Four Years Later...
"Oh, you can do better than that." Brandon Vinson whines.
Alyssa Pike just smiles. "What do you want me to say?" She asks to her best friend, who's behind the camera.
"Let me think... It's our senior year. You won National's first place for DECA on the Community Service Project. You're head of Prom committee. You also got accepted to Yale. You can do better than 'it's been a good year'. C'mon, this will be in the year book video. Add some excitement." He winks at her.
"Fine, Brady." Alyssa runs her fingers through her long, light brown, hair. She puts on a big smile for the camera like she always does. "I'm so excited! This has been the greatest year of my life. I'm going to treasure all these memories and take them to Yale with me. I'm a Viking forever!" She cheers a stereotypical 'V' like a cheerleader. Brandon turns off the camera as Alyssa slams her locker shut. She can't pretend to be happy when all she can think about is how much work she needs to get done for prom. Too many things to do and so little time.
"Was that better?" She asks him.
"Much. Although I think you overdid it with the mini cheer routine." They both laugh at the image of her as a cheerleader. "Hey, want to grab a bite before hitting the road?" He asks her with a slim smile.
"Yeah, let's go to the diner, no Mexican food for you." She grabs her small BFMV bag and walks alongside him.
"But those are the best."
"Not when I have to share a hotel room with you."
"You have no taste in food. You eat like a fish."
"Are you sure you don't have some kind of Spanish heritage?"
"Nope. I'm all Irish."
"Let me know when you find that pot of gold, okay?"
"I found it." He throws his arm around her. "It's called Lucky Charms."
"Whatever. Do you have the tickets?" She waves a silent goodbye to a few students that seek her attention. Her smile never falters.
"In the car."
"What car did you rent?"
"A Chevy truck. I had to because you like to travel with big suitcases. I think they're filled with rocks."
"I do not!" She punches him lightly. "I just have a lot of work to do."
"Forget everything that's going on and have fun this weekend, will you? You're starting to act like my mom."
"Well she's a Victoria Secret model. She must be busy all year long. By the way, where is she now?"
"She's in the Caribbean somewhere. It's her last shoot. She's leaving modeling for fashion design."
"That means that she'll be spending more time at home?"
"More time with my dad." He wrinkles his nose in disgust. "They still go at it. They're too old for it. I had to crash at your place last night because they were being too loud."
"Oh, so that's why I found you under my bed this morning."
"No, you found me under the bed because you decided to kick me off the bed."
"I don't remember that."
"I do. I hit my arm on the edge of your bed stand. I even have the bruise for it." He takes a step back and slowly lifts the cuffs of his green, long sleeve, shirt that matches his eyes. The edges of the mark are a faded green color while the actual mark is a pale purple.
"That looks bad, Brady."
"I see I won't be getting a sorry from you."
She rolls her eyes at him. "You're being a baby. It's not my fault you fell. I gave you a copy of my keys for emergencies only. Not so you can sleep over to avoid your parents' sex life."
He pinches the bridge of his nose. "Don't say 'sex' and 'parents' in the same sentence, Aly."
"Why not? Your dad's handsome. Last year, he was voted fifty-sixth among the world's sexiest men. No wonder your mom-"
"Stop. Please, no more." He appears to be in physical pain.
Alyssa lightly laughs. Brandon was never one to brag. That's why she loves him. His father is a well-known baseball player who retired two years ago. His mother is a Victoria Secret model, who apparently is retiring this year. He comes from a successful family, but it never got to his head. The Vinsons' moved to Minnesota in order to live a normal life outside of Hollywood, but it's hard to live a normal life when you're a celebrity. Brandon still has his fair share of dealing with the paparazzi. Although, they sometimes give up because he doesn't give them the story they crave for.
"Earth to Alyssa?"
"What? Sorry. What was that?"
"Let's move faster so we can get there in time."
"I'm not forgetting anything, am I?" They walk through the student parking lot. The sun is shining above them without clouds tainting the sight. It seems like the perfect day. No, it's the perfect day. She's going to a concert, and then spending the weekend away with her best friend. The school year is almost over as Prom and graduation nears. It's all going the way it should be. She's living her life the way it was always meant to be.
"Hey, Brandon?" They both turn to the redhead who happens to be in several of their classes.
"Yeah?" He questions with a frown.
"Hey, Marissa." Alyssa steps back from his grip to hug the gentle girl.
"Hey, Alyssa. Um... am I-?"
She just shakes her head. "Not at all. Is there something you need to tell me? Never mind you called for Brandon, right?"
"Yeah, I-I mean no. I mean I-I don't know?" The shy girl stumbles through her words.
"Do I know you?" He asks with a confuse frown.
"No?" The redhead is obviously nervous around him.
"Brady, this is Marissa. She's the one who won a full scholarship to Princeton to become a Marine Biologist."
"Oh, the nerdy one." Alyssa slaps his stomach almost instantaneously. "The hot one?" She repeats the punishment. "The very smart one?" He groans from the impact of her hits. She just shakes her head in defeat. There's no changing Brandon.
"You really know how to make a girl feel special." Alyssa mummers to him.
He cockily grins, ignoring her sarcasm. "I know."
She ignores him and turns to the girl who's exactly what someone would call a 'Texas Woman'. Her hair is an orange-red color that highlights the freckles on her skin. Her eyes are always gentle and innocent. She's really shy, but sweet at the same time.
"Marissa, excuse him. He's not a friendly person when he's not fed."
"You make me sound like a dog, Aly." He groans.
"No, I'm not. They have better manners." She points out to him. "Anyways, what do you want with this rude man?"
"Oh, I-never mind. It was nothing. I'll just go."
"No, come on tell us."
"Well, you know it's traditional for a guy to ask a girl to the prom, but there's this list. I'm on the list of girls who have to ask a guy instead. I was wondering-"
"I'm going with Alyssa to prom." Brandon states proudly as he wraps his arms around her waist.
Alyssa's mouth drops at his automatic response.
"I-Oh, well, sorry then." Marissa turns around and walks away, but not before showing the pink shades of color on her cheeks. Her embarrassment caused by Brandon.
Alyssa narrows her eyes to her best friend. "What?" He asks without a clue in the world.
"She took all the courage to come over here and ask you to prom, and all you can say about it is 'what'?"
"We said we were going to prom together since it's our last year." He points out.
She shakes her head with aggravation. "No, you said that. I said I wasn't planning on going. Everyone just thinks that I am. I've been telling you that over and over again."
"But it's prom. All girls are supposed to be dreaming about it for months. Don't you girls have this fantasy of being the princess for a day?"
"Since when am I like other girls? I'm serious about this. I'm not going to prom and you can't make me."
He silently curses. It's obvious that he's angry. "Because of you I turned down a hot girl. Thanks a lot, Aly."
Her eyes widen as her mouth drops. "You have to be-"
"Hey! Marissa! Wait up!" Brandon jogs past her.
"Men." She rolls her eyes. "You can't live with them; you can't stab them in their sleep without being charged with murder." She turns around to find Marissa and Brandon in a deep conversation.
She can clearly tell his interest in her. Marissa's interest obviously shows as her cheeks turn a light shade of pink. They would make a good couple if they give each other a chance. Alyssa genuinely smiles. If her life was only that simple as well. Maybe one day she'll meet someone who sweeps her off her feet like in those fairy tales she used to read. That would be the day.
She looks past her best friend to the park in front of the school. The tall Oak tree looks so out of place. A simple tree used to make her smile. She remembers feeling the breeze of spring's winds. The harmony of summer was where everything was quiet throughout the hours of night. Her smile disappears as she looks away. They say that memories will be there to haunt you forever. It's true. It never goes away. They stick with you until you draw your last breath. You do live pass it though. That's all she will ever hope for.
"Alyssa?"
She focuses her attention to the person in front of her. Her eyes widen for a split second. Her vision corrects and she sees the man in front of her. For a split second she saw him. She saw Julian, but who's really in front of her is Brandon.
He shakes his head. His dazzling smile spreads every time their eyes meet. "Are you day dreaming again? You look like you've seen a ghost."
She nods in agreement. His brown-blonde hair is different than the raven black hair color she used to love. His light green eyes contrast the emotionless black ones she learned to live with. Brandon is such a handsome man, but he's not him. He's not the man from her nightmares; he's not the man from her heart.
Brandon begins to discuss his conversation with Marissa, but she ignores him. Her mind is far away. She squints when the rays of the sun hit her. A temporary blindness causes her to remember all those times she had gone to the Oak tree for a nice romantic afternoon. It all ended, but the memories are still there. Haunting her. Reminding her of something that will never be again.
Brandon has been so patient with her, but she notices just how much she can fool those around her. He knows almost nothing of her fears, or her sense of solitude. Best friends don't keep secrets, but hers are dead by her emotions to ever be brought alive. That's how she'll always want it. Too many years she's spend grieving over someone who never loved her, a man who doesn't deserve to be in her mind.
Brandon and Alyssa get into the rented Chevy truck and drive off.
"I need to call my dad and I'll be set." Alyssa begins to dial her father, but stops herself short. She turns to her best friend. "Umm... can you take me home? I'll be quick. I forgot something."
"Sure." He thinks nothing of her request.
Ten minutes later she opens her front door with her zebra-striped set of keys. She can hear someone in the kitchen. That's odd. No one is ever home. In the Pike household everyone is too busy to ever bother to see each other. That's her childhood. Alone, and fending for herself emotionally. The only thing she has is the money her parents give her, but that's never enough for her. You can't buy love and affection with money. It just doesn't happen. If her parents were around long enough to help, maybe she wouldn't have took so long to heal.
She enters the kitchen. Her father stands, leaning over the counter to get a better view of his laptop. His fingers are typing away with such speed. There's yellow folders spread all around him.
"Hey." She greets him with a strained smile. She can't see her father the way she used to. Not after what he's done. It's unforgivable, but he's still her father and it hurts to even think about what he does when he's not at home. Maybe his secret is the reason he's almost never home.
He turns to see his daughter with a smile that's genuinely true. "Hey. What are you doing here?" He lifts his index finger to his lips in thought. "Weren't you going with Brandon to, that, what was it? Concert, right?"
"Yes. I told you and mom, but I forgot my camera so I'll just be out of your way." His eyes seem so true, filled with love only a father has for his daughter, but if he really loved her he wouldn't have betrayed her, or her mother. Everyone has a choice and he chose wrong in her eyes.
"You're never in my way, sweetheart." He packs all his files and closes his laptop. "Go ahead, and don't let me keep you here. Have fun and be safe. Oh, and no boys." She raises her eyebrow at him. "Other than Brandon." He corrects. Alyssa nods as her father pecks her on her forehead. 'Love is true, love is sweet, but love can never erase the wrongs in life'. A motto she has heard so many times, and it's never done her wrong.
Alyssa turns to watch her father exit the house. Memories are meant to bring you those times of joy and happiness, but to her it's always been saddening and frightening. Even with all these years passing she will never forget the regretful and teary look her father gave her. If only she knew how to mend her worried father. He might not have made the best choices a father should've, but she knows he loves her more than anything. She can see it in his eyes. He worries about her. The worry of her own death. She hasn't forgotten what happen that night of the 'accident', as she liked to call it. The people, who know, including her father, think that her memory loss of that day is due to trauma. They'll never know just how much she's ashamed of that day to even acknowledge it. It did happen, but why talk about it? It doesn't help. It doesn't erase anything. You talk about what happened and then you mourn over it even more because there's that one person that reminds you of it continuously.
In the eyes of others, she may not remember, but her father remembers it perfectly. He was the one to treat her when she entered the ER.