REMEMBER ME TWICE

First Impression

Nia

There are moments in life when you know you're supposed to be brave.

Walking into a new school is one of them.

At least, that's what I told myself.

I stood outside the front entrance with one hand wrapped around the strap of my backpack and the other gripping the notebook I'd been carrying around for years.

Students moved around me in every direction.

Some walked in groups, laughing about things I didn't understand.

Others stood near the entrance, complaining about teachers, homework, or how early it was.

Everyone seemed to know where they were going.

Everyone except me.

For a moment, I actually wondered if I had just made the biggest mistake of my life.

Maybe this was what my parents had been afraid of.

I looked down at the notebook tucked beneath my arm.

my schedule was clearly written on the first page.

English — Room 204.

Biology — Room 118.

History — Room 301.

I had read it so many times that I could recite it without looking.

Still, I looked.

Once.

Then again.

"Are you Nia?"

I looked up.

A woman with a kind face and a clipboard stood in front of me.

"Yes."

"I'm Ms. Bennett. Your guidance counselor. Your mother told me to make sure you get settled."

I smiled politely.

"I know where my classes are."

Ms. Bennett smiled back.

"I didn't say you didn't."

I immediately felt embarrassed.

"Sorry."

"You don't have to apologize."

I nodded, then I realized that I had been apologizing a lot lately, because it's either I'm forgetting, asking people to repeat themselves, or taking too long... and for the most part.. making my parents worry.

Ms. Bennett stepped aside.

"Come on. I'll walk you to your first class."

I followed her quietly.

The hallway seemed to stretch forever.

I tried not to look nervous, but I failed.

When We reached Room 204, Ms. Bennett opened the door.

The teacher looked up.

"Ah. You must be Nia."

Every head in the room turned.

My stomach dropped.

The first thing I noticed was the noise, Then the classroom became strangely quiet.

Not completely.

But enough.

The second was how quickly I wanted to go home.

I wasn't used to this many people.

My tutors had always come to me. My lessons had happened in quiet rooms where I could concentrate without someone bumping into my shoulder or shouting across the hallway.

Here, everything moved too quickly.

I knew I was supposed to be here.

I just needed my brain to agree with me and accept it.

"Class," the teacher said, "we have a new student joining us today."

I walked to the front of the room,

I could feel everyone's eyes on me.

"Go ahead and introduce yourself."

Thirty-something faces turned toward me.

I suddenly became very aware of the fact that I existed.

My palms were sweating.

umm Hi, my.. name... is.. Nia Monroe. I was shaking so badly while saying these few lines, the teacher was so scared that she had to step in and just say something.

"Okayyyy, She's joining us this year, so let's make her feel welcome."

she held my should then gave me a brief smile, and I just stood there waiting for everything to end.

she held my should then gave me a brief smile, and I just stood there waiting for everything to end

A few students smiled.

Someone near the window whispered something to the person beside them.

I pretended not to notice.

"Why don't you tell us a little about yourself?"

A little about myself.

That sounded simple.

Except suddenly I couldn't remember anything interesting about myself.

I looked at the class, and just said..

"I'm fourteen. I'm new here."

I paused.

"I like books."

Another pause.

"And... I don't really know what else to say."

A small laugh moved through the room.

I smiled.

The teacher laughed too.

"Well, that's enough for today."

Thank goodness.

She pointed toward the back.

"There should be an empty seat beside Jayden."

I followed her finger.

And that's when I saw him.

He was sitting near the back of the room, leaning lazily against his chair.

Dark hair.

A black hoodie.

A pen spinning between his fingers.

He looked completely uninterested in everything happening around him.

Including me.

I walked toward the empty seat

I walked toward the empty seat.

As I got closer, he glanced up.

Our eyes met.

Just for a second.

Then he looked back at his notebook.

I sat down.

"Hi," I whispered.

He didn't answer.

I looked at him.

Maybe he hadn't heard me.

"Hi."

He finally looked over.

"Hey."

Then he went back to whatever he was writing.

Then he went back to whatever he was writing

I stared at him for a second.

That was it?

No welcome?

No nice to meet you?

Nothing?

I opened my notebook.

Fine.

I wasn't here to make friends.

I was here to prove to my parents that I could handle school.

The teacher began the lesson.

I tried to focus.

For the first ten minutes, everything went well

For the first ten minutes, everything went well.

Then Jayden started tapping his pen against the desk.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

I ignored it.

Tap... Tap... Tap.

I looked at him.

He didn't notice.

Or maybe he did and didn't care.

I continued writing.

Tap... Tap... Tap.

Finally, I whispered, "Could you stop?"

He turned toward me.

"Stop what?"

I stared at the pen in his hand.

"That."

He looked at it.

Then back at me.

"Oh."

He stopped.

I returned to my notes.

Five seconds later..

Tap.

I slowly turned my head.

He was smiling.

"You're doing that on purpose."

"Doing what?"

"That."

He shrugged.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

I narrowed my eyes.

He smiled wider.

I turned away.

Okay.

First day.

First class.

And I've already found someone I don't like.

I wrote the date at the top of my page.

Then I wrote one more thing beneath it.

Jayden — annoying.

I closed the notebook.

I didn't know why I wrote his name down.

Maybe because I was afraid I'd forget it.

By lunchtime, I had gotten lost twice.

The first time, I ended up outside the science lab.

The second time, I somehow found myself standing in front of the gym.

I looked at my schedule.

Then at the hallway.

Then back at my schedule.

I sighed.

"Looking for the cafeteria?"

I recognized the voice immediately.

I turned.

Jayden.

Of course.

"Do you know where it is?"

He nodded.

"Yes."

"Could you tell me?"

"I could."

I waited.

He waited.

I stared at him.

He smiled.

"You're not going to tell me, are you?"

"I was thinking about it."

"Don't hurt yourself."

He laughed.

I rolled my eyes.

"Fine. Which way?"

He pointed down the hallway.

"Straight ahead, left at the stairs, then follow the crowd."

I nodded.

"Thank you."

I started walking.

"Nia."

I turned.

"Yeah?"

"You're going the wrong way."

I looked behind me.

Then at him.

"You said straight ahead."

"I said left at the stairs."

"There are two staircases."

He laughed.

"You're going to have a rough year."

I stared at him.

"You're enjoying this."

"A little."

I shook my head and walked back toward him.

"Just show me."

He raised an eyebrow.

"You trust me?"

"No."

"Good."

He started walking.

I followed.

Neither of us said much.

But for some reason, the silence wasn't uncomfortable.

When we reached the cafeteria, he stopped.

"There."

I looked through the doors.

"Thanks."

He nodded.

I started to walk inside.

"Nia?"

I turned again.

"Yeah?"

"You wrote my name in your notebook."

My stomach dropped.

"You saw that?"

He smiled.

"You're not as subtle as you think."

I felt my face heat up.

"I was just writing down names."

"Sure."

"I was."

"Okay."

He walked away.

I watched him go.

Then I looked down at my notebook.

Jayden — annoying.

I crossed out annoying.

I thought for a moment.

Then I wrote:

Jayden — irritating.

Much better.

I would later learn that changing the word didn't change the problem.

He was still irritating.

I just hadn't figured it out yet, how much I would miss being irritated by him.

I spent lunch sitting alone.

I wasn't particularly bothered by it.

At least, that's what I told myself.

I opened my notebook and began writing down everything that had happened that morning.

Not because I wanted to.

Because I needed to.

English — Room 214.

Science — Room 118.

Lunch — cafeteria.

I paused.

Then I added:

Jayden.

I stared at the name.

Something about it felt strangely familiar.

Not him.

The name.

Like I'd heard it somewhere before.

I shook the feeling away.

It was probably nothing.

I closed the notebook.

Across the cafeteria, Jayden was sitting with a group of boys.

One of them said something that made him laugh.

I found myself watching him.

There was something different about him when he laughed.

The bored expression disappeared.

He looked lighter.

Almost careless.

I looked away before he could catch me staring.

I didn't know it then, but that would become a habit.

after the break, I was on my way out when I bumped into him, I just walked passed then he followed turns out we were heading in the same direction, but the silence was killing me while we walked, so I broke it..

"You know," I said as we walked toward my next class, "for someone who barely said hello to me this morning, you talk a lot now."

He glanced at me.

"You complained that I wasn't talking."

"I didn't complain."

"You stared at me for, like, thirty seconds."

"I was confused."

"Exactly."

I shook my head.

"You're impossible."

"I've been told."

He grinned before walking ahead of me.

I followed, trying not to smile.

Maybe he wasn't as annoying as I originally thought.

Maybe.

My final class ended shortly after three.

I stepped outside with my backpack hanging heavily from one shoulder.

For the first time all day, the school felt quiet.

Students were leaving in groups, some heading toward buses, others toward waiting cars.

I stood near the entrance and took a slow breath.

I had actually made it.

An entire school day.

No disaster.

No embarrassing mistakes.

No forgetting where I lived.

I smiled,

Then someone called my name from across the parking lot.

I turned towards my mother's car, and I saw my mum waving with a big smile,

I was happy so I rushed over and hugged her,

"hope you enjoyed your first day sweetie"

"yesss mum"

By the time I got home, the exhaustion finally caught up with me.

I pushed open the front door and dropped my backpack beside the stairs.

"I'm home!"

My father's voice came from the kitchen.

"How was your first day?"

I walked into the kitchen.

he was standing over the stove, still wearing the apron he always put on when he cooked.

I smiled.

"Long."

he turned around.

"And?"

I hesitated.

Then I smiled.

"Good."

His expression softened.

"Really?"

"Really."

he came over and pulled me into a hug.

I laughed quietly.

"Dad."

"I know. I know."

he let go and looked at me carefully.

"You remembered everything?"

The question was gentle.

But I heard what he wasn't saying.

I nodded.

"Yes."

he smiled.

"I'm proud of you."

Something about those words made my chest tighten.

"Thanks."

I grabbed my backpack.

"I'm going to lie down for a bit."

"Okay. Dinner in an hour."

I nodded and headed upstairs, leaving my mum and dad to it.

The moment I reached my room, I changed into something comfortable and collapsed onto my bed.

For a few minutes, I simply stared at the ceiling.

My first day of school.

It hadn't been perfect.

But it hadn't been terrible either.

I reached for the notebook sitting on my bedside table.

I opened it.

The pages were filled with reminders, schedules, names, little pieces of my life that I didn't trust my mind to hold onto forever.

I turned to a fresh page.

Then I wrote the date.

First day of school.

Underneath it, I began writing.

English — Room 214.

Science — Room 118.

History — Room 203.

I paused.

My pen hovered above the paper.

Then I wrote:

Met someone named Jayden Carter.

I stared at his name.

For some reason, I smiled.

I added:

He talks too much.

Then:

He helped me find my classes.

I thought for a moment before adding one final sentence.

I think we're going to be friends.

I closed the notebook.

For a moment, I just sat there.

Then a strange thought crossed my mind.

What if I forget this day?

My smile disappeared.

I opened the notebook again.

Under everything I'd already written, I added:

Remember today.

I stared at the words.

Then, beneath them, I wrote something smaller.

Remember Jayden.

I closed the book carefully and placed it beside my bed.

At the time, it seemed like an ordinary thing to write.

Just

another reminder.

Just another name.

Just another memory I was afraid might disappear.

I had no idea that one day, those words would mean something completely different.

And I certainly didn't know that the boy whose name I'd written so casually would eventually become the one memory my mind would fight the hardest to find.

For now, though, I was tired.

I turned off the light, I needed so shut eye.

And somewhere beneath the quiet of that ordinary evening, my story with Jayden had officially begun.

Neither of us knew how important that notebook would become.

Neither of us knew how much of that first day I would eventually lose.

For now, though, I remembered everything.

Every word.

Every look.

Every moment.

And most importantly,

I remembered him.