Our New Beginning

Chapter 1

Ezra felt a wave of relief wash over him as he stepped into one of the few places he felt familiar with. Here, along with Hollis College, were the only places he had ever spent a lot of his time as a student in Rosewood. He made his way to the jukebox and quickly chose the next song, shaking his head and feeling rather pathetic as he walked back to the bar. The bartender had just set the scotch in front of Ezra when his song of choice began to play throughout Snookers Bar. Perhaps Ezra should have been more ashamed of drinking alone at a bar and wallowing in self-pity as The Fray played softly in the background but he felt he deserved it. His entire world had just collapsed around him and he didn't have anywhere else to go. Other than being told he was a teacher at the local high school—he wondered what could have possibly changed in his senior year of college to make him want that—Ezra was still missing the details on three crucial years of his life. How was it possible to completely forget three years of your life? What if he had big plans for the next few years? What if he had met someone after Jackie? What if he fell in love? The thoughts ran on a constant loop in Ezra's mind. He wanted answers but he didn't know of anyone who he could trust to give him the right ones. Everyone he knew was long gone; they moved on from their lives in college and never looked back to the quiet, small town that Ezra, for some unknown reason, chose to stay in. He hadn't ever felt this lonely in his life. So, if he was going to be alone he might as well have good music, however pathetic, in his ears and alcohol in his blood.

Ezra turned his head when the woman three stools to his left let out a sad and heavy sigh as the chorus started. He bit his lip, unsure whether talking to this girl was the right thing to do considering he was completely unaware of what was currently happening in his life, but before he knew it something was drawing him towards her and he couldn't help himself.

"Are you okay?" Ezra asked, more eager than he hoped to have sounded.

The woman snapped her head towards Ezra and her breath caught in her throat. Ezra may have realized that she was staring at him in a way strangers aren't typically prone to do but he was too absorbed in the hazel eyes that just met his to notice. He was enchanted by her long lashes and chocolate brown hair that fell in wavy locks just below her shoulders. After what seemed like an excruciatingly long silence to her, but a far too short one for him, she spoke.

"Yeah, I'm fine sorry. I just really love this song," she responded, offering Ezra a smile that, along with her melodic voice, immediately melted his heart.

Ezra smiled to himself and began to feel slightly less shame for his choice. "B-26," he said to himself, louder than he meant to, and the girl let out a shaky and breathy laugh.

"Yeah... It brings up a lot of memories," she said, her smile and eyes turning distant.

Ezra felt a sting as she brought up memories, since he was lacking many of them. "Good ones, I hope?"

She stared at him again, forcing a smile, and his heart began to flutter. "Mostly."

Ezra smiled, and he didn't know exactly why he was smiling, but something about this girl made his heart leap like never before—it scared him. He'd never been affected by someone so quickly before. His eyes tore themselves from hers and he glanced down, catching a glimpse of a notebook trapped between her arm and the table.

"You write?" he asked curiously, taking his drink and sliding to the stool next to hers, hoping she wouldn't find the move too forward.

She followed his eyes to her notebook and nodded, smiling sheepishly. "It's quiet here in the afternoons so I've been coming here to write a lot lately, but it's nothing special, mostly personal."

Ezra's smile grew even wider and he shook his head. "Wow... One of my professors used to say that if you're writing for yourself that's pure passion."