Puzzled Past

Around Her Room In 80 Seconds

Zacharys P.O.V.

I couldn't help but notice an interesting personality vibe coming from Grace's room. From her room decor, down to the smallest, miscellaneous, shelf displays.

She must had been a collector at one time for pokemon cards and Lego mini-figures, she possibly could still be. For she had a whole shelf dedicated to them, all neatly lined up in a straight row.

They were dusty... They definitely hadn't been touched in awhile...

On the other side of her room was some old records, and even some new pop music posters, too.

Her Room was definitely 'lived in' but it wasn't messy. Everything looked well organized and seemed to have its own particular place in her room.

Except for...

"I'm sorry Zachary... I-I should had told you I wouldn't be meeting up with you... And I really didn't treat you well."

I turned around to face her as she ended her apology. She didn't need to explain, I mean, her actions were totally understandable, and I can't really say I would have responded in any other way, but the way she did.

"Maybe I can make things up to you... Maybe start a'new?" Her face was worried, her eyes were watching my every move.

'What does she mean? To start a'new?' I wondered to myself.

"No need to apologize, Grace. No one should ever make you feel obligated to befriend someone." I wasn't sure what to say... But this came out.

"No... I didn't mean it like that Zachary!" She quickly but quietly replied.
"I'm actually not to sure I know what I meant..." She no longer was keeping eye contact with me anymore, in fact she looked... Sad.

I was just about to utter something when I was interrupted by Mrs. Bennett, "Grace, sweetheart, don't make me ask again. You need to take your medicine before dinner!" Mrs. Bennett sounded as if she was losing her patience.

"Fine..." Grace mumbled under her breath. She seemed to had lost the 'medicine battle' with her mom. I know how that is...

***

Grace's P.O.V.

I could feel my cheeks turn bright red. For nobody but my Parents and I know that I take PTSD, and Depression medications... And now Zachary, of all people, (although not the Zachary that knows everything about me) knows I need to take medicine to function right... Even though he doesn't remember me, I feel like I had been keeping something from him.

Ugh... My heart feels like it's slowly being peeled apart, and soon (not now) but soon there won't be anything left to peel.

I wish... I wish I could make him remember... But I've seen all the movies and sadly, the ends are more then realistic... There real.

Dr. Moise told me his condition now is the same condition he was in a week after the accident.

I could feel my eyes begin to swell with tears. But I decided to blink them away quickly, so he wouldn't see me cry over, what he thinks is medicine...

My mother handed me my colorful pills and a glass of water. Zacharys eyes were full of curiosity. But I prayed he wouldn't ask.

My mother then walk out of my room, for the final time, with a stomp.

I threw the pills in my mouth and swallowed a gulp of water to wash them down. I recovered my breath and looked up to Zachary with a fake smile... It was the best I could do under the circumstance...

"So, start a'new?" Zachary broke the silence with a question.

"Sure." I answered with a shrug. I looked away from him and over to my mirror, fixed my hair, took a breath, then faced him again. I then extended my hand out for him to shake while I said, "My name is Grace nice to meet you."

Yah, it was cheesy, but necessary.

Zachary rolled his eyes with a grin and said, "The names Zachary, but you may call me Zach."

I then rolled my eyes in disbelief. For he went by that name a year before we started dating... But I guess he doesn't know that...

"Well, Zach-" I started to say something witty, but he cut me off.

"Can you promise me something, Grace?" He asked.

I stopped breathing for a minute or two... "S-sure." I stuttered having a pretty good idea what he was going to say.

He hesitated but then continued, "Can we be honest with one another? Truth is hard to find in my life... So as friends, can we just be truthful bout things?"

"..." I was taken back by what he said instead of what I thought he was going to say.

Yes... I was a bit disappointed. But I must see things through his eyes. This reality is so different then what he remembers... This is high school, he has no friends - to his knowledge-, and if I'm at all concealing my feelings for him he may still wonder how I know so much about him already... I sort of gave that away...

"Hey, earth to Grace?" He waved his hand in front of my face and chuckled by my dazed expression.

"Y-yes. Honesty is important in a friendship. I'd agree." I finally answered.

He nodded in approval, and took another look at my room. His eyes made there way to the dusty shelf of mini figures and pokemon cards collection.

"So you like pokemon?" He asked.

"Sort of... But those aren't mine..." I paused, catching myself before confusing him further.

But they really arnt mine. They belong to Chase and Zachary. I guess after the accident Chase didn't come and collect his things.

I'm telling you, I didn't only lose Zachary I also lost Chase too.

He didn't stick around when I needed him, and when he needed me. Unfortunately, I will always remember that. But truly, non of us stuck with the others.

Though I tried, I guess I could had done what I knew I should have done, instead of pretending I never was part of his future... But again that wasn't really my choice seeing I was respecting his parents wishes.

"So who's are they?" He asked.

"You know Chace, from school, don't you?" I asked in response.

"Yah, I think so..." Zacharys reply wasn't reassuring, but he took that as an answer and moved onto the next interesting object in my room to catch his eyes.

I noticed his eyes suddenly stopped scanning around my room when they came across my puzzle I had hung up on my wall.

Not good, not good, Not good!