Let's Take a Moment to Reflect on the Past Few Years of Our Lives

ALLIE'S POV

Real freaky weird shit was going down. My best friend shared his birthday with Alex Gaskarth. And I might have believed that he was my friend, apart from the fact that his eyes...well his eyes were just so different. They weren't happy. They didn't light up the same way. I couldn't see any of...well whatever my friend had in his eyes when we hung out.

I gratefully stepped into the warmth of Isobel and Peter's house. Taking off my shoes, I headed to the kitchen. I could smell Isobel's cookies...damn they were always great. She smiled when I entered the kitchen.

"Oh, hello dear, did you find him?"

I shook my head. "No, I didn't. I ended up bumping into someone else...that was eventful." I stole a cookie to munch on.

Isobel raised her eyebrows. "Oh? Why was that?"

I laughed a little. "Well, I saw this guy from my favourite band, you probably wouldn't have heard of them. But anyway, turns out I don't want to bump into him again."

Isobel frowned, looked at my hoodie and asked if that was my favourite band. I nodded and she started to open her mouth, but then we heard the door open and a very familiar voice yell "Hey mom! I'm back! Got any cookies left?"

His voice was so familiar...that was my best friend, surely. Isobel ushered me into the living room and went to greet her son.

I sat down on a couch and smiled at the childhood photographs of him and I. They still kept them? Then I followed the pictures of him as he got older...his high school years. With three other guys. And that was when my eyes started to pop and a little bit of realisation sunk in. I heard whispering outside the door, and finally Isobel entered, but I was speechless.

"I'm...I'm just popping out...I'll leave you two to catch up," she said with a nervous smile.

She left, and the one person I was dreading entered the room.

ALEX'S POV

She looked shocked. Her whole body rigid where she was standing.

I took a step further inside the room. "Now do you believe me?" I asked softly.

She looked like she was about to cry. I didn't want her to cry. Never. I wanted to always stop her from crying, but I hadn't been able to do that when she moved. And now she was breaking my heart by making me wait for a reply.

"I...I'm sorry...I just...I don't remember you...I don't know why I don't remember you...I..." And then she broke down in tears, making sounds like her body was being torn apart. I didn't understand what was so wrong.

So I closed the gap between us and just held her tightly. "Hey, what's so wrong? Look, we found each other again, it's fine. It's all okay."

I felt her shake her head as she held onto me. "No. No it's not. You changed. You changed so much. My best friend never swore, he never drank, he never hooked up..."

"He was thirteen the last time he saw you," I pointed out. "Time changes people."

"But not like that. That's why I don't remember you, because you...you changed too much. I don't see...him...in you. It's like a piece of you is missing. And it's not right. It can't be you. It just can't be." Her sobs grew louder, but she still held onto me. I didn't know what I was supposed to do. "You left me, Alex, you left."

I shook my head, although she wouldn't see. She was too busy crying into my shirt. "No Allie, I never left you. I was always right here. You left me. You were the one who walked away. You were the one who didn't call. You broke my heart, Allie."

"I couldn't call you. I had to look after my mom. She wouldn't stop crying. Any mention of America just....it broke her. I couldn't do that to her. I never meant to break it Alex, never. But now you're the one breaking mine."

"How? How am I breaking your heart? I waited so long for you. I don't want to be the one who drives you away again. What am I doing that's so wrong? That means you can't remember me?" I begged her to answer me. I needed to know.

She pulled back and looked into my eyes. "I don't see him in your eyes anymore. You're not here. You left."

I shook my head again. "No, you took him. You stole him from me. I had to change. I had to be different, because you never came back to help me out. I missed you so much Allie, you have no idea." I leaned in to kiss her, but she pulled away, looking at the floor. "What? What did I do?"

"I...I can't kiss you Alex. You're...you're not the same. And I'm sorry I took it away from you, but you're just not the same guy I knew. You're my favourite member of my favourite band now."

I pulled my brows together. "But Allie...I love you. I always have. I've never loved anyone like I love you."

Allie smiled small and put her hand on my cheek. "I love you too. But I love the old you. Not...not this you. I want my best friend back."

"Give me a month."

"What?" Allie asked, startled.

"Give me a month. Give me a month to show you I am the old Alex, because now I have you back, I know I can be. I know I can go back to how I was. Just give me a month and if you still can't remember me when you look at those old pictured of us, then I'll back down. You can be just another fan again, but if you remember me, and you find the old me again, then you have to promise to..." suddenly that confident voice of mine was gone and my palms felt sweaty.

Allie cocked her head to the side. "I have to promise to what?"

I took a deep breath, but it was the only thing that mattered. "You have to promise to marry me."

ALLIE'S POV

Did he just say what I thought he said? He raised his hazel eyes to meet mine. And you know what? I could see a tiny flicker of that nervous, sensitive and caring best friend of mine in them. So I smiled. "Okay then."

His eyes widened. "You promise?"

I nodded. "I promise. Pinkies?" He shook his head. "Why not?"

This time he avoided my gaze. "Because you always broke pinky promises...and the last time we made one...it was the last time I saw you. And then you forgot."

Ouch. That hurt, but I'd hurt him more, and here he was trying to chase me and make everything okay again. I guess I kinda deserved it. "Right...okay. So what now?"

"We hug?" he suggested. I stepped into his arms for another embrace. It did feel right, and maybe, just maybe by the end of the month I would be engaged. Let the countdown begin.