Remember Me (Jack Maynard)

Chapter 29

"Nobody likes you when you're twenty-threeeeeee," Caspar sang jokingly as we all piled into Joe's flat when we got back from the restaurant.

"Oh, hush up," I said jokingly, playfully hitting Caspar's arm.

"I like you quite a bit, actually," Jack said with a smile, "happy birthday my love,"

That's right, my birthday.

The big 2-3.

Even after all that had happened, it seemed so surreal to me that this day almost never came. That twenty-two would be my end if I had died in the accident, and I never would've lived to see my twenty-third birthday. 

What would Jack have done on this day if the outcome had been different, I wonder? Go sit by my grave? Maybe the guys would've all gotten together and done something in my memory, something they know I would've liked. Or maybe something even as simple as all of them lighting a candle for me.

But here we were. The guys had taken me out to dinner and then back to Joe's, where we'd be responsible adults who didn't drink and drive. Clubbing still wasn't really my thing, so instead we'd hang out and watch funny movies and just goof off, like always. It was one of the things I had managed to remember us doing, anyways. I didn't know for sure if this was actually a common occurrence or not, but it was important to me, so they were happy to go along with it.

However, since this night was one of great importance to me, I wanted to remember it. So, while everybody else proceeded to keep drinking, I wanted to limit myself to only one drink. So I did, and my head remained mostly clear.

"You're so pretty," Jack said, kissing my cheek and giggling.

"Thanks honey," I said, smiling. 

"I've got your birthday present downstairs in your old room," he said, "whenever you wanna go open it."

"Okay," I said, watching as he set his drink down on the counter and then grabbed my hands.

"Or we can go do... other things in your old room before you open it..." he trailed off, giving me a smile. 

I looked around quickly, noticing everyone else just sitting on the couch staring at the TV screen in front of them. Conor was already asleep on the couch with an empty bottle of beer laying on his chest, and most of the others were laughing at whatever was happening on the screen. Oli was the only one who hadn't had anything to drink, but he was still laughing and enjoying whatever was on.

Since nobody was paying attention to us...

"Okay," I nodded, smiling and following him down the stairs towards the room I used to call my own.

It's so strange, isn't it?

One moment everything seems so normal, but then in an instant, everything changes.

I blame my socks more than I blame the drinks. I mean, after all, I'd only had one and it had been at least an hour since then. My socks were slipperier on the hardwood steps that had lead to my downfall.

Everything almost seemed to happen in slow motion then. My feet had been taken out from under me when I slipped, causing my hand to then slip out of Jack's grip. I had only just seen him turn around to look at me when I fell, almost barely feeling my head hitting the bottom step.

When I first opened my eyes, all I could see was bright white. My head didn't hurt, exactly, at least not at first. Everything felt fuzzy, and there was this feeling that someone kept tapping my shoulder. And I could hear Jack's voice, sounding as if it were a million miles away, just saying my name over and over.

The white was followed by many colors, one after another, until they eventually faded away to reveal Jack looking down at me, his facial expression a mix of concern and sadness as he anxiously kept tapping my shoulder and saying my name. He'd sobered up almost instantly, and sat next to where I was laying on the ground.

"You're awake!" he exclaimed, a nervous tone loud and evident in his voice. "Please don't tell me you've forgotten everything again, please tell me you know who I am, Mel."

"Jack, why didn't you ever tell me that you got sick that day we were at Disney?" I asked, smiling, and a look of confusion then spread across his face.

"What?" he asked. "How did you...?"

"You told me we'd had a fun day at Disney, doing the rides and all that," I said, slowly sitting up next to him and rubbing the spot where I'd hit my head on the step. "and yeah, we did, but you never told me about how you got really sick and almost threw up after Space Mountain. And that we sat on the curb outside of the bathrooms for about half an hour until you felt better." The smile kept growing on my face, but Jack was still oblivious, even though the effects of the alcohol had disappeared completely when he saw me fall.

"Yeah, that happened, and when I felt better we went for-" he started, but I finished the sentence for him.

"Cotton candy,"

They were back. All except for...

Wait a minute.

"And this is Amelie. Mel, I'd like you to meet Conor and Jack Maynard." Joe said, introducing me to the two guys standing in front of me.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Amelie," Jack said, a smile crossing his face as his eyes never once left mine.

"Oh please, the pleasure's all mine," I said, staring back.

There it was.

"We met back in Brighton when you guys had come back on the train with Joe. You and Conor were both going back to your parents', but Joe wanted you guys to meet the family, so you came for dinner before you headed home." I said then, "If Bella was going to be a boy you wanted to name him Aaron."

Jack inhaled sharply as the realization hit him. "Mel, are you telling me you...?" He trailed off, cupping my face in his hands as a smile spread across his face.

I nodded, leaning forward and quickly kissing him. "I remember. I remember everything."