Forever Yours

Hannah's POV:

"Is he… Is he really here?" I asked, totally not believing what my pretty small eyes were seeing. I was quite mesmerized, but to say I was in shock would be an understatement.

"I guess so, his eyes are the same color, and he looks exactly like you described," Samantha, my best friend, said.

"But…but how?"

"You would know better than I," she replied and left me there all alone.

He was back. The best of my 'bestest' friends. But he didn't remember me. Didn't recognize me. And that was what hurt the most. Because he had not been just a friend to me.

I'd had a crush on him since I was eight.

Glancing at me with his beautiful blue eyes, he stared for a while, making me realize that he didn't know who I was. And it was weird to just stare at someone like this.

At least for a girl to stare at a boy like I was.

I lowered my gaze, finding it difficult to meet those eyes again after all these years. Just as I knew it wouldn't be easy to attend the same school now.

I was still looking into those blue eyes. They hadn't changed in these six years. He was talking to some other boys and hadn't seen me. So, yea, I was looking in those eyes sideways. Just then, his gaze turned towards me, but I didn't notice until he started to stare back at me. I looked down in embarrassment and turned back. I was about to leave when I heard a voice.

"Hey girl!" someone said.

Even though I hadn't heard his voice in the last six years, I could still sense that it was no one other than Ryan. But the voice had deepened. It was way huskier than the cute clear one he'd had back then.

I turned around again, facing him, not knowing how to react. I even thought that maybe he remembered me after all.

"What?" I asked slowly, still not meeting his eyes. They worked magic on me whenever I looked at them.

"You must really like me!" he said. I looked at him in shock.

What did he just say?

"What?" I asked stunned.

"You've been staring at me for at least the last ten minutes," he said, and I could feel the embarrassment pass straight through me. "Would you stop it already?" he said with a smirk on his face.

I didn't reply and went to the washroom. As expected, Sam was already waiting for me there.

"I'm sure. He's back. Ryan Carson—sorry, Ryan Swift—and he's completely changed! I feel like I've lost my mind. He was so shy and quiet before. And now he's so bold! I don't want to have to go to the same school—" I was cut off by Sam.

"Oh, calm down, my dear! It's fine! He doesn't remember you anyway."

"He doesn't! And he shouldn't!"

"I know, okay? Just don't act weird," she said and dragged me to our classroom. She and I were classmates, so we sat together. Well, it was the first day of our 10th year, so we could decide to sit wherever we wanted.

"You know what, Hannah? Just calm down," Sam said to me again, looking at my gloomy face.

"I know I shouldn't be sad that he's returned, but what can I do? It's as bad for me as it is for him! You saw how much he's changed!"

"How can I see that when I haven't met him before?" she said.

Oh yeah, she hadn't.

"Well, before he was just as cute and handsome as he is now. He was cool and talked in a respectful manner, but he was a disciplined boy and was too shy to talk to anyone!"

"Then?"

"Well, it's a long story, but what I know is that he's a completely different person now."

"Don't tell me you still have a crush on him?"

"Well…yes."

"Oh my God, you're impossible!"

"Why?"

"I'll never understand you. I mean, just get over him already!"

"I can't! I've tried!"

"Shh, class is gonna start!" she said.

I looked towards the door and waited for the teacher to arrive. But someone else entered first, followed by the gossipy whispers of every young girl in the classroom.

Don't tell me Ryan and I are in the same class!?

And he was walking straight over to my row. I closed my eyes because I was so embarrassed. I was startled when I felt hot breath on my neck. A shiver went through my body.

I desperately wanted to know who was there, increasing my heartbeat to God knows how fast. But I just wasn't ready to face them.

"You're lucky I'm sitting behind you," he said. Right, of course it was Ryan.

Oh god, just kill me already!

I didn't dare look back or face him as he went and sat in his seat. While I had earned glares from my classmates, Samantha was dumbfounded.

I waited for class to end. When I looked up after what felt like 40 minutes and realized it had only been 10 minutes, I decided to make a plan.

"Sam, I'm going to the washroom. Come join me in a bit," I said to her. Usually, the teachers didn't allow two students to be gone at once, but she wasn't paying attention. At least, I didn't think she was paying attention.

"Ok, fine, which washroom? The lower one?"

"No, this floor."

"Ok," she said, and I stood up.

"Mam, may I use the washroom?" I said, and she nodded. At a fast pace, I walked and walked and didn't stop until I was in the washroom. At least here I was safe. It was a girl’s washroom after all.

I waited for Sam, who came in a little while later.

"What took you so long!?" I yelled as she entered.

"You don't even know, Hannah. I had to act like it was urgent! She didn't want to let me go!"

"Oh, ok, thanks. Now listen. What the hell am I gonna do!?"

"First, will you please tell me what the hell happened six years ago? I never asked because you became a cry baby whenever I did!"

"Oh…really?"

"Yes!"

"Fine, fine. I'll tell you."

Hannah's POV:

"Ok, ok, I'll tell you," I said.

"Yes, please!" Sam replied.

"It all started in middle school. He was so lonely, without any friends. I was lonely too, with no friends of my own. But I was not shy, actually, as he was. So, I made the first step to ask for friendship. He agreed and we became friends. Best friends. Slowly, we started sharing each & everything about ourselves. He was always there for me, and I was too. We were inseparable."

"Then?"

"I got to know his family. He was Carson. Ryan Carson."

"But…isn't his surname Swift?"

"That's where it all ended for me and started for him."

"Hmm…you don't usually make riddles, do you?"

"Just listen. It was a normal day, like any other, but a very unfortunate one for me…for him…for us."

"…"

"We were returning from our school. His parents always hated him, as I saw, but he didn't mind them much, because he knew he could please them someday. But they have had enough of him, so they… they decided… they decided something that was…horrible."

"What?"

"They decided to…end him."

"E-end him? What the fuck are you talking about?!"

"They planned his…his…death. That day, when we were returning from school, we went to my house. My parents welcomed us and after that, he decided to go back to his house as usual."

Someone entered the washroom, so I stopped. She went to one of the washrooms and I started speaking again. But I spoke very slowly, at least not be heard by that girl.

"Then?" Sam asked.

"I remember clearly he was happy and smiling when he left in the car…but all I know after that was that he had an accident…and he was admitted to the hospital."

"Woah? How the hell did he—"

"Listen, Sam! So, I was broken at the thought of him being in an accident. But I built up my courage and went inside his room after the doctors treated him…"

"And?"

"I talked to the doctors, and they told me something I never thought I will ever listen."

"What?"

"They told me that he had amnesia and temporary memory loss…and you know what?" I chuckled at the words they spoke so easily. "They told me that he would be worse off if he ever remembered me, for that would make him remember everything, about his family's betrayal, and trust me, he was not the kind who could bear betrayals."

"Wh—"

"But… I did what they said. I left him there. I made sure he doesn't see me even for a second. My parents kept me away from his sight while making sure he gets adopted by a different family because he was young and worth it."

"You… you just left?"

"Or what? Stay there just for my sake? Ruin his life? No, never, Sam! I loved him. I loved him so much. I don't know how long I was depressed after that."

"But…what happened to him?"

"He was adopted by the Swifts. Got a new life, with plenty of friends. I heard he just transferred here to complete his schooling."

"So now what? What will you do?"

"He has seen me. I don't know if he will ever remember me or not, but it’s best for him not to. There's not a single thing we will ever get by making him remember—"

"You will get a lot, Sam. His friendship."

"No. I won't. I don't even know if he wants to be my friend or not. He has changed so much. Why would he want me as a friend now that he's so full of friends?"

"You're wrong Hannah, the first friend is always special."

"But…" I was confused.

"So, what are you going to do now?"

"I don't know, I just want—" I stopped when I heard footsteps behind me, at the door. Samantha's eyes went wide on seeing the intruder, so I turned back.

No, my eyes went wider than ever.

Ryan.

"Bloody hell, wasn't this girl' washroom!?!" I whispered to Hannah looking at the floor, not wanting to look at his face, which carried a soft smirk.

"Bloody yes!" she whispered back.

"Hi, Evelyn," Ryan spoke, and I looked back to where his eyes trailed, and I saw that same girl that entered a few minutes back.

"Hi, babes, but you shouldn't be here, you know?" she replied with a smirk, washing her hands under the tap.

"Yeah, but you know how much I miss you," he spoke.

"You've been not leaving me alone even to let me go to the washroom, you know!" she yelled sarcastically.

"Sorry, babes," he said and then he grabbed her arms and pulled her close. I looked the other side while my heart was breaking down at the sight.

Oh god. He has a girlfriend.