After collecting my books from my locker, I stand by the front doors of the school, looking for John. I'm there for about ten minutes before I spot him coming towards me.
"Hey," I say but he doesn't respond.
Dawn walks up behind him and looks at me. She looks annoyed but manages to ask, "Ready?"
"I'm not going home yet," I say and look at John who avoids all contact with Dawn, as if she's not even there. "Tell dad I'll be home later."
"Whatever." And she's gone. I watch her through the doors as she gets in the car and drives away.
John grabs my arm and leads me out of the school. "A 'Hey, Anna" would've been nice, you know." He doesn't answer, he doesn't even look at me until we're standing in front of a black car.
"Just get in the car."
"Where are we going?" I ask.
"Anna, just get in."
I stand with my arms crossed, refusing to get in until he answers my question. "John, tell me where we're going and maybe I will."
"Anna, we're going to my house to talk. Okay? Now get in." He opens the car door and slides into the drivers seat. I finally get tired of standing outside and climb in the passangers seat. The car smells fresh, as if he just bought it the other day. I try to focus on my surroundings and what direction he lives in but the roads become blurry and I fall asleep on our way there.
. . .
When I open my eyes, all I see is John's neck and I feel his arms around my back and my legs. He's carrying me. I flinch and jerk my head back. When I look around me, it's darker out than it was when we left the school and I can smell the trees surrounding us.
"Where are we?" I ask but my voice is barely a whisper.
"We're almost there, Anna," his voice is soft and his breath is hot against my cheek.
I decide not to fight it and I bury my head in his neck. The last thing I say before I doze off again is, "You feel so... Familiar." I hear him say something along the lines of "I know." But there's no way to know for sure because my eyes are closed and I have no clue whether or not it was real.
I jump up as soon as my eyes open again and I notice that John is no longer holding me or anywhere around me. I look around frantically for him and take in my surroundings while doing so. I'm in a big room, laying on the only couch he seems to have. The wall is decorated with what looks like family pictures. One picture catches my eye. I get up and walk toward it slowly. It hangs just above my head where I stand; I reach up and touch the picture with my fingertips. I feel a soft shock and then I realize something. I'm in that picture. Me and... John? But that's not possible. I've never met John before.
We look young in the picture, around five or six, I suppose. It still doesn't make sense to me... I remember a lot from that time but I don't remember that. The more I think about it, the more my head starts to hurt.
"I see you found the picture," John says from behind me, causing me to jump.
"Uh, yeah. Is that...?"
"You and I? Yeah, it is."
"But how is that possible? I don't remember you."
"I know you don't, which is why I brought you here."
"I don't understand," I tell him.
"I need you to remember, Anna."
