NOTE- I'm very sorry if this chapter will be a snooze to you. I didn't have anything else to write about for this chapter. But the next one won't be a snooze, I think.

CHAPTER 12 (PRESENT DAY) Please Remember

I hear and see someone come running in the room, yelling, "Todd! Todd! Todd, you okay?"

I left my head up off the pillow and say, "Who are you?"

They come to me, "I'm Joe, your friend."

I shake my head. "No. I don't know a Joe."

Then I hear someone ask that person, "Joe, how did you hear?"

"Well, I was in my room and I heard the nurses talk about some teenager. I wondered who it was? I asked and they told me. I was shocked. I was scared. I had to struggle with the nurses to let me come down here, because they wouldn't go."

"Oh."

I hear that one person, Jay, who says that he's my so-called friend, "Joe, he can't remember anything. Do you know how we could get him to remember?"

"I don't know."

"You, the smart guy, doesn't know."

"Wait," [Joe paused.] "Maybe we can get out the memory book to trace his memory back. Get it? Memory. Book."

I hear everyone laugh. "We get it."

[Jay says,] "You know, Joe, even though you're smart, you're still very funny." [He laughs.]

[Joe laughs.]

Later, everyone gathers around and shows me the memory book that they were talking about.

"There are a lot of pictures and creative stuff in here. Who made this book?" I ask.

"We all did, including you." Everyone says.

"You mean that we all made this book? But it's not published, like an authors." I scratch my head.

[Joe says,] "No, it doesn't get published. It's a memory book made from pictures and scraps. A memory book is something to create when you're bored or just want to scrap with a couple of friends, and look back on the fun things you did."

"Oh. But who's that on the potty?" I ask, pointing to a picture.

[Lizzie and Gordo come over to Todd. Lizzie says,] "That's you, Todd when you first got potty trained." I see them both smile.

I look at the book. I see a group picture of people, but don't know who they are. "Who are those people?"

[Jay and Joe say,] "Us and you."

"Who are you guys again?" I ask.

"Jay, your friend."

"Joe, your friend."

"So, you are Joe." I point to one.

He shakes his head yes.

"And you are…" I pause. I close my eyes and think. Inside my mind, I see that person who I can't remember, playing basketball, then I come up and say, "Hi. Do you wanna play a game?" They say, "Sure. Your name is?" I say, "Todd Gordon." They say, "Nice to meet you. I'm Jason Troy, but everyone calls me Jay." I open my eyes.

"You are Jason Troy, but are called Jay, right?"

"Yes. That is right." He says in an exciting voice.

I continue looking at the book, "Who's that and that?"

[Lizzie and Matt says,] "Us."

"I'm Lizzie, you mother."

"I'm Matt, your uncle."

I stare at the picture and then look at them. "What? That can't be you guys. You guys are old, and you're young in the picture."

[Lizzie says,] "Thanks a lot, Todd!"

"Yeah. Thank you." [Matt says.]

"For what?"

"For calling us old!" They both say.

[Matt says,] "Hold on. I'm the youngest. And you're the oldest, Lizzie. You are old, not me."

[Lizzie sighs,] "Thank you, Matt."

"You're welcome." [Matt grins.]

"Hold up." I say. "You are my uncle, Matt, right?"

"Right."

"Who's my aunt? Who's my cousin? Or are you married?"

[Melina steps in,] "I'm Melina."

[Dustin says,] "I'm Dustin, your cuz."

I point to her, "And you are…" I pause. I close my eyes and see her taking care of me, saying no to me, making things clear to me. I open my eyes.

"You're Lizzie, but I just call you mom."

My mom just shakes her head yes.

"Wait, who's my dad? Or are you married still?" I ask mom.

[Gordo says,] "I am your dad."

"Oh. But you are…" I close my eyes and see him doing all the stuff that mom does for me. Then I see him fighting with mom and leaves her with me. I open my eyes.

"I have no dad, do I?"

"Yes, you do. I'm him."

"Yeah right! You left mom! Who's my step-dad? Or do I even have one?" I ask in a mean tone.

"Huh?" everyone says.

"What're you talking about?" He asks.

"He did leave me, but we got back together. You do remember, don't you?" Mom asks.

I close my eyes again, and this time I see him talking to mom inside a pizza place. He gets down on his knees and says that he would like to marry her again. I open my eyes.

I sit there. "I do remember, but just bits of pieces of it." I smile, then start to get tears in my eyes.

"Who am I?" he asks.

"You're my dad, Gordo." I say. "And I hope you and mom will stay together forever."

I hear and see someone come running in the room, yelling, "Todd! Todd, you all right?"

"Huh?" I get a questionable expression on my face.

"How did you get here?" Jay asks. "I thought you were in Ohio." Joe says.

"I was, but my father hated the job so he quit and we moved back."

"How did you know Todd was here?" Jay asks her.

"Well, we just got back and I was going to go over there to see him. A neighbor outside said that he wasn't there; he was at the hospital. I was shocked. I told my parents and they drove me here."

I left off my pillow and ask, "Who are you?"

"I'm Kari."

"Kari? I don't know if I know you. Hold up." I close my eyes, and see her and I together. When we were goofing around, when we were laughing, when we first dated, when both of us had our first kiss. I know. I open my eyes.

"I know. You are Kari, my girlfriend." I smile, and begin to remember why I haven't seen her for about four weeks now. "I'm so glad that you're back, to stay, right?"

"Right! Right by your side." She says to me.

I smile.