Remembering Us

A Soft Spot

"Shit are you ok?" Holden says running up and kneeling next to me.

"Did you fucking throw that?" I snap at him bringing my hand up to my face only to find my nose is bleeding.

"Of course I didn't. Your going to the nurse." He says to me, standing up and reaching a hand down. I don't take his offer, instead I just shake my head and stand up on my own and start walking out of the gym making sure no blood drips on the floor.

"I'm serious. I didn't throw it." Holden says next to me all of a sudden.

"Yeah I heard you and I'm perfectly fine with walking to the office by myself you know?" I say back dryly and Holden just shakes his head.

"I know you would be fine by yourself, just you know, with you having been in a coma and all I thought" He stops.

"Well I'm here now." I respond and walk a little faster.

"You know I'm actually trying to be nice to you right now." He says catching up to me.

"I never said you had to be." I reply quickly reaching for the doors of the office but freeze when Holden's hand beats mine to the handle first.

"Trust me," he says, "It won't last." Pulling the door open and gesturing for me to walk inside.

Inside the office Barb looks at me and stands up grabbing tissues.

"Blakely what happened?" She asks concerned.

"Some bitch threw a ball at her face." Holden pipes up coming into the office.

"Mr. Reives we don't tolerate that language in this room." Barb sighs looking up at him. "You should be in class too by the way. Do you need something?"

"Just thought I'd make sure my little friend here made it to the office safely without bleeding out." He says back and waves at me stupidly. I shake my head at him and Barb laughs lightly.

"Mr. Reives get to class." Is all she says and he just turns and walks out the door.

"He's such a charmer isn't he?" I say rolling my eyes.

"He's hot though." Barb says back and I stare at her shocked.

"Hun don't deny it. He's more than ok and everyone knows it." She says back with a wink and I just press the tissues to my nose hoping to stop the blood. "Take as much time as you need and I'll write you a pass to your next class ok?" She finishes and walks back to her desk. "And by the way if you see Jazz tell her she has a failing grade in child development again!" She calls after me as I'm walking out the door.

"Will do!" I yell back but my voice sounds nasally because of the tissue pressed to my nose.

***

No matter who threw that ball in gym it didn't matter. I believe Holden, he's a jerk but he wouldn't have. I want to believe it was Dakota but if she's Andrew's friend she has to be decent right? Maybe I used to like her but as of right now she can go to hell.

Math was next and I take my seat as the Bell rings. Jazz from across the room waves at me violently. I laugh and wave back as her seat partner just stares at her and shakes his head. The seat that was empty next to me yesterday is empty again until a blonde boy with glasses walks into class and goes to the teacher. The teacher points to the seat next to me and he makes his way over timidly.

"Is it OK if I sit here?" He whispers and I nod my head moving my backpack out of his seat. I look up and my hazel eyes lock with his stone blue ones. They were piercing really.

"Liam?" I ask. I was positive it was him. The boy I went to elementary with and competed with for the role of teachers pet.

"Hi Blakely." I says quietly. "It's nice to see you back here." He says taking a seat. Liam had a scars on his face. One led from his eyebrow to his hair line and a another small one on his cheek. "Wait," he paused and turned towards me, "I thought you didn't remember anything?" He asks confused and I shake my head not believing it.

"I wasn't supposed to." I said back, "Or at least I didn't." He nods his head not pressing it any further. The class goes on and I can't help but get frustrated. Why do I remember Holden and now Liam? I didn't even remember my own family. There was no significance to those two boys so why did it have to be them? Why not Carson?

"Are you ok?" He whispers to me and I just ignore him. He doesn't need to know about my life and my problems.

"Liam can you please come up to the front and show the class how you solved this problem?" Mrs. Payne says in her odd voice she had. It was division and the hardest thing we had done yet this year in 4th grade. Long dividing was something that I could not grasp but Liam knew it like the back of his hand.

"Very good Liam!" Mrs. Payne called and lightly clapped her hands together and continued to teach the class. Liam sat next to me and when he came back I glared at him.

"Show off." I said sticking my tongue out at him. He covered his eyes and just shook his head.

"You have everything else, at least let me have one thing!" He said dramatically and we both laughed. I opened my desk and pulled out my favorite red pencil and began to jot down a note. I handed it quietly to Liam and blushed. "You know you can just speak to me right?" He says laughing.

"But this is more fun! Don't kill the fun. Fun killer!" I say back to him and pointing a figure at him. Mrs. Payne just let him and I talk quietly. She loved us, or him, either way we didn't get in trouble. Ever. He was my childhood crush, ever since the first grade, even though I would never admit it to anyone because that's gross. We'd sit by each other on the bus ride to and from school and played games like M.A.S.H which was my favorite.

"Me? I'm not a fun killer!" He glares at me and I give my best sassy face I can.

"Yes you are!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Ms. Adams!" The teacher shouts from the front of the room. What? I have no idea what's happening and everyone is staring at me. "The answer please." She says impatiently. I panic because I don't even know the problem.

"Um," I look down at my hands and notice a sheet of paper with a number on it. "12?" I say aloud and the teacher nods and turns back and writes it on the board. Liam takes the paper and crumples it and throws it in his unzipped backpack.

"Thank you." I say and he nods his head. The rest of the class I'm distracted by Liam even though he does not acknowledge me the rest of the time.

***