familiar // david dobrik

six

IT'S NOT very often you enter David Dobrik's house to silence, cameras shut off and solemn stares. It's usually so alive, bursting with laughs and loud voices, pranks being played, Natalie being scared. So I immediately knew this Friday was not like the rest.

I walked down the hall to the living room where all of my friends sat, David texted me an hour ago telling me the door was unlocked, I assumed that meant to just come in. I knew my face radiated confusion to the silence and the stares they were giving me, everyone looked pretty serious. It was making me nervous. Did they not want to hear my music anymore?

'Hey guys... Is everything okay?' I began. It seemed like no one else was going to talk. My eyes immediately drifted to David, he looked upset, was he upset with me?

'Why didn't you tell us?' Corinna spoke up. Now, I'm not very good at reading emotions, and I'm unsure if I was like that before or if it's been brought on by the amnesia but I could tell Corinna was hurt. I knew that much.

'Corinna...' Zane started. He sounded like he was defending me.

'Wait, what is going on?'

'I was just going through Twitter, and I saw this...' Matt stands up and walks over to me, handing me his phone.

I saw my face straight away, it was the cover photo from the single that was just about to release, they must have got it from the record label as they were heavily advertising my new music. The title read:

WHAT MAKES THIS GIRLS SONG WRITING SO SPECIAL? SHE CAN'T REMEMBER WRITING IT AT ALL
I quickly skimmed over the article, more horror radiating from my face. Seems someone from the label leaked this information. Probably thinking it would do good for the song release. It even has interviews from my old friends. Some friends.

'Why didn't you tell us? I thought we were your friends?' David's voice breaks my heart. I now know why my friends are upset. We've gotten so close these last few months, they've confided in me when they were upset. When Corinna ad Todd broke up I was a shoulder to cry on for both of them, going with Erin to pick out her wedding dress, even when David was so stressed he couldn't breath, I was the first call. They took me under there wing, sheltered me from the harsh reality that is LA, they were the genuine people I'd never thought I'd find here. And I couldn't tell them the reason I ran away in the first place.

I sighed and sat down on the corner of the couch, preparing myself to tell the story I hate telling.

'When I woke up I felt scared, I felt misplaced. I couldn't remember anything I had ever done in my whole life. Everyone tip toed around me, scared to hurt me in some way by saying things of the past... the truth was that they could never hurt me more than I was already hurting myself. I was angry, it's my fault I can't remember my own mother's name, my fault my siblings cry every time I stare at them like they're strangers,' I pause and look up to my friends, the people I know so well. 'When I got here, and met you guys it was a new sense of hope for me. I didn't have to be that girl anymore, the fragile, pathetic one. I got to be me, Aspen. And I never ever thought I would find her again. I can't remember anything, I don't think I ever will. But with you guys I can fit in, I can laugh at your jokes, even if I don't understand the reference, I can cry with you when your hearts broken, because I don't remember when mine was. I feel like a person, not some empty shell of what once was. I didn't want to risk that. I didn't want you guys to change around me.' I take a deep breath. I didn't realise I was crying til I tasted the salty tears.

The first eyes I catch are Liza's, me and her have gotten super close, I love her with all my heart and soul. I look around the room to see everyone either crying or on the verge of it.

'We would never change around you, this just gives us all more of an idea why you're so clueless all the time.' Liza jokes. And all of a sudden I'm enveloped in her arms, then comes Corinna, then comes Zane and Heath and everyone is group hugging me and I know.

These are my people.

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wow low key emotional chapter to write lol
thanks for the votes guys, I really have to be in the mood to write so when you vote and comment it really makes me wanna get out a chapter for you. anyway! I'll try put out a chapter within a week, that's my goal here xx