I blow into my hands and pull my coat tighter around my body. Why the hell Ohio winters are so cold, don't ask me. I am used to living in Florida with my family and nice warm climate. I smile as I think of my little brother, Aaron.
I wear a baseball hat and dark sun glasses under my heavy winter coat. My blond hair is held back by my hat. My sapphire eyes are covered by my sun glasses. I am pretty sure that no one will recognize me.
Looking up and down the main street of Clinton Ohio, I see a store, a small school, a tiny playground, houses, and a surprisingly big library for such a small village. As I walk down the street, titled 'Main Street', I get a closer look at the school. In front of the school, on either side of the walkway, are red and yellow flowers. A sign in the front yard says 'Clinton Elementary School'. Glancing in the windows tells me that the children are still in school.
I continue on and next to the school is a tiny playground. I see a small sign and painted on the front in a child's writing is 'BSB playground'. I smile softly and look over all the neatly painted playground toys. I continue on and see neat houses lined up on the sides of the road with neat lawns and neat fences.
I sit on a bench and think. The whole reason I am in Clinton Ohio instead of home with my family on my vacation is because of what my best friend, Brian Littrell, told me. He told me that he thinks I need some time alone in a town that I know no one in to clear my mind. Now I am here, staying in a small apartment right beside a big park that I haven't yet checked out.
I look at the big library and decide to go inside and out of the cold. Once inside, a gush of warm air welcomes me and I take off my coat. No one else is in the library but the librarian. I walk over and look around for the comics. I can't seem to find them. I walk over and see the librarian kneeling down and putting some books on a shelf. She is young with long brown hair that reminds me of someone. Her hair hangs down past her waist as she stands, satisfied with her work.
"Um, excuse me…" I say.
She turns and looks at me, her hazel eyes friendly, "How can I help you?"
I feel my mouth drop open as I stare into her hazel eyes. They are the exact same shade as my late girlfriend, Lisa's. I shake my head, "Yeah, um, where are the comics?"
She raises and eyebrow and laughs. Her laughter is soft and gentle, exactly like Lisa's used to be. "This way." She says, leading the way. "You new here?"
I nod, "Yeah, I'm Nick Carter." I offer her my hand.
She shakes my hand, "Lisa Booze. It's nice to meet you, Nick, welcome to town."
I gap at her, did she just say Lisa Booze? Isn't that impossible? "Um, I…I've got to go. I'll come back later." I turn and run from the library and straight to my house. I pick up my cell phone and dial Brian's number.
"Hello?"
"Bri, I think you're right. I think I need to see shrink."
Brian laughs, "Whoa, slow down, Frack. Why is this?"
I take a deep breath. "I just came back from the library where I met a young woman with long brown hair and hazel eyes. You'll never guess her name."
"What's her name? Mildred Spencer?"
"Lisa Booze." I say simply.
Brian's laughter turns into chokes. "Did she look like Lisa?"
"Exactly like her."
Brian takes a deep breath, "Nick, you don't need a shrink, she was real."
"Huh?"
"Nick, I don't think Lisa is dead. You see, wait, I'll be there in an hour. I'll drive up." He hangs up and I wait for him. An hour later my best friend walks into my home and we sit in the kitchen.
"Talk." I say.
"Well, remember the night I forgot the words to 'The Perfect Fan'? that was the night it hit me. Lisa would have been three and a half months pregnant and showing. Well, when we were on stage I noticed that she WAS showing a little. The, when she came back out from the dressing room, she wasn't. also, her hazel eyes were brown. Now, I don't think that's possible."
I stare at him as he continues. "Well, that night I called Deena Strausbaugh, Lisa's friend. Deena said that Shauntae had disappeared right before Lisa's 'death'. That sounds fishy to me.
"Well, I got to thinking again and here's what I think. I think the girl that got hit by the car was someone who looked remarkably like Lisa and was put up to the role of playing her death. Lisa was knocked out or something in the dressing room and the girls switched clothes. Then the fake Lisa came out and BOOM, she's dead. The real Lisa is taken somewhere and ends up here in Clinton Ohio, working as a librarian I guess."
I think about everything Brian says. That night I had been too excited to notice small facts like that fact the Lisa's had been brown. Now that I think about it, they HAD been brown. I sit, "Do you think it's her?"
Brian walks around and kneels beside me, "Yes, Nick, I honestly do. Go to her, see if she remembers you."
I look at him, "Alright." Joy washes through me. Lisa isn't dead! My one true love is still alive!
The next day I wait for Deena Strausbaugh to answer the phone. "Yeah?"
"Deena? This is Nick Carter, can I ask you a couple questions?"
Deena pauses a minute, "Yeah, go ahead."
"Thanks…is Lisa alive?" I blurt.
Deena is even longer at answering this time, "Nick…"
"Is she?"
"Yes…"
"Why the hell didn't you tell me? How long have you known?" I demand.
"About three months. Nick, she doesn't remember you!"
"What?"
"Shut up and I'll tell you." Deena demands. I shut up and listen, "I am Lisa's best friend, have been since she was fifteen. When she moved to Florida it broke my heart. Then when I had heard that she died I went into shock for awhile. Well, three months ago she turned up at my house smiling. I was totally shocked and asked her what the hell she was doing here. She frowned and said that she wanted to come and say hi to her best friend. Then it hit me, Shauntae hasn't been seen since Lisa's death. I think Shauntae took Lisa, had someone go out and act her death out, though they really died, and beat Lisa so bad that she lost her child and two years of her life."
"What do you mean two years of her life?" I ask.
"Nick, she has slight amnesia. She can't remember what the hell happened for the last two years of her life. She only knows that last year she had a miscarriage. That's all."
I sit quietly for a minute. Lisa has amnesia? She lost our child? "What can we do to help her?"
Deena sighs, "Nothing, Nick. We have to let her remember your relationship on her own. Trust me, something will click in her mind. She still writes, maybe that will help. Just be her friend and let her go at her own pace. Don't rush this one, Nicky boy, she would hate you for making her remember."
I feel sick, "But Deena, what if she doesn't remember? I love her so much, I need her so much!"
Deena's voice gets softer, "I know Nick, I also know that Lisa loved you just as much, she still does, only it's hidden in her lost memory."
I feel a tear run down my face. "But…"
"Nick, give it time. I honestly think she will get her memory back."
"Nick?" Brian calls, walking into the kitchen. He sees my tears and frowns, "You okay, Frack?"
I motion for Brian to wait a minute, "Thanks, Deena."
"Nick, I think maybe you are the ticket. I think she will remember faster if you are there for her the whole way." Deena says softly, "Goodbye, Nick."
"Bye…" I say and we hang up. I turn to Brian and feel more tears fall, "Bri, she lost our baby…she has amnesia! She can't remember the last two years at all!"
Brian's eyes fill with tears, "Oh man."
I lean forward and bury my face in my hands and let the tears flow. I feel Brian's hand on my back as I sob. It's not fair! For the last two years I have been in agony over my lost love. I had thought that I would never see her again, never hear her say my name in her special voice. But now that I find out that she's alive, I still can't have her! What if she never remembers? Then I'll never take her into my arms again, never look into her loving hazel eyes, never kiss her soft lips. She'll never hear me say that I love her again unless her memory returns.
"Nick, take me to her. Let me see what she has become, how much like our Lisa she still is…" Brian asks softly.
I look up and nod, "Alright." I wipe my eyes clean as we walk towards the library.
Brian looks around, "This is the section of tow that Aya says she's never been in."
I smile, "Aya sticks to her side of town I guess." Aya Perkins is a friend of ours, though she can't stand Frick. Soon we are at the library. We walk in and I instantly see Lisa. She is kneeling by a little girl. Her long brown hair is pulled back in a lose bun and her green T-shirt matches her blue jeans.
Brian and I walk over, "Hi Lisa." I say.
Lisa glances up and smiles, "Hi Nick." She turns back to the little girl, "Becky, is this the book, sweetie?"
The little girl, Becky, nods, her blond curl tumbling into her cute blue eyes. "Yeah, thank you Lisa."
Lisa smiles and Becky hugs her. Lisa kisses her cheek and shoos her off towards her mother. Then Lisa stands and smiles at Nick and Brian. She offers Brian her hand, "Hi, I'm Lisa Booze."
Brian takes it, his eyes never leaving her face, "I'm Brian Littrell."
Lisa shows no sign of recognition at this name and smiles again, "Here for more comics, Nick?"
I laugh softly, "Nah, just here to look around."
Brian looks at a book on the table and laughs, "AJ should read this."
I look at the title and join in Frick's laughter, "He'd kill you for saying that, B-Rok."
Lisa watches us with a smile, "You two are best friends I take it."
Brian nods and lightly hits my back, "Yep, Chaos and I have been best friends for the last eight years." Brian smiles, "Say, how old are you, Lisa?"
"Twenty."
"Nicky here's twenty-one and I'm twenty-six."
Lisa smiles, "Hmm, I think I used to know a Nick…he was nineteen I think…" she looks confused, "I'm not sure…"
Brian and I glance at each other. When Lisa met me I was only nineteen! "You're not sure though?" I ask.
Lisa shakes her head, "No, I'm not forgetful or anything like that, you see, I suffer from temporary amnesia. I can't remember the last two years of my life. The doctors say it will come back but that I shouldn't rush it." She smiles, "It's kinda annoying not knowing what I did for the last two years. I only remember one tiny thing and then black."
I frown, "What is it you remember?"
"Well, I do remember having a miscarriage…waking up in a pool of blood around my feet. I guess I was only five months pregnant. Too bad I can't remember who the father was so I can call him and tell him, huh?" she chuckles softly, "I do remember something about singing…but that's foggy."
I straighten up. On our last night together we had been singing in a concert! "How did you lose the baby?"
Sorrow touches her pretty face, "The doctors say I was badly beaten. My arm was broken and everything…I just remember who it was that did such a thing to me…"
Brian touches her arm, "Hey, if you ever want to talk, Nick and I are good listeners. We live right next door to the big park, I'm not sure the name of it though."
"That would be 'BSB Park'." Lisa says.
I grin and Brian beams, "There's a BSB park?"
Lisa nods, "Yeah, there's even a BSB store and then a store called 'Frick and Frack's'. It's a really neat store, where they sell all kinds of things for best friends."
Brian beams again, "Are you into the Backstreet Boys?"
Lisa nods, "Oh yeah! I have every album!"
I glance at Frick through my sun glasses, "Are a lot of people on this side of town into BSB?"
Lisa nods, "Yeah. It's been called BSB village instead of Clintwood village."
"Clintwood?"
"Yeah, that's what Clinton calls us because we're so small and only a suburb of Clinton."
Brian grins, "What would happen if BSB were to come here?"
Lisa's eyes widen, "The village would fall deeper in love with them!"
I burst out laughing and Brian joins me. Soon we are both laughing harder than we can remember laughing in a long time. I look around to be sure that no one is looking and slip my hat and sun glasses off. Brian does the same.
Lisa's mouth drops open, "You're Frick and Frack!"
I nod and Brian smiles, "Shh, it's a secret." We replace our hats and sun glasses as a group of teenage girls walk in. Lisa joins in our laughter and I feel the heavy cloud on my heart begin to lift.