Anna walked down the hallway of her school, hoping to see Scott. She'd called him severally, it always went straight to voicemail and also she had gone to his place yesterday but he wasn't there, she was hoping to see him in school. Luck was on her side as she had sighted him talking to a group of people. She decided to call his phone. She watched him take out his phone and glance at the screen, and she also saw that he had ignored her call.

   Why on earth would he do that? Anna questioned herself. As soon as she noticed  Scott was about leaving, she ran up to meet him.

     "Scott! Scott!!" Anna yelled out his name, trying to make him stop and turn around before he could leave.

   Scott turned around. The look on his face said that he wasn't expecting to see her. "Oh, Anna?"

     "I've been trying to reach you, you haven't been picking my calls or replying my texts." Anna stated.

    He avoided her eyes, like he was nervous. "Sorry, been busy lately." He told her.

    "Okay... When can we talk? I was hoping I could talk to you." Anna gazed at him. She suddenly remembered Friday night.

    "Cool but look, I gotta go." He told her, turning to leave.

    "When can we talk?" Anna asked. Something seemed off about him, but she didn't press on.

     "I'll text you." He said walking away.

"Okay." Anna nodded while watching him leave.

      Anna waited for his text all day but she didn't see any. The next day, it was too obvious he was avoiding her, because even during chemistry which they always sit together, Anna noticed that he got a new seat partner.

     "I never got your text." It was the first sentence Anna said as soon as she caught up with Scott when the teacher dismissed them.

     Scott gaped at her.... "I've got another class right now and —"

     Anna sat beside him. "You don't think I know that?" She sighed deeply. "About last Friday we—"

    "It was my mistake." He said quickly, cutting her off. "It shouldn't have happened, I blame myself." Scott was uneasy.

     Anna parted her lips to speak but she couldn't find her voice.

    "Are we... Cool now?" Scott asked her.

   Anna swallowed. She wasn't expecting that from him. He sounded so care free about it, like it didn't matter. She gave him her virginity and now he was acting like nothing happened? They were friends for goodness sake!

    "What happened happened, let's not make it a big deal. Let's forget about it." Scott stood up. "I have to go. We're okay, right?"

     Anna was staring at the table, she could not believe what he was saying. Not a big deal? Forget about it? She didn't need to be told, Scott was regretting what happened. How could she be so stupid?!

     "Anna are you listening?" Scott frowned at her.

     "Ye-eah." She stuttered, nodded slowly.

    "Okay, see you later." Scott walked out of the lab leaving only her.

     What was happening to Scott? This wasn't what she had thought would happen.

      "A-Anna." It was Garry, knocking on the entrance door to the lab.

  "Hey." Anna looked up at him. "Garry." She wasn't sure how to react.

     "Can I come in?" He asked, seeking permission.

    "Sure."

  Anna watched him take a seat beside her.

    "How have you been?" Garry asked, turning to her.

    "Fine." She nodded. "You?"

  "I'm okay." Garry sighed. "I know you'd be thinking why I am here, but, I just wanted to make things right."

     "It's fine." Anna didn't care about Garry anymore so it didn't make any difference if he apologized.

    "No it's not. You... You don't understand."

   "What's there not to understand? Garry, I don't care about anything from the past anymore." Anna shook her head, standing up.

    "I want to apologize for leading you on but believe me, I wanted something to happen between us." Garry said

    "Telling me this now won't make any difference, I'm over it now." Anna assured him.

    "Scott threatened me, like he threatened the others. He said if I didn't stay away from you, he would deal with me. He had cornered me one day after practice and he made me promise not to ever talk to you again." Garry revealed.

     Her face fell. "What?"

    "Haven't you ever wondered why you were untouchable? It was because of Scott. Scott had warned everyone not to get close to you. You had many admirers Anna, it's just no one had the balls to walk up to you, and when I did, he got to me. I was lucky to get away with only a broken nose." Garry said to her.

    Anna stared blankly at him. "That's not true. Scott would never do that." Anna frowned at the accusation. Her Scott would never do that.

     "I know you won't believe, but it's okay." Garry shook his head sadly.

    "And even if it were true, why tell me now?" Anna asked. She didn't want to believe it.

    "Like I said, I want to set things right. Honestly Anna, I was serious about you, I won't lie. What would I gain by lying? We're already leaving high school and it's 90 percent possible that we won't bump into each other in future." Garry stood up, facing her. "You're really beautiful Anna, always have been." He finally said before walking out.

     Would someone tell her the fuck was going on?! What was Garry talking about?

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      Anna would try to talk to Scott but his attitude towards her grew sour. She just wished they could talk about the issue. And just when she was fed up with his attitude and coldness, she decided to find out what's really going on with him.

    "Come in." The voice behind the door was loud enough for Anna to hear.

     She was at his house. She desperately needed to talk to him.

    "Anna?" Scott immediately stood up from his bed. He wasn't expecting her. "What are you... What are you doing here?" He was surprised.

    "I want you to stop with the hide and seek game you're playing because it's not funny anymore. What's happening to you Scott?" Anna walked over to him. She needed answers.

  Scott opened his mouth to say a word but he stopped.

    "Why don't you say something because I have a handful to say to you." Anna said to him.

    "Anna I'm really busy right now, could you come back some other time?" He asked him, hoping she would listen.

    "Busy doing what? What other excuse have you cooked up huh? Your aunt's birthday? family gathering? Weekend with the guys? Out of town?" Anna was slowly getting upset. "I know you're avoiding me okay? You don't do a good job hiding it." Anna glared at him.

     "Are you saying I'm lying?" He raised a brow. "Why would I avoid you?"

    "Why?" Anna scoffed. "I don't know...maybe we'll start with what happened between us a week ago, how about we start from there." The look on his face made her know that was his least favorite topic.

     "We're not going to talk about it. That's that." He said firmly. "Why can't you just let it go?"

    Anna ran her hand through her hair. "Let it go? I should let it go?! It's easy for you to say. Scott I gave you something so important to me, something I could never get back and you want me to let it go? I can't just let it go! I feel used. How can you not want to talk about it? You make it sound like I'm a cheap hooker." Anna was really frustrated.

    All she wanted was Scott to be a man and accept the fact that a deed has been done. They had sex. And also to assure her that the fact that they had gotten intimate with each other will not change their friendship. But Scott was making it look like he didn't care, he made it look normal.

   Scott showed a small sense of guilty but masked it up quickly with a glare.  "Anna I didn't do anything you didn't want."

     "You're a coward. You don't want to own up to what happened," Tears had already started falling down her cheeks. "Scott I did that because I thought—"

    "I was grieving, I was not thinking straight. You could have stopped me but you didn't. From the way I see it, you took advantage of me."

   "How... How can you say that?" Anna cried. He kept on hurting her feelings, she just couldn't take it.

    "Rochelle was right, you were only trying to snatch me away from her. She told me what you wrote in your diary." Scott said to her. Anna widened her eyes. "I know Anna. You like me... Yeah? So?"

   Anna shook her head.

    "Face it, what happened that night was a mistake. I regret." Scott said coldly. "It was just a one night stand, nothing more. It didn't mean anything to me."

    He rejected her. He insulted her. He spat on their friendship. Anna had had about enough of everything, never had she imagined that Scott would do this. She gave him everything!

    "I can't believe you'd say this to me." She sobbed uncontrollably. "What's wrong? Did I do something wrong, tell me please, I'll fix it. Why are you saying this to me?" Anna wanted him to hug her and say he was only joking.

     "Because Anna, this is the truth. That night changes everything."

    "It doesn't have to change Scott." Anna cried to him. She was willing to forget and forgive everything he'd said. "Yes it's my fault, I shouldn't have been so shameless and stupid. We could start over and we—"

    "I can't see you the same way. Just stop it, Stop bringing yourself low." Scott shook his head.

      Anna kept sobbing... "We're best friends, I know we could work it out. I can't think of life without you Scott, I... I... I.... Love you." Anna cried out to him but he remained unmoved.

    "Anna... If we didn't have this confrontation, you won't be feeling like this. You really need to go." He said to her.

   Anna's heart shattered in a millon pieces, nothing was going to fix it ever. "You never cared about our friendship." She suddenly became angry. "I even put up with that stupid bubblegum headed Rochelle because I wanted you happy! I was there when she broke your heart over and over again, now where does that leave me?! You're a self centered, selfish fucked up bastard! Wasted years of friendship." Anna broke off her friendship bracelet tossing it at Scott's feet. "Why don't you give it to Rochelle instead?!"

    Anna stormed out of the room, leaving Scott stunned. She needed to get out of the house before she suffocated. Scott Ontario was permanently blacklisted.

    Her phone rang... "Hello?" She picked up the unregistered number.

    Is this a good time?  The voice asked.

       "Who's this?" Anna asked.

    It is your aunt Syla.. Something happened to your mom. Get to the City hospital as soon as possible.

     Oh no.... Please God, please. Anna raced to her car. "I'm on my way."
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Anna turned the handle of the door, pushing it slowly. She saw her mom, laying on the hospital bed, breathing tube attached to mouth with IVs in both hands and other tubes that Anna couldn't recognize.

   She went over to the bed, taking Dina's hand into hers. "Mom..." Anna whispered quietly. "I'm here." Anna sniffled, quickly wiping a tear from a eyes.

     Someone pushed the door open. It was Syla. Tall, blonde-short bob, brown tiger eyes, slender. Syla was Dina's sister, half sister.

     "Aunt Syla." Anna turned to look at Syla. "What happened?"

    "I was with her when she just collapsed. Dina didn't tell me she was this sick? I thought it was a little fever." Syla said. She wasn't really showing any empathy.

    "What did the doctor say?" Anna asked her.

    "Stage 4 AVMs. She's not gonna make it through the night." Syla shook her head, sadly. "I'm really sorry Anna."

     Anna fell to the floor, sitting on her butt. Her tears started pouring a river. "That can't be true! She was getting better right?!" Anna hugged her knees. She knew this day was coming but it was too soon.

     "Anna I'm really sorry." Syla went closer to her. "I understand the pain you must be feeling." She consoled Anna the only way she could.

     "It's not fair! It's not fair!" Anna cried out, gripping her hair. "She can't leave me!!!" She screamed.

    Syla stooped down, placing a hand on Anna's shoulder. "Anna..."

    "Aunt." Anna hugged her tightly, crying on Syla's shoulder.

    "It'll be okay, it will be okay." Syla stroked her back.

      Today was forever going to leave a scar in her heart....

    "Mom..." Anna wept bitterly. Her mom was such a good person, she didn't deserve to die. "Mom..." Anna was in tears. She couldn't take it! Why?! Why?!

      That night, Anna stayed beside her mom, praying earnestly for her mother to get better. Unfortunately, while Anna fell asleep, her mom passed away. The doctor said it was due to heart failure.
................................................................................

     It's been two days since Dina's death. Anna sat in her room, she was dressed in a black dress, staring at her mom's photo. Her phone suddenly rang. It was Daniel Ontario.

      "Anna... Anna hey..." Daniel's voice came through. "I heard the news, are you okay?"
    

   "Do you want me to come over?" Daniel offered.

    "Thank you Daniel, but I want to be alone for now." Anna was depressed, she just wanted to be left alone.

    "I'm a call away. Whatever you need, please let me know. Accept my deepest condolences." Daniel spoke from his heart.
   
    "Thank you." Anna thanked him. "Um Daniel?" She wanted to ask about Scott. She hadn't heard from him since their fight two days ago.

     "Yes Anna?'
 
    "About... Scott, have you heard from him lately? I can't seem to get a hold of him." Anna said to him.

    "Scott? Didn't you know he's outta town?"

     "What? No." Anna frowned.

   "He left for Berkeley two days ago."

     "Oh. Is that so?" Anna nodded.

    "Wait, you haven't told him the news about your mom?"

     "I can't reach him on phone." Anna said exhaling.

  "He changed his number, do you have the new one?"

     "Scott changed his number? When... How.. I don't..." Anna stuttered, she was confused.

     "What's going on between you two? Did you two have a fight?" Daniel knew it was weird that Anna didn't know Scott's whereabouts.

     "It's a long story." Anna didn't have the mind telling Daniel the truth.

    "I'll text you his number. Call him as soon as I give it to you so that he can come back immediately."

    "Will do." She said.

  "Fix whatever problems you have, okay?" Daniel said calmly.

    "Okay. Thank you."

"It's nothing. Stay strong." With that, he hung up.

      Anna's thoughts weren't at ease, she needed a friend. Scott was supposed to be here with her. And he changed his number? For what?
🕸🕸🕸🕸

    Anna had finally cremated her mom's body and placed it in an urn. It was one of the saddest days of her life.

     "It's for the best..." Syla said walking out of Anna's room.

    Anna was just told she was leaving the country, to move in with Syla. She prolonged her stay a bit longer waiting for Scott to return even though she never had the courage to call him.

     If you're reading this then it means I'm gone. This is me saying goodbye, me forgetting you. If you still have even the littlest memories of our friendship, I'll wait for you at the airport for an hour, if you don't come then I know truly that everything is in the past.

                              Anna.

     Anna finally sent him the text, hoping he was going to see her. She remained hopeful, she believed he was going to show up.

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  How can I remember to forget by Sara Paxton.
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