Faded Memories

Chapter 32

I pulled away from him, figuring that he was skipping class as the bell had gone and he'd not moved from beside me. I undid my locker, feeling the emptiness of the corridor suddenly looming over me.

"I thought you didn't want to tell anybody about your birthday." He commented, looking into my locker.

"I haven't-" I began, stopping short when I looked in the same direction at the present sitting on top of my books. "Nobody knows the combination to my locker."

I closed my eyes for a second, taking a deep breath as I thought this through. Ryan wouldn't have put something dangerous in there, surely? No. He'd want me to have something real. Something that might determine where Jamie was.

I lifted the lid of the box, a bright yellow bow sitting on top, and took it out from the locker. I hated that he knew yellow was my favourite colour. I hated that he knew so much about me that even I had forgotten.

A tear rolled down my face as I noticed the small item inside, an item I used to hold so closely to me. The ring was beautiful, so plain on the outside but the inside was carved with the day that Ryan apparently fell in love with me. He had gotten it for me for my first birthday that I was with him, and I wore it almost every single day that I knew him.

And then he pushed my mother down the stairs. And then he kidnapped my baby brother. And then he drove a van into my dad. I can't even remember where I had thrown it, but I lost it one day and never looked back.

How did he find it?

"Is it from him?" Carter queried, examining the ring that I had shut the lid back on and placed back inside my locker. I couldn't do this, not now. I nodded my head, turning around and looking anywhere but my tainted locker.

"He must have been here, Carter. That means Jamie is close. Closer than I probably think." I let my mind wander with thoughts, possibilities of seeing Jamie again and finally being able to get him away from that psychopath. If I saw Ryan, would I attack him? Would I scream for help? Would I call the police?

I probably wouldn't.

Ryan was a specific man. I would have to be careful about how I approached seeing him again. And I know that I will see him again. I could feel it. I also know that this was definitely not the last of his presents, especially seeing as he preferred people to have to find their presents rather than being given them. Dick. I hit my head against the locker, before getting a frantic text message on my phone from Georgia.

Georgia: OMG! You didn't tell me it was your BIRTHDAY! Amelia!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY! We've got to do something to celebrate!

Me: How did you find out?

Georgia: Oh, silly! I got a Facebook notification - you added me as a friend! Your birthday is on your profile!

Confusion hit me like a ton of bricks. I re-read her message over and over, being more confused as the seconds passed. I showed Carter her response as we wandered outside to the benched areas - specifically for people to study on their free periods. Nobody did. Everybody just hung out here instead.

"I didn't think you had any form of social media?" Carter queried, taking a seat opposite Matt who was already out here doing some work.

"That's the thing... I don't. But, even if somebody was using my pictures - to know my birthday? It doesn't make any sense. Even for Ryan, I don't get it." I responded, sitting down and explaining the situation to Matt.

"Hey, mate, can I borrow your laptop a second?" Carter pointed to the laptop sitting in front of Matt, which he happily pushed forward for him to use. I was completely oblivious to what Carter was doing at first, until I watched what he was searching.

Matt wandered around to our side of the bench, looking over Carter's shoulder as he searched my name on Facebook. My profile popped up immediately, well, a profile that I thought I had deactivated. My profile picture must have been at least two years old, all of my so called Facebook friends being from my hometown. You couldn't see anything further though, because my entire profile was private.

Dammit.

"If this is my real profile though from years ago... maybe I can still log in?" I suggested, taking the laptop from Carter and attempting my old log in.

I wasn't surprised when it didn't work, the password probably having expired and whoever reactivated this account making a new one. I just don't understand. If this was Ryan, what did he gain from this? What did he gain from people finding out that it was my birthday? I understood the ring, to bring back faded memories, but the account? I was completely confused.

I tried a few other passwords, before wanting to give up completely. I just needed to clear my head. If Ryan had reactivated my account, then he probably used a password that he wanted me to eventually be able to guess. A password of his maybe? I thought hard, coming up short about what any of his passwords were as I had never been one to care about what was on his devices. Finally though, I remembered him changing my phone password once to one that he thought was 'special'.

It was the same date as inside the ring.

The account unlocked with a simple date being entered, all of this linking somehow. I still couldn't help but feel as though there was a puzzle missing though, an important piece that would connect all of the dots. I clicked on my profile, everything suddenly being unlocked and feeling as though I was being transported back in time. Back to my old life where everything was a perfect little bubble.

I scrolled down my feed, the stupid shared posts and odd status' that I had written, the photos of me as a child that my mother posted or the happy birthday messages once a year. It was all so silly, so unnecessary when you looked back. However, there must be something here. This was definitely a message. I just couldn't read the language of it yet.

The bell eventually went for lunch, where the rest of the group joined us and attempted to talk about my birthday. I was forced to give Matt his laptop back, downloading the app onto my phone instead as I still hadn't worked out what the missing piece of the puzzle was.

"Look, I know you're going through a rough time right now, Amelia. But, please, please agree to this. I think you need something to cheer you up and you can have your phone on you the entire time - so if they do call you'll know immediately! And it'll be safe with all of us there!" Georgia clapped her hands together, obviously excited about whatever she was planning.

I wasn't paying enough attention, however, nodding my head and agreeing before Carter nudged me and laughed. I was so absorbed in my phone that I hadn't even realised what I had agreed to, and he obviously noticed that. Carter whispered in my ear Georgia's plans for a birthday party tonight for me - to which I began to loudly protest.

It didn't work.

"We'll come over straight after school to set up! It's going to be great, Amelia, I promise!" She cheered, before grabbing her books and running off with Millie to start planning.

Could this day get any worse?