Before He Forgot Me

They say you never forget your first love. But what happens when your first love forgets you? I stood frozen in the doorway of Willow Creek High, clutching my schedule like it was a lifeline. New school. New start. I told myself I was ready. I lied. The corridors buzzed with noise, lockers slamming, laughter echoing, feet pounding on tile floors. But all I could hear was my pulse, heavy and uncertain. Homeroom 11B. That’s where I was headed. That’s where it happened. I stepped in, heart thudding—and there he was. Noah Hale. Still as handsome as ever. Dark tousled hair, stormy eyes. The boy I once loved. The boy who had once loved me back. His gaze flicked up when I entered. For a second—just one—our eyes locked. Something flickered. Recognition? No. He blinked once, then looked away. Like I was nobody. I took my seat near the back, hands shaking slightly. I stared at the name on my schedule again, as if the letters might rearrange themselves. Noah Hale. We had history. I had memories. He had… nothing. “Hi, I’m Amelia,” I whispered during break, trying to sound casual. He turned slowly. His voice was polite, detached. “Noah.” Nothing more. Not even a twitch of confusion. No sense of déjà vu. Just a blank, practiced smile. Like I was just another new girl. I stared at the words on his notebook, my pulse thudding loud in my ears. I had imagined this moment so many times. Reunions, explanations, maybe even tears. But this was silence. Emptiness. He stared back like I was a stranger. Maybe to him... I was.