he gives me an adorable smile.

"What class did you just have?" I ask because I had no idea where he had just come from.

"Band, its down that hallway." He stops walking for a second and turns to face me. "Do you really not remember anything?" He asks looking genuinely curious.

"A few things, but its the important stuff that I wish I could remember."

"Like me!" He shouts and wraps an arm around me.

"Blake just jump!" Andrew yells from the lake. It was summer and extremely hot. Kayla, Andrew and I had taken paddle boards out and paddled out to the middle of the lake. I was sitting on the paddle board watching Andrew and Kayla float around and I was perfectly content just doing that but he had other ideas. Swimming over he treads water beside me. "Get in the water or else your going in one way or another." He states and I smirk at him.
I kick my foot up so water splashes him right in the face and he sputters and the look on his face makes me lose my shit and I die laughing. I laugh so hard I fall off the board. Kayla looks over at us and shakes her head.

"You guys are just like children!" She cries, "What am I going to do with you?"

I control myself enough to look over at Andrew and he's just staring at me with a dumb goofy grin on his face.

"Didn't know I could make you wet that fast." He says and winks at me. Kayla covers her ears, and I just laugh.

"You only wish." I say back with a wink and he just nods his head before dying of laughter once again.

"We should go back before you guys decide to get nasty in the lake." Kayla teases. She's kidding. Andrew is a flirt and I wasn't afraid to play along with it. He was harmless and he was someone I had known since I was 5 and scared to death that first day of kindergarten. Even then he came up to me the first time and his exact words were, "Your really pretty. Pretty girls like you shouldn't be scared of anything when I'm around." Andrew Flyer, stealing your girl since pre-k.

"Like you." I say back and punch him lightly on the arm. "How about you, Jazz, and Kayla and I all do something after school sometime this week? I need some catch up time." I say and he pulls out his phone.

"Name the time and place and I'll for sure be there." He answers, "I really missed you Blake." He stops but recovers, "I mean we obviously all missed you." He rubs the back of his head and and his hazel eyes flicker my direction. "Do you need a ride home? Kayla won't have a problem with you catching a ride with us." He asks.

"That's so cute, brother and sister carpooling." I say and honestly meaning it but it leaves me with a weird pit in my stomach I can't explain. Andrew roles his eyes at me.
"And yeah if you could give me a ride that would be great." I answer and we part ways after he tells me where to meet him and Kayla.

I make my way back to my locker and use the combination I have written on my hand to open it and grab out my lunch bag and jacket. Slamming it shut I look down the hall to see Holden and Carson talking to each other. I guess I don't realize I'm staring but I'm snapped out of it when Carson waves at me and I blush and turn around awkwardly and walk away.

"Blakely wait!" Carson yells running to catch up with me. "What are you doing after school?" He asks. I study his face. Dark hair, pouty lips, and pale, he has this demeanor to him that anyone can tell just by looking at him. He walks with his shoulders and chin up and a smile on his face, not in a cocky way, but in a harmless, friendly kind of way.

He catches me staring but I don't look away. If he was something important to me before my accident then I need to understand fully what that means. If I can remember Holden freaking Reives, this should be a piece of cake, but in reality it isn't. And it won't be. Some things will come easier then others but some will have to just develop.

"Andrew is giving me a ride home." I answer him and he smiles even wider.

"I mean I could take you home, if you wanted." He shakes his head still with the smile on his face and I don't really understand how this kid can be so smiley. "You know, like I used to." He finishes and looks at me with hopeful eyes but my reaction must not have been what he wanted.

"I'm sorry I have to go, Kayla and Andrew are probably waiting for me." I send him a small smile and walk away. It was small talk that you would make with a complete stranger if you were forced to talk to them. That's how it felt. And that's how it would feel for awhile.

He was a stranger to me all over again.