The Importance of Memories

It was nearing the end of August now. The transition between summer to fall had made itself known. This had always been her favorite time of year. The distant clatter of plates could be heard now and then as she watched the rain pelt against the tinted window. Streets were nearly abandoned, seeing as the sky decided to open up and cry on the unsuspecting victims below. The leaves had begun to paint the trees vivid shades of red and orange. The air crisp as the season fell upon the small town. A dull pain thudded in her chest when she realized as to what the end of August brought. In a mere few days it would be his birth- "Are you even listening to me", an accusing voice spoke, ripping her from her thoughts.

Turning she made eye contact with brunette, now glaring at her, eyebrow raised. Her eyes widened, realizing she had zoned out for the third time since the two stumbled into the cafe for breakfast that morning.

"You have that distant look in your eyes again", she muttered as she stabbed at her eggs that have seemingly gone cold.

"Sorry", she muttered, picking up her fork to poke at a piece of meat that she's certain would be tasteless.

"As I was saying", her friend continued as she shoved a spoonful of eggs into her mouth, "We should go out with them." There was a small pause. Confusion swept over her features, "With who", she inquired uneasily. The brunette scoffed as she dropped her spoon with a shrill clink onto her plate before crossing her arms making the latter flinch. "You heard nothing that I've been saying for the past twenty minutes", she questioned eyes narrowing slightly. She was indeed too wrapped up in her thoughts to even process anything the girl in front of her was saying. But she knew that her ramblings had to do with going out and the nightlife had never exactly been kind to her.

"I'm sorry", she mumbled watching as the girl glared at her. "You have my attention now please proceed," she stated sitting up straight, trying her best to focus. The girl in front of her bit at the inside of her mouth but then reluctantly proceeded. "Next week we are going out", she stated nails gently tapping against the table as she emphasized the word we.

Raising an inquisitive eyebrow at her friend, "Why", she asked cautiously. The other avoided her intense gaze as she spoke, "We are going on a double date."

The piece of meat that she was attempting to swallow before the brunette hastily sprung the news on her lodged in her throat at the new information. "No, forget it. I'm not letting you drag me to a cafe and putting up with some tough guy just so you can get some," she quickly dismissed throat now aching.

Her friend quickly flushed at the words, waving a hand at the short-haired girl, "It's not like that this time." One quirk of an eyebrow from her friend was all it took for her to continue on, "Please Maia? Look, this Saturday we are going to go out with them both and let loose so that things won't be super awkward next week." She knew that her friend wasn't referring to her and Taehyung and she felt slightly offended at her friend's comment. However, the dull pain in her chest strongly disagreed with this.

"I don't know Rin", she whispered turning her attention back to the quiet street.

Sensing her friend's discomfort Rin spoke up once again, "I know that you aren't one for that kind of scene. But Taehyung said his friend's birthday was Saturday and that it would be nice for him to get out and have some fun since he doesn't really celebrate it..."

'This Saturday is his birthday too', she thought to herself. "And his idea of fun is to drag his friend to a bar when he wants to be alone to meet a girl he has to go on a double date with next week", she deadpanned. Maia has only met Taehyung a handful of times. He seemed like a sweet guy but at the same time, he made every decision on a whim. At her friend's silence, she turned her gaze back. Rin's expression had changed; puppy dog eyes now on show as she and pouted her lip as if that could convince her. "If he doesn't celebrate it then isn't this all a little much", she questioned settling back in her seat, "I'm like the cherry on top of what already sound's like is going to be a bad day for him."

"Taehyung said it would be good for him to get out since nearly every year he spends it alone. We could invite some of our friends too so that it's more comfortable," her friend replied ignoring her last comment. She thought about it for a minute. "Maybe he has a good reason", she muttered. Her friend shook her head, hairs swaying as she spoke, "I've already invited some other people so that it might not be as awkward." Nearly all of Rin's friends were hooking up as well. If anything it's made the situation even more awkward if she, and this guy she's being set up with, are the only two singles there. She didn't understand why Rin and her friends couldn't just go on without her, but then again she was never to keen on leaving Maia out of her two a.m. adventures. "I thought to have more people there it would be more casual? I don't know but please think about it."

Maia released a deep sigh. She knew Rin wasn't going to give up easily. How could she tell Rin that the reason she didn't want to be with anyone is that she is still in love with a man she hasn't seen for hundreds of years? She didn't and she couldn't. It's not that she didn't trust Rin, but if it were to spread, she could potentially find herself in a mental institution and she wasn't particularly keen on that idea. Silence fell over them for the rest of their meal. As she watched another few drops splash against the wet cement she knew there was no way she was getting out of this one.

______

The next few days were filled with avoiding Rin at all costs. Her phone buzzing more times than she could count in the span of a minute as the day of their "double date" grew closer and closer. Dew had collected onto the window as she absentmindedly stirred her tea. Her friend's words still ringing in her head about Saturday night. The dull pain in her chest had seemed to manifest these past few days, however, something in the back of her mind told her she should go.

The idea of a double date a week from now had left more of an unsettling feeling in the pits of her stomach than the party Saturday. She's certain that Taehyung had probably mentioned it to the man by now but the thought of all of these events happening didn't sit right with her.

She felt as though she would be intruding; recalling Rin mentioning how he always wanted to spend his birthdays alone. Maybe there had been a reason. In all honesty, she didn't want to go out Saturday either because every year she always spent that date alone as well.

Sometimes she just wished there was someone to talk to about this. At first, she wasn't sure what she was experiencing every time this happened to her. She had once sat through a lecture on reincarnation. The professor seemed to believe it was all a bunch of hocus pocus as well but not her. Not when she had gone through it hundreds of times. Maybe just maybe in every life, she had silently prayed to see him again. The one that her soul intertwined within her first life hundreds of years ago. All of her moments with him replayed in her mind like a movie.

Their memories together never faded, but he did. It was stupid of her to think that she could see him again. Every time she entered into a new life she had hoped to catch a glimpse of him. To glance upon the wide bunny smile she had fallen for all those years ago. She yearned to hear his honey voice and feel his warm breath against her skin once more. However, those moments she once cherished were gone and so was he. At the end of each life, she'd beg whoever was up there to see him if she awoke in another life but he never showed.

The memories of him stuck with her all this time. In each life, she would keep a journal; writing down everything she could remember, in detail, in case one day she was to wake up and forget everything. Many journals had been accumulated over the years. Every night before she slept she went through one of them. Many were filled with memories but others contained letters to her lost lover. A worn journal of grayish color occupied her hands. Her eyes had traced over the contents of this particular journal more times than she could count. The first page of the book reading 'to my beloved.'

Her pale eyes filled with tears as she examined the figure sketched on the second page; unsteady fingers tracing the outline of the man. The picture was detailed from his sun-kissed skin to the small freckles the adorned his features. It was as if he was right there with her; imagining the warmth of his skin under her fingertips. The edge of the page, frayed with past tear stains, kindly welcomed the new wetness that slipped from her warm cheeks. Remembering was painful, but the memories of him kept her alive. Even if he wasn't physically there, the hope of seeing him again was what still held her to this earth.

Closing the journal, she carefully placed it back onto the bookshelf among the others. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. That face had been staring back at her for many years and yet sometimes she couldn't recognize herself. Everything was different now.

Picking up her phone she scrolled through the endless amount of messages concerning the plans for Saturday night. With a deep breath, she settled back into her broken down mattress. The messages went unanswered for now. Her mind drifted back to those doe eyes and the laughter of the boy she missed dearly. He may have been taken from her but the one thing she would not let be stolen are her memories of him.