Young Writers Society

Taylor James

The girl who I returned the wallet to was walking back to me. This was a very rare happening; I do good deeds, of course, but there's always the same reaction from the same types of people. Old people are always overly enthusiastic in thanking you, no matter what you did. Little girls will smile, and little boys will mutter a thanks. Hot girls will thank you and let you walk away.

The words fall from her lips naturally, as though this were something she did all the time. "So... how would you feel about Italian, Mr. Blue Beanie? I was thinking Little Italy up the road...ya know, as a thank you for my wallet."

I kind of stare at her. She fit easily into the 'hot girl' category, but came back to spend money on me... why? I shake by head a little, trying to think. My parents might be a little pissed if I get home late, but Emmett is a good excuse. For once, without actually being there to mess it up, he's a decent wingman.

I smile, trying to make up for the brief gap made by my thoughts. "I could never turn down Italian."

She gives me a wide, perfect smile back. "Who can? I'm Kristen."

"Taylor."

I don't talk to girl a lot except if they're cute band girls or following me on YouTube, so I don't really know where to go next.

Kristen, on the other hand, does.

She points to my mother's nice Trailblazer. "Yours?"

I nod. Without another word she goes over to it and climbs in the passenger seat. I go around with a sloppy grin on my face to the driver's side.

I start up the car, and she says. "I'm paying, but you're driving, okay?"

"Whatever you want. You are giving me food, after all."

It's not a very long drive, but Kristen makes herself comfortable. As always, my IPod is plugged in and playing. Kristen squeals a bit and turns up the song.

"I love these guys!"

"You do?" I'm a bit surprised; I love all ranges of music, which means that some of my tastes are rather obscure.

"Yes. thought I was one of the only ones! Actually, I met one of the members at a-" Her enthusiasm drops immediately. She swallows a thought down. "grocery market. I was really surprised, but so were they! They're very underrated."

I think she may have been lying, but I don't accuse her so. "They have such an awesome sound." I pull into Little Italy. The place is pretty empty, which I take to be an advantage. "I really love all types of music, but they are still one of my favorite bands. Some of my inspiration."

We go into the restaurant, are quickly seated, and order. The wait is the longest part of going out.

I like just looking at the girl whose wallet I'd returned, but I know that's weird. I like looking at her hair, long and soft, but also the curves of her breasts and her hips. On a girl, curves are such an integral part of their being; all the places where one part eases to the next. She's really not that curvy, but that doesn't mean she doesn't have curves; it just means she's skinny. (Which is okay, as I am too.)

I try to turn her from hot to beautiful, because that will make things easier.

I try to start talking again. "What other kind of music do you like?"

Her eyes light up, and right there I see it; the beautiful. I blush again, but I don't know if she notices. She goes off on a short rant about bands, all bands I know, so I share in her enthusiasm.

The food comes, and she still doesn't stop talking.

Today is turning out to be a pretty good day.

Kristin Piest

"And I mean Iron Maiden compared to Green Day is like comparing Justin Bieber to Kurt Cobain...ya just can't do it, you know? And this isn't me trying to sound like a hipster, I find their failed attempts of being unique pretty hilarious to tell you the truth, but this new-age, mainstream stuff seriously is just doing the world of music and injustice...am I talking too much?" I ask taking a breath after my rant as Taylor and I wait for our dessert.

This whole spur of the moment dinner thing was not supposed to last this long. I mean we're literally nearing three hours of just talking about music, and Taylors awesome drumming skills , and me evading personal questions like what do you like to do in your free time. And what would I answer? Oh you know...I just love my incredibly draining modeling career mixed with the fact that i'm fucking my practically engaged personal photographer, yet still fawning over my ex boyfriend. Yeah, way to make a first impression. I just want Taylor to think of me as a cool, chill, blonde chick that he's just met on the sidewalk. I mean...it's weird. Usually I couldn't give two shits as to how someone I hardly know thinks of me. But Taylor is just...different for some reason. I want to make him like me.

"I getcha...my friend Emmett feels the same way on that point."

I feel my face drain, and my eyes widen.

"Emmett?" I ask quietly.

William Franco

Avery hung up right after I said that. She was being really odd, and I didn't need that. I wanted answers, was that too much to ask for? I guess it was. There had to be a different reason she was avoiding me.

I looked through my phone and found an unread text from Harley. Shit. Harley. How could I forget about her for this one second. She got a car! Oh, good for her! I hit the call button and rung her up. The dial tone went on for a minute until it hit her voice mail.

Maybe she was with the kids.

"Hey Harley... it's Will. I just wanted to say that I am sorry about not returning your text and that I've been out of it. Something happened and... I have to figure out what it was. So, please don't be mad." I said and hung up.

Avery's father, maybe I could talk to him?

It was his office anyway, her book was on his bookshelf. Maybe he was the one who I should be talking to. But, of course, he was out of the country on a new business deal in Singapore or somewhere fancy. Sometimes I thought Avery's father was a myth. So, I never questioned it.

I walked off to my car and started my way to the indoor basketball courts. It was time for some sport to get my life back on track. As I drove, I tried to catch sight of Avery maybe in a cafe, walking down the sidewalk, in her car, somewhere. But she was nowhere to be found.

Once I pulled into the parking lot, I hopped out and braced the cold winds. I ran into the building and saw people already playing some games on the four separate courts. On one court there were six games, each on separate hoops. On another there was one game. The third was another game and on the forth contained a few people just shooting hoops, so I joined them. I had my basketball in had, so I started to dribble and found my own personal hoop.

The place reeked of sweat and Gatorade which made my nose feel as if it was going to fall off. That's the "Manly Smell", God. I don't believe in that.

"Hey man, wanna play a game?" a deep voiced guy said next to me.

I turned my head and saw a guy only slightly taller than me that looked just a bit familiar. He looked like he played sports all of his life from his build.

"Sure, I'm Will." I smiled.

"Noah,"

And we started off a good game. No one came to join us, which was alright, I liked to play one-on-one games better than a full on team based thing. After thirty minutes, my phone started to ring.

I took in a big breath and ran to my backpack, pulling my phone out. It was Emmett Lopez.

"Hello?" I asked, surprised.

"Hi, this is Emmett... Lopez. Um, you are William, right?" he sounded uncertain.

"Yeah,"

There was a pause.

"I need to talk to you about Jane."

I felt my body grow cold at the thought of that. Did his memory come back? Did he remember about Jane and I? Or maybe he's trying to find out what happened to try to remember? Oh God, I don't know.

"Sure, right. I'll be there in a few minutes." I said.

"Cool," and we hung up.

"Sorry Noah, I gotta run. Nice game though!" and I was off.

Lena Crystal

I never knew so much could happen after I left. Emmett lost his memory. Poor Jane, I knew how much they loved eachother and how many hurdles they had to come across. This was the greatest obstacle in her life and as she spoke, her voice was tight, like she would break down any second. But Jane had become a stronger woman than the last time I met her. I had to be there for her. I look at Oliver and I can see he's thinking deeply too. I squeeze Jane's hand and give her a small smile.

"Its going to be alright, Jane. We're going to help Emmett. We're not going to allow him to forget any of us. And I know for a fact, he never wanted this to happen to him too." I say. Consoling never really worked for most people, but I had to put in my best just so that she knows I'll always be there for her.

Jane bury's her eyes into mine. "You'll be here, with me, right?"

I look down at my fingers. I'd decided I wouldn't blend in with any of them ever again. Afraid if I would ever come across Will. But I couldn't always keep running away. Some day or the other, I'll meet him.

I nod my head slowly, and Jane grabs me into a huge hug. I can feel her sobbing slightly. And then I feel my tears too and we're just hugging each other tighter. I don't know what I'm crying for. I wasn't sure if I was crying because Jane was going through a crisis or if I was just happy to get back.

Just then, I hear someone's phone ringing. We tear apart. Its Jane's phone.

"Hello?"

Me and Oliver are just sitting there, as Jane's expressions change one by one. At one point, she looked sad, then curious, then surprised, then all of a sudden, she's bursting with happiness. She cuts the call and grabs my hand and tags Oliver with us.

"Lena! Oliver! Today is my luckiest day ever. First, I got you guys back and now... Emmett! He's... He's asking for me and Will." she said, so fast that she was almost out of breath.

We running across the corridors and hopped on to Oliver's car. Wait, what? Emmett was asking for Jane and Will?

"Woah, that's great news!" Oliver chirps, jumping to give her a hug. I'm smiling wide. Finally, we can set this right.

"Who called, Jane?" I ask.

"Will called! We're meeting up with him now." Jane replied, her face radiant.

Now, I'm on my way to meet Will. I never expected that. Well, whatever it was, I hope he's happy and content. At the moment, I was too worried to think about Will because I was so happy for Jane, that I could never explain what I was feeling in a million years.

Jasmine Bradley Urbaniak

Somehow I knew Ashton was right. He was always certain of what he said and whatever he said always came out true. Being both Jasmine and Bradley would catch up to me someday. But right now I don't care.

There was this contest in the local mall in New York City. It was just past tweleve noon, so not too early or too late. The conest was called Under The Earth. Weird name, but they call it that because they want to discover new artists. The first part of the contest will be people who signed up, the second part will be random people from the crowd that I choose. That's the part I'm most excited for. Just random people coming on stage, knoowing or not knowing how to sing. It'll be like a party. Horrible and amazing singers, so surprising.

I was in the car with Ashton. He decided to take out him new Mercedez for a spin. His fingers were tapping against the steering wheel to the music which made me smile. He could be so normal sometimes, it was cute.

He turned his gaze toward me for a second and gave me a small smirk, it made my heart jump.

"Why are you staring at me, Brad?" He joked.

I glared at him for a moment then gave him a smile, looking back out my window. The buildings were zooming by as we drove down the city. So many people were lining the streets, it was crazy. It actually reminded me of Europe. The people there barely used cars. The used public transport or their feet. The sidewalks were crowded everyday, and it made me feel all warm inside, as if everyone now respect the Earth by dogding car fumes every now and then.

"Here we are," Ashton said as we pulled into the parking garage. There was a spot right off, so he slipped the car in and we hopped out. The wind sent chills down my spine, thankfully it's March which means that this wind will fade soon.

He slipped his fingers between mine and squeezed, making me smile. I leaned into his side for a moment and kept wakling into the mall. These sliding doors opened for us and greeted us into a huge dome. People were scattered around this stage. And this stage, man was it huge for a mall, There was a poster on it with the words of the contest and a small picture of my face.

The mall was grand. It was white all over and had skylights for ceilings. It brought in so much light and made it elegant, futuristic. I loved it. I let go of Ashton's hand as people started circling around us, screaming our names. They had smart phones in hand and started snapping photos. Some guards gathered around, stopping them from getting any closer than they already were. My heart was already racing from fright of their bodies colliding with mine. People are like woltures, it frightened me. Istill couldn't get used to this, Idon't think anyone could.

Ashton just popped a smile on his face and looked extremely confident. It shocked me, but that was the only way to deal. My ears rang from the screams. There were so many people crowded around the stage, I didn't know ow Icould choose randomly on singers. It was like a small concert of mine.

I pulled Ashton with me behind the stage, getting to the back stage. Some people were there getting ready for the event. I caught sight of make-up artists dabbing something on a few people's faces.

"Are you nervous?" Ashton asked, looking at me.

"No, how could I be? I do this all the time." I replied.

He squeezed my hand which made me face him. There was a smirk lining his face.

"Maybe hosting isn't your thing, I mean you look nervous." He said.

I shook my head and felt less stressed. This did get me scared, but I don't know why. Ashton really is an amazing guy, he helps me at any moment. He knows me.

Standing on my tip toes, my lips met his. I didn't really know what I was doing when I was doing it, but it felt natural to kiss him at any moment. It's just right now I'm Bradley. And Bradley isn't with Ashton, Jasmine is. Thankfully, there might not be any paparattzi here. But there are people and people, they are bastards.

I quickly pulled away and put my hand to my lips. "OhshitAshton," I said.

"What?" He replied.

"We kissed, I'm Bradley... get the picture?"

He rolled his eyes and took my hands in his. His warm touch settled me down and made me grow a small smile.

"No one saw, it'll be okay. Man, we really can't stay away from each other..."

It's natural for us to kiss, I mean, we are dating. But we had to be careful for as long as I am Bradley.

"Whatever..." I sighed trying to hide my smile.

"Hey guys! Welcome to Under The Earth! This is a contest for the best and worst singers around, and Ibet most of you are the worst. Your host is Bradley!" He sorta sounded like this YouTuber Ray William Johnson.

I looked at Ashton and squeezed his hands. He let go of me and smiled. Ifound my way to the stage and got greeted by a load of screams. Smiling, I walked over to the presenter and noticed that it was, in fact, Ray William Johnson. Now I was gushing as I watched him walk behind the stage. Ashton will freak when he sees him.

From the star struck, I couldn't think straight for a moment, but I regained myself as I looked at the crowd. There were so many people for a mall like this.

"Hello everyone! Welcome to Under The Earth! First we are going to have the people who voulenteered to sing, sing. After that, it's you guys! Let's get started! Here's Thomas Avery!!" I said.

I SWEAR I WILL POST TAYLOR (FINISH UP WITH KRISTEN/ATTEND THE BRADELY THING?)AND LACEY LATER BUT THIS ONE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT AND THE ONLY ONE I HAVE TIME FOR.

Emmett Lopez

I can't stand my reflection in the mirror.

My hands grip the counter until my dark skin turns as white as the ceramic in holds onto. My veins pop with the tension, my eyes wild with a short of mad horror. My hair is too long, too curly, my face sagging under an invisibly weight. Where are my dimples? Have they disappeared under the fresh powder of age?

I've gotten old. I've gotten old and dumb by seventeen, and my arms jiggle as I slam my hands roughly down on the counter, feeling how they burn when they're slapped. Nobody is home. Lacey has followed her dreams (when did she get off her lazy ass, I can't remember, and can't love her active state as much as her slothful one) and my parents are working. They don't do anything else, not really, because that is the worker bee that produces the brain. Taylor is gone, because he leaves me like I have left him (maybe I have, I don't know, I don't know, I don't know.) Ace is Lacey's, and I have no more.

I sing to my aged self in the mirror.

(WhenwillmyreflectionshowwhoIaminside?)

Maybe I can make myself younger. That's what I've been trying to do, heal the gap by jumping back, by watching old movies. Robin Hood was my favorite, but I've been forced to watch Mulan and Pocahontas a million times.

(Can you paint with all the colorsofthewind?)

I watched Frozen on repeat for a few hours. Lacey left it. She said she loved it, so I watched it, because I love her.

(I may be alone, but I'm alone and free)

I'm alone, but I'm not free.

Not free.

Not free.

Not free.

I scoop my phone up from the counter with rough hands, and dial the first number I see. A guy named Will answers, and I go into my room to look at the sticky notes littering the walls with facts. Coma Will. Good. I can do Coma Will. Coma Will says he will come.

I clean up my bleeding nose, and wipe the mirror and sink down without glancing at my reflection. Coma Will comes quickly. He is very prompt, and I like that. I like that in present tense, which is so nice, so refreshing. I offer him Cocoa without a hello. He says yes, but makes us some himself.

"Are you okay, Emmett? You look a little rough."

My brain is clearing a little bit. It feels so nice to be in present tense that it makes me inhale the steam of the hot chocolate like it is a brain-warming sauna. "I've been rough. Everything is past tense, a big gap where my life should be. The pieces I get feel false and unused. I can't seem to make anything new." I take another breath. "I called you because I was having some issues."

"You thought I'd understand?"

I choose every word from my brain attic with the utmost care. "No. You were the first person I saw on my phone, though understanding would be nice."

He laughs, a little. "Sometimes you've got to let go of what you think you know and form a new path. Hanging on hurts. Tenses are confusing."

We sit in silence, drinking. "Can I ask you a question?"

"You can try."

"In your coma, who was I?"

He seems a little stunned. "I obviously wasn't focused on you, but you were Emmett. Personality doesn't change. Same smart guy, so nice. Got into Harvard, I heard."

"And Jane?"

"You were together. When aren't you, honestly? You helped her get out of a bit of a ditch again, and..." He swallows, and I see so many different things in his eyes. "You were together. An eternal story that never runs off when there's bumps."

(Love is an open door... )

"Call her?"

Will smiles. "My pleasure."

They also get here with promptness. Jane brings people, one of which I do not know and the other who may-or-may-not-be-Lacey's-British-boyfriend. (All very confusing, trying to do something else other than worry about my sister's relationships right now, for once.)

I try not to care, because according to Will, they all know.

I take her hands as a greeting. She looks surprised. "I love you." I say. Her smile is as infinite as the universe. "I don't know why, but I do."

"I love you too, Emmett."

"Then that's where we have to start again, because I don't want to know what happened. Love is the new starting point, because I'm tired of forcing myself to remember what you did or what I did or what we did. Let's start here, okay? Forget about everything else, okay? "

Nobody else is here. There is a swirling storm inside me, and it turns around the two of us.

"Okay."

It is clear.

William Franco

Emmett was lost, just like I was after my coma. I wouldn't blame him if he called me to ask if everything would ll into place. The only difference between what happened is that he got memory loss, Ijust wasn't there to get memories. I felt like I was needed again, and I guess that was good. He needs the most help he can get and I think I can be there.

Right when Jane walks into the kitchen, my heart stops. Lena is just behind her with Oliver in tow. So, Oli is back. But, Lena... I haven't seen her in so long. Too long, infact. She still looked breathtakingly beautiful. But there was something different about her.

Emmet and Jane talk for a moment, leaving us slient. We can't really say anything, I mean, we are here to help Emmett. But, I couldn't help myself, I had to see what was up with Lena.

"Hey, Lee, can I speak with you?" I asked her.

She was leaning against the wall of the kitchen, Oliver just at her side. They seemed to be talking. But she looked at me and nodded, walking off into the hallway just behind her. I followed after, leaving Oli with the couple.

"Where have you been all this time?" I asked once we were out of ear-reach.

"School," she sighed.

I folded my arms over my chest and really looked at her. She looked the same as always, but I feel like she's changed.

"You just left Lena, without a word. Or, at least, you said nothing to me. I was worried. My uncle actually looked for both you and Chris. Both of you disappeared." I said.

She ran her hand through her hair and looked away from me for a moment. Maybe she didn't want to talk to me. I don't know.

"You were unstable, okay? Fresh out of a coma. And not only that, but you were in love me me. Will, Ihad to leave cause this place was toxic. I had a school, a job, waiting for me. So I took it. What, are you better now? It doesn't really seem like it." Her voice was at a harsh whisper.

"I understand, it was tough, okay. But you could have mentioned leaving. I really was worried, Lena. I am better now, actually. No more 'Coma Will'. I'm stabel again."

"Good," she huffed. "I came back when you got better,"

There was a pause of us just looking at each other, of if we were trying to read each others minds. My heart was still racing and I had no idea why. She had that kind of effect on me, so weird. Maybe my coma was right, I was meant to be with Lena but never saw it. Oh, bull. That's not true. She brought back Coma Will. She's toxic to me.

Okay, I'm lying. I'm just trying to figure out why I still feel the same around her as I did in the coma.

"Do you know where Chris is? Did he go with you?" I asked after the silence.

"No, we broke up before I left."

Ouch.

"Will, Lena, come back here, will ya?" Oliver called from the kitchen.

We turned back into the kitchen and saw Emmett sitting at the table with Jane just to his left. Oliver was sitting across from them, leaving one seat open. I let Lena take it and I stood just off to the side. This was the time to help Emmett, not to help myself.

"I want to leave the past behind. But, I need you guys to help me start anew." Emmett started, his stare focused on his hand holding Jane's.

Suddenly, a phone rang, and Jane searched her pocket and pulled it out. It was hers. Something shadowed her face, regret maybe? She hesitated, but then smiled at Emmett, standing up from the table.

"I gotta take this, it's my mom." She lied.

Avery Piest

I press ignore on my phone again and watch the outside world as it blurs in the window of my fiances fast car. He doesn't seem suspicious, yet is instead wearing a face of total nirvana and relaxation. Leo is always like that. Calm and peaceful. Being around him usually makes me feel the same. But as I watch the sun set against the blurring green of the trees outside, I realize that it will be a while before I feel any type of peace.

After Cassie said her goodbyes, I kind of figured that the secrets and the lies and everything that she brought with her into my life would kind of just evaporate. I hoped to never see her or anyone that knew her or was close to her again. But then...the bitch had to die. And I had to be there for Will. Even though when it happened I didn't really know him that well, I knew what his sisters influence could do to those close to her.

I couldn't tell him the truth. I still can't. If he knew the truth about his sister it would probably break him. But his persistence is really taking a toll on me. I mean being preggers is one thing but all of the bad stuff coming back from out of the closet has been fucking me up a tad.

"So where to babe?" Leo asks.

I remain silent and when he looks over at me I shrug.

"I kind of just wanna get away." I say quietly.

He sighs and pulls over the car. I look over at him curiously, and when I meet his eyes he looks back at me intently.

"You're running again..." He says, but it comes out as an almost sigh.

I shrug again.

"You're right. Atleast i'll admit it. Harmony is becoming too much for me and i've already got a lot on my plate."

Leo raises an eyebrow at me.

"Harmony...or Will?"

My mouth turns down into a frown.

"Both. Will is asking too many questions about my dirty laundry, and i'm not prepared to answer them."

"About..."

I nod my head and Leo nods in understanding.

"I see. Well why don't we go somewhere first, and then we can head straight to JFK. Yes?"

I smile and nod. He starts back up the car and veers to the right to get off onto the exit for New York City.

"Where exactly are we going Lee?" I ask, as I switch on the radio to some alternative rock.

"Ash invited me to this thing that Jasmine will be hosting, at this mall. You up for it?"

I frown.

"Babe...are you taking the right exit? There are no malls in the city..."

He rolls his eyes.

"That one that they were building near SoHo...do you not recall yourself saying, as we left the Louis Vuitton store that the fact that they were opening up a mall near there was a horrible idea, and pretty damn cheap too?"

I smile and nod at the memory.

"Yeah, 'cause it is. The city is filled with stores as it is. The fun part is having them scattered all around, and not just in one big confined place. Malls are so over rated."

Leo laughs out loud.

"This is why I love you. I guarantee that you could go on for hours as to why malls are so horrid."

I nod briskly, my curly hair bouncing around my head. When he continues I roll my eyes and turn to the window, only this time with a smile.

Noah Breton:


Friday:

I opened the door to the apartment I was living in with my mom, and the brisk Connecticut air hit me with a blast of cold that made me stagger back. New York was cold, but not this cold. Especially cause it was March. I braced myself and got ready to leave again when my mom piped up from the living room. "Have a good first day of school! Make lots of friends! I love you!"

I groaned and mumbled, "I'm not two years old mom."

"What?"

"I said I love you too," I lied. I closed the door and prepared for the first day of school. Well, my first day of school. And I had dressed like it to. I had my Knicks snap back on, facing backwards of course. My American eagle sweatshirt and jeans on, and my Melo M10's on. They were my babies. I got in my car and headed out towards the school, unaware of what awaited me.

After I reached the school and found a parking space, I found my way to the office. I went up to the lady behind the desk. "Uh, hello. My name is Noah Breton, and I'm new here."

She looked up, "Huh? Oh you're the new kid. Here's your schedule." The new kid. I could tell I was gonna be popular here. At that moment, a girl walked into the office because she was late. She had long black hair with gray stripes. She was tall too, and pretty. She gave the desk lady her excuse and turned to me.

"You're new aren't you? I've never seen you before," she said bluntly. I looked up at her and replied.

"Yeah, just moved here. Today is my first day." I put my fingers in the pocket of my sweatshirt and fiddled my thumbs.

"Oh. If you want I can show you to your classes." She said.

"Yeah ok. I'm Noah by the way." I smiled.

"Luna." And then we took off, heading towards my home room first. After a minute or two we reached it. "This is Ms. Pizzuto's room. Your home room. She's a bitch." I laughed.

"Ok thanks for the tip."

"Meet me here after this and I'll show you to your classes." She said.

"Sounds good." I walked into home room, and she went to hers. The remainder of the day went pretty routine. Luna would show me to my classes, make comments on which teachers were bitches and which weren't. In the classes, the same thing happened each time. I'd find a seat away from everyone, the teacher would ask who I was, I'd say I'm new, explain where I came from, and class would go on like I wasn't there. At the end of the day, I met up with Luna one more time.

"Hey Noah, I know this is gonna sound strange, but there's this big contest in New York tomorrow. If you wanted to go I'd go with you. I know what it's like being new, and it's better if you've got a friend. So what do you say?"

"Yeah, sounds like a plan," I said. She gave me her address and told me to meet her at 2 P.M. I nodded and pushed the doors open and headed home.

I was ready to go to sleep right after school, but I had to go for a run first. Had to keep in shape. I laughed. If my friend Chandler in New York saw me right now he'd say I worked too hard. Oh well. I changed into my running gear, making sure to put on an extra layer and headed out into the cold. Without knowing where I was going, I just left. I tried to stay in a straight line, so I wouldn't get lost. After 20 minutes or so, I found myself in the park. There were couples walking and kids playing all over. It was quite beautiful. I was so caught up I didn't see the person in front of me stop. By the time I realized it, I had no choice but to spin around them, sliding on the ice, right into a girl. I collapsed to the ground, as did she. I swore.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry," I said. I quickly stood up and grabbed her hand and pulled her up, slipping as I did. She laughed and helped me up that time. I got a good look at her and my stomach went into my throat. She was beautiful.

"It's fine. I'm Harley, but people call me Mae. I don't think I've seen you before. Did you just move here?" I looked up into her eyes and back at the ground.

"Uh.. Yeah. I just moved here. I'm, I'm," I froze for a second. "I'm Noah."

"Nice to meet you Noah. You know, I'm pretty new around here too. Maybe I'll see you around sometime."

"Yeah, probably," I said. I could tell my face was getting red. I turned away. "I gotta run, peace," and I turned and jogged away. Peace? Really? And what was up with that stutter? Jesus you're pathetic, I thought to myself. I wanted to punch something but I didn't. Instead, I went home, changed into my pajamas, ate, and went to sleep at 7:00.


Saturday:

The birds were chirping and the sun was shining Saturday morning. Which woke me up. Jesus, calm it nature, I thought. I looked at my clock. 11:00. So maybe it wasn't so morning anymore, more like close afternoon. It didn't matter. It was too late for breakfast but too early for lunch. That time. I quickly changed out of my pajamas, and told my mom my plans for the day. I'd play basketball for a bit, stop for lunch, and go to this contest with Luna.

"Sounds good honey, but no sex."

"Jesus mom, I just met her! We're just friends!" I snapped. She was way too overprotective.

"Ok honey. Have a good time." I sighed and grabbed my basketball and headed out. I hopped in my car, a green Volkswagen jetta with a turbo, man she purred, and drove around until I found the courts. Whenever I got depresses or pissed, basketball had a way of calming me down. I had to focus on the sport, which took my mind off of whatever pissed me off. I'd been playing a lot recently, not just because it was basketball season. I walked into the building and found my own hoop. I started shooting around, just for the fun of it. A blonde guy who looked pretty athletic came over and started shooting. I approached him.

"Hey man, wanna play a game?" I asked. He turned and looked at me.

"Sure, I'm Will." He said with a smile.

"Noah." And we started playing. He was good, but I was too. We played for a half hour or so, before his phone rang. He ran over and answered it, and I kept shooting, but I watched him too. He got nervous at one point, before hanging up.

"Sorry Noah, I gotta run. Good game though!" He said as he took off. Hmm, maybe I could be friends with him. He seemed pretty cool. Then I checked my watch. 1:15. shit, I was supposed to meet Luna at 2. I guess I was lucky he got called. I grabbed my stuff and headed home. I took a quick shower, changed into clean clothes, and headed out. I struggled to find Luna's house, but eventually I did. I revved my engine once before I got out of the car, to let her know I was here. She came outside, and turned on her car, a mustang. Damn. I parked and got out, as she yelled out to me.

"Get in loser. Were going shopping!" A quote straight out of mean girls. And yes, I'd seen mean girls. Judge me. I laughed and got in the car, and we took off.

Jane Wills

Just in time.

Just
In
Time

My mind was not capable of all that was going on. Of course I was excited to see Emm after Will's call... but I knew that things would drift off course. Oliver knew. Even Lena knew. And, well, Will knew as well. Just Emmett didn't.

My phone rang and I read the caller ID. It was Chandler. I couldn't not answer his call. He was, my boyfriend after all. Gosh, that was hard to say. So, as the lady I was, I excused myself from the table, proclaiming that my mother had an emergency. I walked over to the bathroom and locked myself inside, taking a very deep breaths before answering the call.

Looking at myself in the mirror was something I really did not want to do. That would show the liar and bitch I am of a person. But the mirror was there and I looked. My face was pale. It was sick. I had my hand gripped around the phone, at my ear. Chandler was speaking but I wasn't listening. All I could think of was how I told Emmett I loved him.

The first time. The first time I told him was during Will's coma. We were on this date, sorta. He took me away from home to escape my father, he was trying to manipulate my family to have us believe he was not a cheating, lying bastard. So, Emmett came to the rescue. We were in his car, driving to wherever and I was just looking at him for a while.

I thought about how I got this lucky to have someone like him. He cared about me, worried about me. He made me feel safe and loved.

So, I told him. In the middle of silence and 'Come On Eileen' on the radio. He stopped the car and looked at me with both surprise and happiness written on his face. He said it back and my heart melted.

"Aye, Janey, you listenin'?" Chandler yelled through the phone.

Shaking my head, I started to clear my throat.

"Sorry, I... I'm sorta not able to talk..." he cut me off.

"Oh, then why'd you answer?" I don't know if he was being considerate or not. His tone of voice was way confusing.

"Listen, Chandler... I'm sorry I wasn't listening to you right now. I'm at Emmett's and..." I trailed off because he sighed.

"That's fine, it's okay," It's like he gave up or something, which made me feel broken suddenly. "He's... he needs you and you obviously need to be there for him. Your mind is somewhere else. I just thought, as your guy I could spread the great news that I got accepted into Harvard..."

This was great news and I'm not surprised he shared it with me. I am his girlfriend and it sucks that he suffers from me.

"Oh God. That's amazing!" I cheered.

"You don't have to pretend..." he sighed.

"No, I'm serious! Oh my, I'm so sorry I'm such a wreck. I'm so happy for you! Let's celebrate!"

"You need to stay with Emmett."

Wait, he got into... Harvard? Are you kidding me? That's where Emmett's wanted to go all his life. And now Chandler has it? Am I dating like, a guy that's similar to Emm? Is it possible of me to torture myself in this way?

"No, I'll come by your apartment in an hour." and I hung up.

I left the bathroom and went into the kitchen, seeing my friends chatting up each other like a storm. Lena, Will, Emm, and Oliver were laughing hysterically and I wanted to know why. But, the thing was, it was time for my departure.

"Hey guys," I said and they all tried to calm down.

"Hey Jane, how's your mom?" Will asked.

"Oh," I paused. "Great. I just need to help her with something. Sorry." I looked at Emmett. "I gotta go, maybe I'll see y'all later?"

I felt so guilty, it scared me. But, what could I do? I loved Emmett, but he wasn't him.

I want Emmett back. Please regain your memory.

Oliver Hemingway

Seeing Emmett again was alright. He looked lost, confused, agitated, and a little stressed. When Jane excused herself from the table, I knew better than to believe her. She may love Emmett but she likes Chandler. He's her boyfriend. So that call must have come from him. Jane would be too stupid to admit it.

Even though I should be focused on helping Emmett, all I could think about was Kristin. She came back into my life and completely terrorized my brain. Lacey was a great girl, I actually could say that I was to the brink of loving her. But Kristin always took that opportunity away. She happened to always be the one for me.

And that kinda sucks because she doesn't want me anymore.

I don't blame her either. I mean, we broke up and all, but she's still hurt, I'm still hurt. We are toxic to each other.

"Is her mom okay? Is there something she's not telling me to not hurt me? Is her mom sick? Cancer? Something?" Emmett got into a worry attack once Jane left the house.

"Whoa, Emmett... no." Will replied.

Emmett leaned back in his chair, running his hands down his face. He would be worried about her mother. Though, he could suspect something behind her words. I wouldn't be surprised if he started to remember her again. So then that'd mean, he knew she was lying.

"She said she needed to help her mom with something, not to give her meds. Emmett, you're over reacting." Will added.

"Right, right..." Emmett huffed through his hands.

Then, he let them fall back into his lap as he looked at the three of us. Lena happened to be SMS-ing someone, I could see her phone in her hand. And Will was just pacing through the kitchen as Will would.

"Emmett?" I asked.

He looked over at me, surprise lining his eyes.

"Do you remember anything? At all?"

Taylor James

Oh, buddy, don't screw me over now.

I don't know how a girl like Kristen, who doesn't seem like she's even from around here, would know my friend Emmett. Nerdy, hardy sociable Emmett... the chances are so low, right?

"Emmett Lopez. He's king of the classics crusade." I use present tense, even though I don't know how much someone's musical tastes change after being in a coma. "I never appreciated the classics until he showed me the better path. Do you know him, or, like, something?"

She's quiet. The past few hours have been so perfect. I've never met a girl with such extensive tastes that's as openly passionate about them as Kristen. She clears her throat. "I... um, I'm friends with Jane. His girlfriend?" She looks to me to confirm this fact.

I shrug. "Complicated." I honestly had better things to worry about. Emmett, priority. His odd girlfriend? Not so much.

"We've met a few times. We've been talking for so long, and I didn't realize we had connections!" She laughs, but it sounds weird and off to me. "I heard about his accident, though. That's really terrible."

Relief fills me, however brief and shallow.

"I'm trying to be the best I can for him, but it's really hard to help a guy with such gaps in his memory. Things are coming back for him, though. Slowly, but they are. I'm sure he'd remember you," I say, kindly, "I mean, you're hard to forget."

She smiles, and it is really beautiful. "You're sweet, Taylor, but there are slightly more important memories than me." She checks her phone. "I should probably go."

"Can I have that?" I ask, pointing at her phone.

"What?"

"I mean, your number. I'd really like to talk to you again. How often is it that I meet a girl with such great taste in music?"

I hand her my phone, and she plugs it in for me. "I do have other attributes, you know."

I consider my next words carefully, fixing my hair under my hat. "You do, of course. Just, for the sake of my sanity, I try not to think of those."

Like a good flirt, she winks at me. We sneak past the staff, who have probably gotten annoyed that we've been here so long. In my van, she listens and sings with the music until I have to drop her back off. I just sit in my car as she prepares to get out. I wonder if I'll even get to see her again? Maybe I should just make a move? I mean, when is the next time I'm going to get a shot with a girl like that?

She's out of my car. "Kristen?"

"Yeah?" One last turn around.

I don't know anything about her, besides that she once knew Emmett and is friends with Jane. She's secretive and beautiful and I may be cute but 'cute' gets you places only on YouTube.

She's got a hell of a great taste in music, though.

"Call me? I'd be happy to play for you, you know. I'm watching that talent show tomorrow, if you want to come over and watch it with me."

"The one in New York City, hosted by Bradley?"

"Yeah, why?"

She just gives me her mysterious little smile.

I'm screwed.

Lacey Lopez

I just play.

I've really missed this whole 'letting go' thing. I don't think of Oliver, or Emmett, Ace, or Hakan, or anyone else. I am so selfish, so selfish in the movement of my bow across the strings, claiming all the nose in the room just for me.

I've spent the past hour checking my various social media feeds. Will is in a relationship with this cute, simple-looking girl. Jane's tumblr is ripe with her emotional dilemmas; she talks a lot about a boy, but now there's two. Both of them cannot be my brother. Taylor's made a new video, a cover we made of Let it Go that I absolutely loved.

All their short-winded elations are too much for me now. I need some time to get myself uncovered, unburied from the pile I put myself under after Hakan. I don't play anything in particular, just notes and rhythms that sounds beautiful just to myself.

My phone dings, meaning I have a new text. I try to ignore it. I listen to myself, listen to Roommate Gwen and a few other girls setting up for a party of 'Nerdtastic Proportions' in the Girl's Lobby a few rooms over. I can't concentrate anymore.

I'm in town.

It's from Oliver. That's all it says. I text back;

Okay, me too. not really the right one, though.

I satisfy myself. I think not of my English class or my Math homework. That's a beautiful part about me; I'm learning not to need anyone.

I play.

Emmett


"Do you remember anything? At all?" Oliver asks.

My hands still are red, red and sweaty and nervous. Something is wrong. The storm is rising again, swirling in the pit of my stomach. Something wasn't right. I just don't know what.

I'm so tired of not knowing what.

"It's not like my whole life is just a blank. The past few months are the worst."

He's looking down at his hands, so his face is impossible to read. That's probably a good thing, actually. My stomach is churning, and my hands feel all burnt again. Something is wrong. A disturbance, again, in the universe.

" I meant about her."

"Oh." Blush creeps up my cheeks; he might know more than I do. "I remember that she wasn't in a good place when we started dating. I had to chase her down, practically. I remember kissing her and getting to know her a bit. She loves art. And coffee. She really, really loves coffee. It's just... there's something I should remember." My head hurts trying to think, trying to remember. I look between the two of them, Will and Oliver. They've been so good to me, so why do I have a grudge against them? "We were angry with each other. She kissed one of you, didn't she? We were mad, so mad, and..."

My head hurts so bad, a head splitting headache. It hurts, but I can remember foggy memories.

"Hold up, mate." Oliver says. "Calm down." He starts telling me a story about Lacey in London, and what a crazy tourist moment she had in the Hogwarts museum. I laugh a little bit, but when Jane comes in all I can do is look at her. Look at her and try not to think.

Will asks how her mom is.

"Okay." Jane replies.

She's lying. I know it for a fact know, I can see it in her eyes.

I know her.

Why hasn't she been around?

"Do you need to go?" I ask. "I was hoping, since you haven't been around lately, that you could stay. I've really missed the company."

There it is, fluttering across her face. Guilt. My heart is beating fast. I could uncover whatever it is she is hiding, or I could let my love be filled for a few minutes. I tuck it under my belt. I remember it for later.

"I can spare a little time."

Oliver smiles, thumps me on the back, but whispers in my ear. "You broke up with her. You love each other, but it's rough."

"Isn't it always?"

Jane Wills

Emmett wasn't stupid. He may have lost his memory but he wasn't stupid. He knew I was lying through my teeth. It sucked. I wanted him back, and I had that little of him that knew my bad side. Not only that, I could tell he might remember something bad that happened between us, meaning why he remembered the bad part of me.

Chandler was waiting and I couldn't sit here. He was my boyfriend now and I couldn't dump him just because I needed to help Emmett. No matter how much I loved him.

"Look, I really gotta go... my mom, she can't wait..." I sighed, looking at my phone.

The room felt like it shifted as I rose my head to look at everyone else at the table. Lena was the one who I caught first. She had this look on her face that told me she knew I was lying and that I should stop. Oliver was just looking out the window and Will was texting, probably Harley. I didn't even look at Emmett.

So, no replies came, I stood up and straightened my dress so it wouldn't be wrinkled from the back. I looked at them for a moment and felt the guilt rise in me, they weren't looking. I swallowed hard and turned away.

***

"Jane, you should meet my good friend." Chandler said with an excited look.

I smiled up at him, pretending I was okay. He was extremely proud of himself. It was his day and I wasn't going to ruin it.

"Okay," I replied.

A guy walked into his bedroom. He was tall, blonde, and looked fit. Not my type, but hey, he was Chandler's friend. He put on a big smile and pulled something out of him pocket, throwing it to Chandler. It was a small baggy that looked to have white powder in it. Before I could collect my thoughts, Chandler stuffed it in his back pocket.

"Noah, Jane," Chandler said.

Noah walked over and shook my hand. I smiled back. Chandler had this party going on today, so soon the people will start to gather at this warehouse he had rented just near Harmony, or what they call it here, The Burbs. That's where we were headed.

***

The party was a racket and I couldn't get the baggy out of my head. It was strange. Was he taking drugs? For real? My boyfriend was a druggie? That's just not okay. It doesn't even work.

I was standing by the bar with a beer in my hand. It was cold and persperated so my hand was all covered with water. I placed it on the bar behind me and sighed, looking at the people dancing in the center of the warehouse. I called up Kristin for her to come, but it was a voice mail, so who knows if she even heard it yet.

"Hey, Jane, can we talk?" a guy said next to me.

Looking over, I caught sight of Noah. He looked concerned and just scanned the room every other second. Something fishy was going on. I just nodded, believing he wouldn't do anything bad.

He took me to the corner of the warehouse and stood in front of me, blocking my path of escape. I shivered, looking at him. I just met him, so trusting him is not at the top of my list. But, it would seem that he's a good guy... so he shouldn't do anything bad, I presume.

"I know you saw the drugs, I would be surprised if you didn't. But I want you to know I didn't buy them, they aren't mine. They aren't Chandlers' either." he said at a hushed tone.

"Then why'd you have it?"

He ran his hand through his hair. "Chandler is a drug dealer, he keeps some of his stash at my place and I am trying to give it all back. I do not want to be part of that business. So, one day at a time, I tell him those drugs are from a higher dealer. He forgets that he hid them in the first place." he explained.

My mind was racing. Chandler... drugs...? He was such... Oliver? Does he know?

"Why is he doing this?" I asked, my voice was weak.

"I don't know Jane, he's my best friend... and I can't help him. Maybe you can?"

"Um, no, no, no, no... I can't be in that. I can't..." I couldn't breathe.

I pushed past him and ran through the warehouse, trying to find the exit. When I did, I slipped out through the door and stood in the silent outdoors. The music hummed behind me as I stared up into the sky. The stars were twinkling. And I was breathing.

"Jane! I just heard your message, I came as soon as I could. This place looks... Jane?" it was Kristin, she was excited then her tone got down.

I kept staring up as I felt her run her hands down my bare arms. She moved my head so I'd look at her. Her expression made me want to cry, she was worried. I stood emotionless and motionless.

"Jane, babe, what's going on?" her voice was delicate.