Remember me

Chapter 5

Mia

What just happened?

That was Nick.

My Nick.

Im stunned. Shocked. A million thoughts racing through my mind at once..

I couldn't be wrong could I? Could my imagination turn some random guy into the boy I lost?

No.

No, I know it was him. 7 years later or 20, I would recognize him anywhere.

But he said he didn't know me..
Could that be true?
Could he just not want to know me?

No. I just can't believe that. My Nick would never want to forget.. I don't know what happened to him over the past several years. It couldn't have been easy.. It may have been downright devastating. But what Nick and I shared? It isn't something you just forget.

Maybe he just needs some help remembering.

"Mia!"

I turn around and Marley is heading in my direction, waving her arms above her head. She reaches me and grabs my arms, swinging me around. Her cheeks are rosy and warm from alcohol.

"Hey, who was that? He was cute!"

I pause for a moment, unsure of how to explain exactly who Nick is to me. "Someone I use to know," I eventually reply.

"Hmm.. Well lucky you. I'd be very interested in getting to know him too" She says loudly with an exaggerated wink.

I roll my eyes and we both start laughing. I link my arm with hers and Marley steers us back towards the crowd.

I try to act normal, like my whole world hasn't just exploded. I tell myself I'm over reacting as I try to force myself to interact with my friends. But after another 30 minutes of walking around the party in a haze I decide to call it a night. After convincing Marley that I'm just tired I leave her with Liam and head home.
..

I arrive at my house without any recollection of the drive, my mind obviously elsewhere. A blast of air conditioner hits my face as I quietly place my keys on the entry table and I head down the dark hall to my room. I grab my laptop off the desk and plop onto my bed with it. Im biting my lip to shreds as I quickly power it on and open a google search.

Nick Wallace Parker, Arizona.

Other than a few mugshots of men who are definitely not my Nick, there's nothing.

"Ughh!" I groan, flipping onto my back and pulling my pillow over my face. I knew there'd be nothing. I use to google Nick all the time, desperate to figure out where he went and how to contact him. I'd ride my bike down the dusty streets to the library and search for him on the public computers. I did that every single day for an entire year. Eventually I got a school-issued laptop and could check more easily from home, but the answer was always the same. There was never anything then and there's still nothing now. Not even a social media account. What 17 year old doesn't have social media?

I hop off the bed and get on my hands and knees to reach under the bed. I reach as far as I can until my fingertips brush the edge of a box and I pull.  It's an old shoe box and I know what I'll find in there. I push aside the trinkets- a bottle cap, a folded up note, and pull out a picture. A Polaroid. It's poor quality and a bit blurry but it's him. Us.

We're standing in front of the tree house, Nick's arm is around me and we're smiling like fools. My 8th birthday. There's a cactus shaped piñata strung up on a branch in the background, I remember exactly what was in it too- a couple of granola bars and some beef jerky. Marilee forgot to buy candy to fill it that year but I didn't care. Nick was there and it was the best birthday ever. Nick had a way of making disappointing moments into something special.

I take the picture and slip it into my purse, feeling resolute. I don't know when I'll see Nick again but I will see him. He's back in town and I'm going to make him remember.