3 months later
Before my accident, I managed to graduate high school with good grades. Turns out I liked to study. A lot.
Now, I’m turning 20 and I’ll be starting at university soon. Feels pretty weird considering I can only remember snippets from my childhood until now.
Things are coming back though - things like times I spent with my sisters, Annia and Alicia. There’s three years in between each of us, but that doesn’t stop us from being best friends.
I actually feel pretty great. I can’t remember anything that was stressing me out, which is really damn handy.
Apparently I suffered from panic attacks a lot, and I can tell I have anxiety; I can feel it when I go out with my family, I can feel it when I wake up.
It’s constantly there, like a second, darker, shadow.
What’s weird, is looking in the mirror. Obviously I recognise my own face, but at the same time, my only memories of my face are from childhood.
And I don’t exactly look the same now as I did then. Well, my green eyes are the same.
Then, I had my mum’s velvety black hair, but it was kept short and fluffy around my head. Now, it’s long. Longer than Alicia’s; hers is shoulder length. Mine reaches down my back.
Annia helped me braid it - “my dumb dumb little bro can’t braid his own ‘luscious locks’ anymore huh?” She joked, knowing I’d laugh.
I can confidently say, laughing is my favourite thing. As stupid as it sounds, it makes my family worry just a tiny bit less about me, and that’s all I want.
I’ve stressed them out enough as it is.
And now it’s almost September, and I’m almost 20, which means university. 3 years studying psychology. I really was into brains huh.
—————
“Happy birthday to you!” My family sing as I blow out the candles on the chocolate cake. I love cake; apparently that hasn’t changed since the accident.
My mum reaches across the table, holding my hand in hers. “Sweetie, you’re a grown man now, but you’re still my little baby - you’ll always be my baby.”
I laugh and kiss her hand, stroking it with my thumb. “I know, mum” I smile at her; smile at everyone.
They’ve been incredible in helping my recovery, and supporting me whenever a memory would resurface, a gigantic headache smashing itself into my head at the same time.
“We’re all going to miss you, Asher, so come give us a visit from time to time while you’re at uni.” My dad nods at me, smiling and patting my back.
“Of course. You’re not getting rid of me so easily” I give them a mischievous grin, until Alicia slaps me on the back.
“Uhh OW” I glare at her, my smile twitching as I try to feign hurt. Alicia wraps her arm around my neck, pulling me towards her.
“I’m just on the campus next door, so believe me, I’ll be visiting and looking out for this guy all the time” she grins, pointing at me, but my parents nod at her seriously.
Annia huffs “that’s a load of bullshit - she’ll be too busy smooching her girlfriend to check on our baby bro”.
I laugh, knowing that’s probably the truth - Alicia and Megan have been inseparable for the past 2 years, according to the rest of my family.
“I’ll be fine, plus I have a roommate apparently. I know nothing about the guy, other than he’s studying music.”
I fiddle with my braided hair - meeting Megan was hard enough, and I’ve known her since we were kids apparently. Meeting someone entirely new will be…an experience.
“I hope he’s nice” my mum says, patting my arm and sitting back in her chair, carving up the cake for us.
“I hope he’s hot” Annia nudges my arm, and I shoot her a look that says why??
She just nods infuriatingly.
“I can’t wait to start, honestly. No one will know me there, I get to reinvent myself.” My dad smiles and gulps his tea. “Sounds like exactly what you need, Asher.”
I nod and flick the front bits of my hair, which I left out of the braid, behind my ear. “Well, in just a couple of weeks, I’ll be there…meeting all my classmates and teachers…”
I swallow in apprehension “and my roommate.”
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