You're My Only Star

Chapter Six: A Memory. (Nine Years Ago)

The bicycle creaked, as Amelia forced the pedals to their limits, her competitive spirit evident and determined to win the race. The sun glared down at them, making her unevenly cut bangs stick to her sweaty forehead. Breathing hard and strained, she carried on with the strenuous activity.

“You’ll never catch me, slowpoke!” Oliver yelled, pedaling faster than Amelia, and dashing through the streets like an Olympic cyclist.

That was it!

Amelia felt the need to win turn into anger. She was tired of always being the one losing the games, the one being left behind, and the one categorized as too ‘slow’. Was there something wrong with her bicycle that wouldn’t make it go faster? Or was there something wrong with her legs that they wouldn’t pedal as fast as she wanted them to?

Amelia simply refused to believe that Oliver is just a faster rider.

“Come on, you little tires, move faster!” She commanded, and willed all her effort into making the bicycle move, ignoring the strains in her leg muscles, and her surrounding environment.

The quiet town rarely had any vehicles passing through the narrow streets, but on this fateful day, a large construction truck barreled through, the driver, pissed at his client or boss, and unfocused on the road. When he finally crossed paths with the incessant pedaling girl, it was too late, and there wasn’t enough space for him to swerve, so he could only slam down on the brakes and hope for a miracle from above.

Likewise, Amelia didn’t see the truck until it was too late. In fact it had been Oliver that warned her with a loud and distressed scream of “watch out!” When she realized the situation, all control simply left her, and she could only stare at the truck in horror as it came closer to her…

Closer still…

Before she gave one final scream; a scream that would’ve probably been her last, someone tackled her off the bicycle, wrapping their arms tight around her waist and pulling her out of the line of danger in the last minute. A split second later, the truck crashed into the bicycle, and she felt the hard concrete graze her left elbow, despite the person who saved her taking most of the fall.

“Are you okay?” He asked frantically, moving her long hair sideways to check her neck and forehead for any bruises. When none were found, he rolled up her uniform sleeves, and checked her arms.

“You’re bleeding…” They said at the same time.

Amelia stared at him wide-eyed, too shocked to take into account what had just happened to her. The stranger that had courageously saved her life, in the process risking his, was bleeding from a thin cut on his forehead. There was also a bruise on his left cheek, possibly where the hard and uneven surface grazed his face.

“Are you okay?” He asked for the second time.

Amelia nodded a yes, and quickly stood to her feet. Other than her legs feeling like jelly and her arms shaking uncomfortably, there wasn’t anywhere she was hurt, except for her elbow.

“T- Thank you.” She stammered timidly, dusting off her school uniform and adjusting back her skirt.

The stranger got to his feet too, and Amelia finally had the proper, full view of his handsome and unique features. He was wearing the same colored school uniform as hers, with the red necktie to indicate that he was a senior student. Surprisingly, Amelia had never seen him in school. Or maybe she simply didn’t notice him, until now.

She thrust her hand forward for a handshake, wishing they would stop shaking so badly, and said “Hi, I’m Gwon Mi Young. But you can call me Amelia.”

The boy accepted her handshake with a firm grasp, while also giving her a curt nod. “I just saved your life Gwon Mi Young.” He replied with a charming smile, letting go of her hand and grabbing his backpack off the ground.

“I’ll see you around!” He added to a speechless Amelia and walked away, like nothing just happened.

The driver that had almost ran her over was nagging, but Amelia couldn’t even focus on what he was saying. She didn’t even have the energy to retrieve her bicycle which she could see only half of; the other half wedged under the truck.

“Amelia, are you alright?!” Oliver asked, finally catching up to her.

She nodded yes.

“We need to get you to a hospital, sit here.” He added, motioning to a boulder. Swiping through his phone, he dialed the ambulance, despite this not being an emergency situation.

“Do you know him?” Amelia questioned, her eyes drooping low due to exhaustion. She felt like she couldn’t keep her consciousness present. All of her body suddenly ached; the adrenaline rush that had kept her going now gone from her body.

“Vincent? Yes, he’s two years ahead of us. Amelia? Amelia, are you going to fain…”

The world turned black, and the bliss of oblivion welcomed her.

{PRESENT DAY}:

He had saved me once.

Well, he had saved her, but in a way, it was saving me too…

I groaned, and glanced to the glass of water on the bedside table. Multiple needles were hooked into my left arm, and I felt too exhausted to stretch out free hand for the glass of water. Nevertheless, I tried, and disappointingly found that it was too far out of my reach.

Just before I could press the little button on the hospital bed that will immediately bring a nurse into my room; the door swung open and two people stepped in.

I instantly recognized them both. One was the young and handsome doctor that had treated me almost a week ago, and the other was the boy I had seen in Amelia’s memory.

Although he could now hardly be categorized as a ‘boy’, since he had grown taller, and almost twice the size I had remembered, with facial hair covering the lower part of his face.

“Oh thank goodness you’re not dead.” Oliver began with a broad and slightly relieved smile, his voice deeper than I had expected.

I managed a small smile which appeared more like a grimace, in an effort to look friendly, since I had no idea how their relationship or friendship is. Some people drift apart after high school, some people become enemies. I wasn’t sure which category he fell into, so I felt the need to be more cautious.

“Oh come on, don’t give me that look! I was at least expecting my presence to be the closing deal that makes you remember the memories!” He said with a dramatic sigh, coming closer and handing me the water that he must’ve noticed me staring at longingly.

I shrugged apologetically, and took the water with a quiet ‘thank you’.

“Is there anywhere you feel discomfort Miss Amelia?” The young doctor questioned, inspecting the machines and the tubes connected to my arm as per routine.

“I feel like I’m made up of discomfort.” I replied with a long sigh.

And that was as close as I could come to defining how I felt physically, and mentally. I didn’t even want to delve in the emotional aspect because the possibility of crying and having a breakdown lurked in the shadows there.

Most of my body felt numb, with both my toenails and fingernails feeling as if they had been ripped off and glued back together again. The bandage around my neck where I had clawed at the skin made moving my head sideways uncomfortable. In short, I felt physically horrible… probably even more horrible than I had ever been in my past life.

Talk about being transformed into a life of glamour.

“Who are you and what have you done with my best friend? The Amelia I know never makes bad jokes, only really dark ones.”

Oliver had meant it as a simple jester, but given the situation, I would have to be abnormal not to take it to heart. So naturally, my eyes widened, my heart rate going faster as I stared at Oliver, trying to register what he said, the underlying factors of the tone he used, and how I could reply in the most neutral way that wouldn’t make him suspect a thing.

“What do you mean, I am Amelia. Do you need glasses? Are you visually impaired?” I shot back stupidly.

If this had been a criminal investigation, I guess you know who will be found guilty without much effort.

Oliver giggled, which soon turned into full-blown laughter as he clutched his stomach, holding on to the wall for support. There wasn’t exactly anything funny about my reply, but I am a woman who looks for opportunities, and uses them to her advantage when she does find one. And this was an opportunity to cover any suspicion that I might have shown.

So I joined him in laughter, as the doctor stared at both of us, visibly uncomfortable and awkward, since he found nothing funny about the situation.

Just like that, Oliver’s laughter seized completely, and he turned stone-faced serious, as if a button had been pressed that made him switch moods and expressions so easily.

I stared at him confused, my own laughter slowly deflating to one final, awkward cough. Like a deer caught in headlights, I continued to simply stare at him.

“There was nothing funny about that, and why did you laugh?”

“You laughed first.” I shot back, pointing at him accusingly with my free hand.

“But you never laugh.” He countered, mirroring my actions and pointing at me accusingly, with one hand on his hip and the other stretched towards me, the perfectly manicured finger marking my forehead arrestingly.

Amelia never laughed? That was impossible.

“Ah, doctor I recalled a memory.” I said suddenly, changing the topic and dropping my hand.

As Amy, I would’ve battled Oliver to the death until victory became mine. But as Amelia, I couldn’t risk arising suspicion in someone that used to be close to the real Amelia.

My mindset had shifted, from wanting people to know that I was trapped in her body, to now finding ways to survive in her body, as a second chance and a second shot at life.

And no one, not even the person trying to kill her can stop me.