Forgetful

Chapter 2
School was average and boring. We had nothing really special happen in the school. The day consisted of classes, lunch and the occasional electives like gym, art or music. It was a normal school, not a crazy and amazing, where all the teachers understood students’ personal issues. The only reason I could bear staying in school and being there was because of Jake.

We were always there for each other. We lost that pact a while ago though. He doesn’t acknowledge any promise we made for each other. I still remember the pact we made in middle school with each other, we even pinky swore; we would never leave each other. I guess this was one pinky promise that didn’t quite keep strong. I’m the only one that kept to the promise we made that day. I walk past him and sometimes I take a double take to make sure he is alright. I felt like it was my duty to watch over him, even if it was from a distance. Somehow I had the strength to step back and watch. I always am surprised when I don’t find myself crying out to him and embracing him in my arms, squeezing him as much as I could, just to feel his warmth and his heart, beating fast next to mine. I missed him so much, I missed talking to him and being with him. All I could do was replay the times we laughed and smiled in my head; faint memories that I held dear to me. Memories too unbearable to relive, but at the same time I was too terrified to forget.

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“Come on Ketti! Hurry up!”You yelled at me,

“I’m not as fast as you Jake, geez,” I said.

I climbed the tree as fast as I could. You reached for me with your free hand to help me up. It was the end of a hot summer day and the sun began to set. We reached the tallest branch we could and finally sat down together. I pointed out the seagulls passing by us. You smiled and put your arm around my shoulder. Looking at the horizon we stared out into the beautiful colors that took over the sky. The air was clean and fresh, I could smell the flowers in the wind that blew the tree. The leaves rustled above us as the wind blew stronger and leaves detached themselves and fell. You giggled and put on a grin as the sun slowly melted away into the horizon. My eyes sparkled with amazement, I had never seen such a beautiful sunset, and it was so vivid.

“Hey Ketti,” you said.

“Yeah Jake?” I asked.

“Promise me something?” you asked.

“What?”I asked and turned to face him.

“That we will stay together always, no matter what; Friends forever Ketti,” you said as you kept your eyes on the horizon.

“Friends Forever Jake,” I repeated.

“Pinky swears?” you said as you turned around and stuck out your stubby pinky.

I smiled. “Pinky swears,” I said and stuck out mine and intertwined it with yours.

The sun had set and a blanket of cold was laid down. The wind had stop blowing the tree and we climbed down. The seagulls flew away into the dark night sky. We walked with hands in our pockets silently as the street lights turned on dimly, illuminating the way home.

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Walking into science that day I was not up for doing a lab at all. Science was always my weak spot in school. I wanted to drop out of it really badly, so this was my last day in this class; it was hard to stay in a class with Jake. I sat down in my seat and took out my notebook. I heard someone sit down and shuffle through their bag. I looked up and smiled to myself, it was Jake. He looked at me strangely as I looked back down, embarrassed for being caught from taking a glance at my other half.

Class started and dragged on and on. Talking about how rocks formed and which rocks made other new rocks and so on and so forth. I just looked down at my notebook and doodled. I liked to draw really abstract things. This time I decided to sketch a person and it so happen to be Jake. I started with his eyes and worked from there, often I had difficulties with shading. I finished by the time the lecture was over with a satisfying feeling. I closed my notebook and looked up across from me to Jake. Nothing could capture what Jake looked like though, not even my drawing. I opened my mouth for the first time in that class.

“Hey Jake,” I greeted.

“Hey…” he said, not looking up at me.

“So… I will be dropping out of this class and since I am your lab partner, or was in this case; you have to find a new partner,” I explained.

“You’re dropping out?” he asked and finally turned to look at me.

“Yeah, today was my last day,” I said.

“You shouldn’t drop out though,” he said surprised.

“Well I’m not doing well in this class.”

“But you can’t drop out.”

Where the hell did this come from?

“Ketti, you should stay, I would feel bad if I didn’t have you as a lab partner,” he said and looked into my eyes.

“You know my name? I thought…” I said as my head looked up.

“I… yes… I do,” he said with confusion.

Without another word he looked at me in confusion and possible anguish. He was trying to comprehend his thoughts and form words. Without any success the school bell rang and he immediately ran out of the room for class. I was left there standing with my eyes wide open. He remembered me. Feeling a slight shock, my heart had skipped a beat. I felt a startling sense of happiness, something I hadn’t felt in a long time. Tears were shed from my eyes, each tear representing a moment of sadness in my life, dropping onto the ground below as I left them behind and made room for the joy that had just possessed me.
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Throughout the day I pondered the possibilities of how he remembered me. So many theories ran through my head. None of them in the end made much sense to me; it was pure hope and no logic behind it. Maybe it was possible for someone to gain their memories back. Somehow it felt useless to think that way; I didn’t want to create some hope then have it be crushed. The feeling when hopes are crushed is like being promised something then having it never come true. I wouldn’t want to make myself believe or hope for something that would never happen. This was a hope that I have had since the middle of eighth grade, one and a half years ago. A ridiculous hope is what I would tell myself, but today Jake remembered me, he remembered me. That gave me a bit more spark to start the fire of hope in my wounded heart. From then on I was determined to help Jake remember because Jake wasn’t strong enough, but I would be strong for him.