Faded Memories | lp

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Sonia helps me up. She looks me dead in the eyes, and I can see the anger hidden beneath them.
"My mom, she's going to the show, I think she's going to accept my award." I stammer, I touch the back of my head and gasp. It'll hurt for a while.
"I got scared when you didn't get there at six. Your mom told me you weren't coming, so I tried calling you. When you didn't answer, I just came looking. Are you alright?"
"I'll be fine. I remember."
"Remember what?" Sonia asks.
"I remember everything. My memories are back." I say. She has disbelief on her face, but she knows I wouldn't lie about something like this. But there's no time to celebrate.
"Let's get you to the award show. You've got something to accept." Sonia and I hurry out of the hotel and I touch up my makeup in the car.
"Liam! Have you seen him? He was probably looking for me before the show." I realize that I left my phone at the hotel so I can't contact him to tell him I'm alright.
"I asked him if he knew where you were. He told me no. He seemed worried." Sonia tells me. I growl deep down in my throat.
"I remember my mothers addiction to the spotlight, now. I'm sorry I didn't believe you. I didn't want to believe she was different."
Sonia pulls the car in front of a very busy venue. They're telecasting the show live and it's on every single TV I see as I speed walk backstage.
"Where is she?" I demand, looking from face to face. Sonia comes beside me, "She's probably getting ready to accept the award on your behalf. Look." Sonia points to a screen, and I see the freaking First Lady starting her speech on books and how great they are.
"We have to find her. Now." I go searching of the plce where I'm supposed to be. Finally, I see the all-to-familiar heap of fake curls and jewelry.
"Mother, what the hell?" I spen her around and take the microphone out of her hand. She looks at me in shock, but also disappointment.
"Can't you see how they want me? They don't want your skinny ass, they want my talent." She gazes out into the crowd and the lights shining everywhere.
"How in any way is this okay? You knocked me out--thank you by the way, I got my memories back." I say.
She turns her head back to my sharply, her eyes as wide as those plastic hoop earrings she's wearing.
"And the Breakout Writer of the Year is, of course, Jo Burgundy." Michelle Obama coos into her microphone. Now, all the attention is on me. I might vomit.
I take one last look at the woman I used to know, then take one step forward. And another. And another. Now, the crowd cheers and Mrs. Obama gives me a genuine hug.
"Two years ago, when I decided to pursue writing, I certainly didn't picture myself here." I swoon at the lights and the award in my hands grows heavier. Some light-hearted laughter goes around the crowd.
"But I guess that shows that no matter where or how quickly you grow up, you can make a difference. I got a letter sent to me about a year ago. It was from a little girl in Connecticut. She was bullied, but she says and I quote 'I killed my bullies with kindness' and that's all I could've asked for in response. All I needed was a little reassurance that what I was doing was-was good. Now I know."
The audience claps, I feel a blush rush to my cheeks. I usually never got nervous, but this is huge.
"And I just want to thank Sonia, you rock, my best friends--you know who you are--and most of all, I want to thank Liam. I love you to the moon and back." The audience claps once again and I'm ushered off stage. My mom glares daggers at me, but I don't care. I don't know where Liam is in that audience, but now he knows.
He knows that the girl he fell in love with is back.
"Jo?" I hear his voice behind me, so I turn, tears already blurring my vision. His hair is kept and clean. He's earing a blazer over a black button-up. His mouth is hanging open and his cocoa eyes are wide.
I'm sure my expression is similar.
"How?" He pulls me into a tight hug. My face is pressed up against his crisp suit. We hold each other harder than ever.
"It's a rather long story, I'll tell you later, Turtle." Turtle, the story behind that is rather long as well. But now I remember the significance.
And that's all that really matters right now.
The End