The Memory Eraser

ALEX

A/N: this was done faster than I thought it would be.

Alex didn't know about my past. He doesn't know that my father was murdered in front of me, and he doesn't know that I have given away the memory. He knows that I grew up in foster care, though. It's how we met for the first time.
It was my first family, my father's death still fresh in my mind. He'd come up to me in the playground when everyone else avoided me like to plague.
+++
"What's your name?" The boy asked. He smiled, but I didn't think it was real. "I'm Alexander, but my friends call me Alex,"
"I'm Kiara," I said. "It's nice to meet you, Alexander,"
"No, no, no. When I told you that my friends call me Alex, I wanted you to call me Alex."
"Really? You want to be friends?"
"Yeah! You seemed so lonely. Did you move here recently?" He must not be in my class, I realized, otherwise he'd know I was a foster kid.
"Umm, yeah," I lied. I didn't want to explain why I was in foster care.
"Cool! Where'd you move from?"
"The other side of the city," That was true.
"What school did you go to?"
"I was homeschooled," That was true too. My father had taught me for my entire life, up until that day.
+++
We'd been friends all year, but that May, my foster parents found out they were going to have a child, and so they sent me back. I never saw Alex again until college.
+++
I sat down in my assigned seat. The name to my left said Toby Holen, and the name to my right said Alexander di Bello. I sighed at having to sit boy-girl for a semester. Toby sat down first.
"Hey there...Liana," he said, looking at my name tag.
"Hi," I said, clearly wanting the conversation to end.
"How are you doing today?"
"Fine,"
"Great. Me too! In fact, since we both feel amazing, how 'bout we get coffee after class!? Whadya say?"
"No thanks. I'm not interested."
"What, you one of those disgusting gays?"
"No, I'm just not interested in you."
He pointed his finger at me.
"Reconsider your answer. I'm a nice guy. You could certainly do a lot worse, and-"
"What's going on here?" I hear someone say behind me.
"Oh, just talking to my girlfriend-"
"I'm not his girlfriend," I said firmly, turning to look at the newcomer. I could've sworn I'd seen that face before, that sandy hair, those blue eyes.
"I heard enough of your conversation to know that you, Mr. Holden, are lying. I recommend you don't bother this lady again." He was seemed strong and intimidating. Toby cowered a bit, then turned to stare at the board.
"Sorry about that. I'm Alexander, but my friends call me Alex."
Suddenly, it hit me. That face, that way of introducing himself. His voice had gotten deeper, but this was, no doubt, Alex, the only friend I'd ever had who didn't stab me in the back.
"Alex?" She asked hesitantly, wondering if he remembered as well.
"Yes, that's my name,"
"Umm, it's nice to meet you,"
"Yeah," He looked at her strangely. "Was there something else?"
"No, no, there wasn't,"
They sat in silence through most of the class. Finally, five minutes until the end of class, he passed her a note under the table. In one class period, the professor had already proved to hate people talking over him.
'Seriously, tell me what you realized or remembered or whatever. Why were you acting weirdly earlier?' It read. She scribbled her reply.
'Takes to long to write. Tell you after class?'
'Coffee?' Was his reply. She didn't bother writing her answer, she just nodded.

"So, what's the deal?" He asked, sipping his latte.
"Well, we've met before,"
"You're kidding,"
"Nope. Third grade? I was new and lonely, and you came over and introduced yourself? We were best friends until I moved away again."
His eyes widened. "That was you?"
"Yup,"
"You look so different!"
"It has been ten years,"
"Yeah, I guess so. I always wondered, why did you move around so much?"
"I was in foster care after my parents died, but no one kept me for more than a year, not until I was 17. When I met you I was with my first family, only three weeks later."
"God, I'm sorry, Liana,"
"It's okay,"
"I still feel bad for you,"
"It's not like there's anything you could have done. You don't need to be sorry." He swept his hair out of his eyes. She'd almost forgotten how bright his eyes were.
+++
It had only been a week before they started dating, and they'd been together ever since. Their relationship hadn't been perfect, but she'd always loved him.