I Remember

Today is my sixteenth birthday.

*Did everyone forget?*

My birthday was one of the few things I looked forward to every year, but it was understandable if no one remembered. After all, why would anyone care about a birthday other than their own?

*But come on, man! It's sixteen! I can legally drive now!*

It wasn't really a big deal, since I had been riding dirt bikes and four wheelers all my life, but sixteen was still a milestone worthy of mentioning.

Despite this, nobody could be seen. The house was empty, so only a couple of stray cats and the neighbors' farm animals were the only thing that could keep me company.

I ruefully sighed, thinking about whether or not even one person remembered me.

Bored and lonely, I decided to start up my dirt bike and go take a look at the Svensens' new foal.

Even though the Svensens were a only a few houses down, it still took a full minute on my bike through the grass fields to reach them.

As I approached their yard, a couple horses galloped towards the sound of my bike. They were well conditioned at this point to come towards me whenever they heard the engine.

*They seem to really like me... Still, at least they still do.*

Especially nowadays when hardly anyone seemed to give me any attention, the affection from the horses was something I couldn't really function without.

I shut down my bike next to the wire fence and hopped over, although it was more similar to climbing over.

"Hey, Ginger. Hey, Aussie."

With an excited snort, the horses nuzzled their snouts against my face with quite a bit of force, nearly knocking my over.

"Whoa, there! Easy, girl."

The female horse was light brown in color with various white spots, hence the name "Ginger".

Aussie, in the other hand, sported a jet-black coat. I had no idea where his name originated.

*The baby must be in the barn, then.*

Although it had only been born less than a week ago, it was already getting around fine.

*Many had told me that a baby horse only needs a couple hours before it can start walking, but I didn't really believe it...*

Indeed, it seemed surreal, but it made sense. They had four legs, after all, so walking should be twice as easy for them at the very least.

*I wonder what the baby's name is?*

I had never asked, even though I had seen it a few times before. The Svensens never seemed to be amiable enough to approach.

Incidentally, the only reason I knew these two horses names was due to Arnie, the man of their house, calling to them.

*When am I ever going to find out, I wonder?*

I was about to head over to the barn when my phone made a noise that I rarely heard; a text message notification!

This sound made me forget everything I was contemplating. My heartbeat involuntarily rose as well.

*Someone... remembers me? Wait, calm down...*

I guess it really was possible that someone remembered me, although the chances were slim.

*But who could it be?*

My dad? That would be impossible; he's too aloof.

My mom... isn't even alive.

My brother? Unlikely. He's way out of my league.

My best friend Cody? Doubt it, he can hardly remember a thing.

*Stop wondering and look already!*

"Sorry, guys. I'm gonna have to go..."

The horses whines as if they understood my sentiment.

*Looks like the baby horse is gonna have to wait.*

Even though I was excited to see him, my personal life took higher priority. I hopped back over the fence, braced myself, and took a look at my phone. I apprehensively opened my messages. I was so nervous that my hands were even trembling. I looked down to read...

*"Free text message from your service provider. Are you looking for another service plan that's right for your family? We are launching..."*

*Ah...*

My heart sank. I slowly pocketed my phone and stared at the ground.

*I knew I shouldn't have expected too much...*

It was indeed too much to ask for.

-Ding!-

Another text message sound played from my phone.

*I'll take a look at it later...*

I was mentally exhausted. I knew I shouldn't have set my expectations too high; I was seriously depressed after that event.

*If I hadn't gotten my mood up, I wouldn't have taken the fall...*

-Ding!-

*Another one?*

This time, I had to check. There was only one person who would text me something with multiple messages like this.

I hurriedly checked my messages again to find exactly who I was expecting.

*Cody remembered? Maybe he's a better friend than I thought.*

He was already the best friend I could ever ask for, but his spastic nature was difficult to deal with at times, especially when it came to having to remember things.

*I can't believe the guy remembered...*

I felt my eyes water, and I wiped them as quickly as I could. I had yet to read the contents of the message.

After calming myself down, I opened it.

*"Hey Jack! Come to the Mexican restaurant"*

I hit the "next" button to see what else he had to say.

*"In the city"*

*... Doofus, I already know where it is. When am I supposed to be there, though?*

Just as I was about to respond, he sent me another SMS.

*"At 6"*

I involuntarily cracked a smile at this sequence of messages. It felt so good when someone else remembered your birthday, especially if it was an airhead.

Just as I was about to slide my phone down to lock it, he sent me yet another message.

"*PM!!!!!*"

After reading that, I burst out laughing. How could I not? This was the first time something like this had happened to me. I was over the moon.

I hastily responded to his message with a brief "OK!" and strapped on my helmet to go on another joyride.

——

The city was roughly a five minute drive via bike.

Although Cody had referred to to our meeting place as a city, reality couldn't be more different. A town central with few buildings was all it really was. In fact, said town was so unpopular that our biggest attraction was a gas station and "corner store" for passers by; most people driving through here were just on their way to bigger cities, or maybe even Canada. Of course, this means the sheriff is often on the lookout for speedsters, whose tickets are a good source of money for the town, so he most likely wouldn't have any time to deal with my antics.

However, just to be safe, I parked my bike in a ditch where it would be tough to spot, then walked the remaining distance on foot. Obviously, since I was walking, I couldn't have been driving any vehicles on the road illegally, right?

Unfortunately, as I was walking, I noticed a white sedan parked perpendicular to the road at the perimeter of the town.

*Oh shit... It's alright, just act natural. That should work.*

This sedan was none other than Officer Herald's undercover vehicle. Of course, he was armed with a radar gun to catch those who were unsuspecting.

*I'm not speeding! I'm going perfectly under the speed limit! Nothing to see here!*

If there were another spectator present, this situation would appear comical. Since there was not much to observe, the only thing out of the ordinary would be me walking down the side of the road.

*Guess there really isn't anything to see here. Except for me...*

I let out a long sigh and approached the sedan.

"Hey there, Jackson," Herald called out to me.

"Hello, Officer."

"What're you up to all alone out here?"

"Uh..."

"Can't have a good kid like you wanderin' out here by yourself, now, can we?"

"Well, Cody invited me down to Sancho's for my birthday-"

"It was your birthday, now, was it? Well happy birthday, kid. Don't have too much fun down there, alright? I'll leave your bike alone for today."

I winced at that statement.

"Alright. Thank you, Officer."

*He knew? I guess it is a bit suspicious...*

I was walking all alone. No one to drop me off, and no one accompanying me. The only ways I could have arrived was either my bike or walking for over half an hour.

*But he doesn't have proof. I hid my bike!*

He most likely wouldn't be able to take action unless I showed off my bike directly in front of him.

*Ah, well. What am I thinking about? Let's get down to Sancho's!*

Today wasn't the day to have my mood dampened. I ran towards Sancho's, the Mexican restaurant.

As I was about to enter, I noticed was that the parking lot was sparsely populated. Sancho's was a popular restaurant; their food was top-notch. It was nearly dinnertime, yet there was hardly anyone here today.

*Most likely an off-day.*

Not every business day was super-profitable. Not thinking much about it, I opened the door at 18:00 sharp.

"Bienvenidas!"

A female voice greeted me as I entered.

"Oh. Hey there, Elena."

Standing in the reception area was a very attractive Mexican girl who was around my age. In fact, I might've even had a crush on her if it wasn't for someone else...

Elena Panza was the daughter of Sancho, the owner of the restaurant. Of course, Sancho Panza wasn't his real name. No one really knew his real name.

"Oh! Hello there, Jackson. You know what? Cody and, uh... Walter just walked in a few minutes ago! You should be able to find them, so just head on in."

"Walter's here?"

"He is! I was surprised, too. I didn't think you guys were very close! But he might not even be the most surprising visitor tonight..."

*Who could be more surprising than Walter?*

My normally aloof brother was going to participate in my birthday celebration. He was a nice guy, but I never really seemed to be in touch with him, although it could be because he was often out of town... I was grateful.

"I see, thank you."

On Elena's cue, I went to go seat myself.

The seating area was well-decorated. The aesthetic of white, red, green, and gold all seemed to complement each other well. Of course, since this was Sancho's, there were a few Don Quixote themed decorations as well. The most iconic one had to be the white windmill in the corner, as well as a toy lance leaning against it.

I scanned the sparse crowd for any trace of Cody and Walter. Instead, I found a couple of foreign customers and a few familiar faces. At this, I became skeptical.

*Is this an elaborate prank? Unless..!*

They weren't among the normal crowd which meant there were two options. This was either a prank, or...

*They're in the reserved room? Uh... Let me message Cody just in case...*

"*I'm here, where are you? This better not be a prank.*"

Cody was definitely the type to pull off a prank, but one of this caliber was perhaps a bit much. If it really were a prank, our friendship would definitely take a hit.

Fortunately, I immediately received a response.

"*Secret door on the left!*"

*So they really did reserve it.*

The entrance to the reserved room was on the left side of the seating area. It wasn't really a big secret, but ever since we were little, we called it the "secret door" since we weren't allowed to even touch it.

*It's gonna be the first time I'm opening the secret door... This is already my second favorite birthday party.*

Just the thought of it excited me. What secrets would I uncover?

*Haha... it's just a VIP room. There's not really a secret behind it...*

This is what the logical part of my brain told me, but I couldn't shake the thought. After all, the "secret door" was ingrained into my mind for as long as I can remember. Because of this, I paused for a while before touching the door.

*This is baloney. Just open the damn door!*

I braced myself. I shut my eyes, rapidly turned the handle, and threw the door open.

What I immediately saw when I opened my eyes, was... an ordinary room.

*Ah...*

I couldn't lie to myself. I was disappointed. But the events to follow would wash away my disappointment in a flash.

-Pop!- -Pop!- -Pop!-

"""Happy birthday, Jackson!"""

Three consecutive confetti poppers going off, as well as three voices congratulating me for surviving another year.

"Ah..." I couldn't say anything. I was feeling too many emotions at once. Unable to respond, I looked at the floor, tears welling in my eyes.

What was this feeling? Was I happy that a surprise party was thrown for me? Sad because something like this had never happened to me? I wasn't sure, but I knew for a fact that I was grateful to be here.

I looked up to see a guy my age with long dirty blonde hair and a worn-down baseball cap. In fact, all of his t-shirt and jeans seemed to be worn-down as well. Despite the worn-down appearance, his personality couldn't be any less so. He gave me a bright smile.

I had to muster a response. This was definitely an event I would remember for the rest of my life.

"Thanks, Cody..."

"Hey, now," Cody said. "Why don't you thank the other two here as well?"

"Thanks, Walter."

"Congrats, Jackie."

Who knows what he sacrificed to be here. He was here just to celebrate the fact that I was a year older. Compared to Ian, my oldest brother, Walter was a saint. I honestly couldn't ask for any more, but when I saw the third person, my heart felt like it nearly stopped, yet it was beating faster. My breathing quickened, and I started to feel lightheaded.

"Uh...?"

She had blonde hair and white skin with a healthy tan. Her eyes were a bright blue that seemed to pierce whatever they were looking at. Numerous brown freckles dotted her entire body, and she was as fit as a fiddle. She was wearing a simple yet clean white dress that didn't reveal much, but it didn't need to for me to find her the most attractive girl in the world.

*Jessica Storm? Why is she..? How did they even get her here?*

Jessica Storm. A girl way out of my league. She was smart in school and a good athlete to boot. She was an extrovert, so she had nearly infinitely times the amount of friends I did, and it was probable that almost every boy, including me, had a crush on her.

"Aren't you going to thank me, too, Jack?"

*Ah, she called me Jack..?*

We weren't even close with each other, yet she had already called me by my nickname... To be fair, though, Jack wasn't all that different from Jackson. It was just that there was hardly anyone who would refer to me by that name, Cody and Walter being two of them.

My face started to feel hot. It wouldn't be surprising if I was turning beet red.

*I can't face her...*

I immediately averted my gaze. At this, all three of them started to laugh.

"Come on, what's there to be scared of? It's just me," she exclaimed in mock anger.

*Ugh... I have to...*

How many times today had my emotions been over-stimulated? I was nearing my limit, but I couldn't appear weak before her.

I mustered up my courage and turned my head to look at her once again.

"Thanks Jess..."

"Huh?"

"Ah! Jessica. Thank you."

At this, I wanted to run away and hide. I called her by a nickname just as she had done with me. When it slipped out of my mouth, I hadn't thought much of it, but after her questioning look, I knew what I had done...

"Sorry! It was just a slip of the tongue-"

I tried to apologize to her, but...

"It's fine..."

"Huh?"

It was my turn to be confused.

"I said it's alright. Let it go, okay?"

She brushed it off like it was nothing. I was bewildered at first, but after giving the matter some thought, it seemed reasonable. Jessica was never the high-and-mighty type. She was amiable, charismatic, and a very down-to-earth person. She wouldn't get upset over something so petty. Deep inside, I was still embarrassed, but I had no choice but to let the matter go.

"Alright, enough squabbling. Here. Let's cut the cake."

Walter interjected to smooth the tense atmosphere, and since it shifted my attention to the cake, it seemingly worked.

*Ooh... Cake...*

It wasn't a fancy cake by any means. In fact, it was rather plain. So plain, in fact, that most would even call it boring. It was small, perhaps its radius was the same as my palm's length. It was shaped like a normal cake. It was covered in white frosting and whipped cream, and the inside was most likely white as well. The small, all-white cake had a singular blue candle on top.

*This is quite a humble birthday party, but it's my favorite one by far.*

As I was about to start drooling over the cake, the three of them started to sing.

"""Happy birthday to you..."""

Cody's singing was awful. Walter's was more dignified. And of course, Jessica's stood out to me the most.

*She's even pretty good at singing, huh...*

"""Happy birthday, dear Jackson! Happy birthday to you!"""

Three people's clapping concluded the song.

"Alright, Jack! Blow it out! Obviously, you need to make a wish or you'll die early!"

I rolled my eyes at Cody's ludicrous statement.

*But... a wish... hmm... Well. I know exactly what I want.*

As I thought of Jessica, I blew out the candle.

Suddenly, the world went black.

*No, wait...*

Even though I knew I was still in the room with the lights on, my mind seemingly transferred out of my body.

*No, not that either... What's going on?*

My mind felt like it was being assaulted by memories of an unknown past. A foreign depression, joy, and pain all flooded into me simultaneously.

*Seriously! What's going on!*

I wanted to scream, but I couldn't. I wanted to laugh, but I couldn't.

*What is this!?*

It was as if someone was injecting another's memories straight into me.

*Wait a minute...*

But was it really someone else's memories?

I knew these people. Jessica, Cody, Walter, Ian. Arnie, Elena, Herald, and Sancho. None of these people were strangers. In fact, none of these memories seemed strange at all. As more and more memories were set into my mind, the less strange they felt. And suddenly, I knew.

*These are my memories.*

Suddenly, I remembered.